Short Synopsis: Jean finally tells Cosette about Fantine’s death.
Good: Can this anime truly get any better?
Bad: How are Jean and Cosette going to outrun the police for such a long time? Oh, wait… that’s not really a bad point, is it?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8.5/10
The Fall-season of last year broke a trend I was beginning to notice: the fact that each season had at least one truly memorable series, starting from Fall 2005, which had Noein and Mushishi. Winter 2006 had Bake Neko, Spring 2006 had Simoun and The Third, and Summer 2006 had Otogi Juushi Akazukin. While the fall-season did feature some really good shows as Asatte no Houkou, Bakumatsu, Jigoku Shoujo and Red Garden, they just weren’t good enough to compare with their predecessors. I feared that this would be the same for the Winter-2007-season, but Les Miserables has proved to be an absolute delight. And that already at this point.
This episode definitely convinced me of this, as it displays the huge strength of Cosette’s character. She’s only a little girl, she gets the news that her mother, her raison d’être, died, and she doesn’t even cry! All she does is sing a small song, and even though we didn’t see any tears, that was such an incredibly sad moment.
Javert also got some more screen-time this episode, as he can’t seem to find any trace of Jean anywhere. Then he learns of the Thenardiers, and they tell him about what Jean did when he visited them. Gavroche also learns of this, returns to his old home and throws a tantrum. I’m not sure if that was the smartest thing to do, but you can’t blame the boy who wants to protect the girl who took care of him ever since he was born. To make things worse, Javert figures that Jean would flee to Paris, so he heads there as well. I couldn’t understand exactly why, though.]]>
Ayatsuri Sakon – 20
Short Synopsis: The true culprit is revealed. Quite a clever bastard he is.
Good: Perhaps the most clever villain up till now. Great arc.
Bad: Wouldn’t the guy try to hide his wounds as well?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
You know what? I loved this. The previous arcs may have had their flaws, this arc was handled quite well. I have to admit, while I saw Naoto as the main suspect after the head of the school got killed, after more people started to die, Eimei started to become more suspicious. His speech also nearly convinced me of the fact that Eimei was behind everything. That is, until he died in front of Naoto. Quite nice, I haven’t been this surprised with this series since the second arc.
And that butler. I knew he was fishy, I knew he knew what the culprit was, but I never suspected him to be an actual accomplice. In the end it was he who made the most mistakes. After all, he spoke so easily, in order to put the blame on Eimei. It’s quite clear that Naoto was the mastermind behind all this, while the butler just wasn’t as good an actor as Naoto.
With this, there’ll probably be two arcs left. It’s interesting, as there won’t be any four-episode arcs anymore. That’s quite interesting, as in that way, they won’t be able to drag. I just hope that they’ll somehow go back to the brilliance of the first two arcs. It’s quite strange to see that an actual ending is in sight, and that with the series I’ve been blogging for the longest period of time. I wonder which series will finish sooner: Ayatsuri Sakon or Popolocrois.]]>
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. :)]]>
Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori Review – 88/100
Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori, the second season of Jigoku Shoujo, which features a website. If you access it at midnight, you can enter the name of someone you want to send to hell. The only price: you’ll get sent to hell after you die yourself. For the second season, Hajime and Tsugumi have buggered off, while the series continues with its usual formula, though with a very different focus.
The second season has two major focuses. The first is Ai’s dolls, Ichimoku Ren, Hone Onna and Wanyuudo. In the first half, they start to get personally involved in some of the cases, while the episodes that follow reveal their background, and how they actually met Ai in the first place. The second focus is people, getting more and more lenient to send someone to hell. At the start of the season, I actually expected the cases in the second season to be even more extreme than the first season, but I was quite surprised when the opposite happened. Quite an amount of cases are way lighter than most of the latter half of the first season.
The cases in the second season were definitely more character-based. While the first season tried to create cases as extreme as possible, or to illustrate Hajime’s and Tsugumi’s differences of opinion, the second season tried to delve a bit more into the main characters of the different cases. In about 50% of these episodes, this didn’t work, but the other 50% were amazing. There are some beautiful stories among them, all accompanied by some of the most amazing plot twists.
There actually isn’t a main storyline like Hajime and Tsugumi, until very late in the anime. Still, even though this storyline has been getting less development than you would expect, nearly each of the final episodes is a beauty, giving the second season a definite better ending than the first season had.
If you got through the first season, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t check out the second season. Heck, it’s probably even possible to continue with the second season, without having finished the first one, all you miss is a bit of development. Still, I have to say that even though the second season has been excellent, the repetition did kick in at some moments. The usual formula did get annoying at some of the worse episodes, though that didn’t stop the good ones for really working out.
The graphics were of the same high quality as the first season, but a definite improvement has been made in the music-department. The first season already featured great music, but the second season takes another step further, and delivers a truly memorable soundtrack, with some amazingly catchy tunes. Overall, though, I had more enjoyment out of the first season, but that’s only because of the repetition. The final episodes definitely make for an interesting watch, and, unlike the first season, there’s actually a lot to discuss about with others.]]>
Jigoku Shoujo – 52
Short Synopsis: The end of Emna Ai as Jigoku Shoujo.
Good: Beautiful episode, an actually good ending.
Bad: Questions left unanswered.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8.5/10
It finally becomes clear where this episode was working towards: forcing Ai to let go of one of her victims. Because of this, the spider immediately abandoned her from her position, and made her body mortal again. This returning her to the real world, in a body that’s 400 years old! The climax itself was beautiful. I loved how she tried to calm down Takuma, who had also finally become tired of his own morals, and decided to burn the house of the ones who made his life miserable.
You know, as I’ve been writing this, I’ve been hoping more and more for an actual third season. The ending did suggest that we’ve yet to reach the ending of this show. Still, the fact does remain that Ai’s dead, and she won’t come back. But then again, this show is called “Jigoku Shoujo”, not “Enma Ai”. The Spider remained unharmed through all of this, and the final moment of the episode suggested that he’s just recruited another girl for his plans. It’s also a pity that Hell Boy didn’t come back.
And Kikuri. What the hell was her role in this series anyway? I kept thinking that she had some kind of strange contract with Hell boy, but in the end, it looks like she’s connected to the spider, of all possible characters. I still haven’t figured out her exact role, but if I had to guess, then she was employed by the spider, in order to keep an eye out on Ai. I think that at one point, she started caring about Ai, and tried to find a way to relieve her from her tasks. Because of that, she probably stirred with Takuma, in order to bring Ai even closer to the boy. I think that by episode 24, she knew that Takuma would end up in hell in some kind of way. This would be painful for Ai, though in the end, she could rest peacefully. That’s probably why she was so gentle to the cherry near the end of the episode. And regarding her brattiness. That’s just who she is. It’s just her character, nothing more. And we still don’t know much about Ai’s grandmother.
Overall, I feared for the first couple of episodes, but overall, Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori has been a real treat. Definitely one of the highlights of the rather mediocre fall-season. I’m really hoping for a third season right now, which will answer all the questions left behind. But for now, I’ll consider this show as finished.]]>
Some quick first impressions: Kaze no Shoujo Emily, Blue Dragon and Towards The Terra
Kaze no Shoujo Emily
Short Synopsis: Emily has a very strong bond with her father, but then he suddenly dies. She then moves in with her aunt: Elizabeth.
Good: It’s only the first episode, and Emily already is a very interesting character.
Bad: A few predictable moments, character-designs that take time getting used to.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
This has been one of the series I was looking forward to the most, and it doesn’t disappoint. Like expected, the first episode focuses solely on Emily, and she already is an interesting character, losing her parents early on. I loved her crying-scenes. The predictable moments were regarding Emily, living together with her aunt. A large part of the episode is about who Emily should live with, though the OP already reveals that it’s going to be Elizabeth. Still, this is just a minor detail, I can’t wait to see the other characters in the spotlight. Each of them sounds really interesting. Just take note, the art may take a while to get used to, as it’s not your usual style. I’ve already seen Danny comment on how ugly he found it, though once you get used to it, it’s not so bad.
Blue Dragon
Short Synopsis: A typical brat appears to have a huge power, called the “Blue Dragon”.
Good: Potentially interesting characters.
Bad: Akira Toriyama
Overall Enjoyment Value: 5/10
The second of three RPG-adaptations to come this season. I secretly hoped for this to turn out well, like other shows of its kind proved, though the Akira Toriyama-influences are just way too big. We first of all have that annoying male lead, the people powering up, the stereotypical characters, but most annoyingly a main character who wants to protect his friends and so gets to have an excuse to possess the strongest power ever. I’m going to go with Shining Tears instead, and in June Tales of Symphonia. Stay away from this one, in any case.
Towards The Terra
Short Synopsis: Long ago, humankind went to travel to distant planets, while the earth was left in ruins. Johnnie, our main character gets involved with some strange people.
Good: I don’t know why, but I loved it!
Bad: I want more dammit!!
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Towards The Terra, another one of my major series to look forward to, and with a very good reason. I mentioned before that I’m an absolute sucker for mystery, and a show like this couldn’t be more mysterious. Where does the main character live now? What happened to the earth? What did these people do to him when he was brainwashed? Who are these people who he keeps seeing in his dreams? Add a great mother-son relationship, an excellent soundtrack, and I’m hooked. According to the OP, the cast of this anime seems really big, and I can’t wait to meet all of these people. This episode was definitely a highlight of the beginning of the Spring-season.]]>
Some quick first impressions: Kamichama Karin, Shining Tears x Wind and sola
Kamichama Karin
Short Synopsis: Karin is a young girl, with no friends and whose pet just died, when she meets a few strange people, one of them refers to her as “Kami-sama”.
Good: Kawai! Really charming, The ALI-Project shines.
Bad: I’ve seen quite a few mahou shoujo up till now, but I still haven’t found the merit of those extremely long transformation-scenes.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Ah, the Mahou Shoujo of the season. I’ve been waiting for this, and it doesn’t disappoint. The first episode already was incredibly charming and heart-warming. Karin and … somehow really remind me of Sakura and Tomoyo, which of course is a good thing. I already love this. The only thing I’m worried about is the beginning of the show, which gives a small taste about what’s going to happen in the future of this anime. I’m not sure, but it looked rather formulaic. Let’s hope that the future episodes will be able to introduce lots of new stuff, as the first episode definitely showed that Kamichama Karin has the potential to become great. 🙂
Shining Tears x Wind
Short Synopsis: Two teenagers get transported to a different world. Twist: the main character actually isn’t a typical loser.
Good: Excellent mystery, so many potentially interesting characters.
Bad: Quite a few minor flaws (see below).
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10
As this was another RPG-adaptation, I’ve been looking forward to it. Let me first say that I’m a total sucker for mystery, and so it’s great to see that there’s been a huge amount of mystery thrown into this anime. I really like the potential in this one. Also, even though the concept may be generic, the main characters actually do know how to fight before the story starts. The way the main character also obtains his power also has much more detail than your average other anime who uses this plot elements. And surprisingly, the romance between the two main characters of this episode could have been done way worse. Overall, I’ve been quite pleased, but the fact remains that there are lots of minor flaws in this anime which could potentially ruin it, just like Star Ocean Ex did once. Most of all, the females. Their character-designs are a bit too fanservice-based, and I do hope that they’ll be more than just damsels in distress. Apart from that, the fights themselves are rather generic, with no outstanding animation whatsoever. The characters also could have been a bit more surprised at the sudden catgirl who appeared in front of them.
sola
Short Synopsis: The sky is beautiful, taking pictures of it is fun, no sky is the same… oh god, this guy needs to find himself a hobby.
Good: The action-scene at the end surprised me.
Bad: Harem clichés ho!
Overall Enjoyment Value: 5/10
The writers of Kanon and Da Capo collaborating for this project. Obviously, it wasn’t going to be exciting. Sure, it’s got a bit of a quiet mood, but the characters are nearly painful. There’s this main character who has another strange hobby, and obviously is a total loser, he runs coincidentally into a girl, and the two fall in love. Remember also that scene in NHK ni Youkoso, where Satou suggested to combine all sorts of character-traits into one character? Well, after watching this anime, I can’t help to think that the creators used that scene as the base of one of the other characters: the bed-ridden sister who acts cold and doesn’t talk much. I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned out to be an android as well. Apart from that, we’ve also got the tomboy-childhood friend and the little girl who sleeps in a box. Okay, that last one may not be a cliché, but she doesn’t exactly have an exciting personality either. In terms of graphics, don’t expect too much. The art on the main website already wasn’t really appealing, but this art got toned down even more for the anime-version.]]>
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.]]>
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto Review – 89/100
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto takes place in the Meiji-era, where supernatural events can occur. It follows Akizuki Youjiro, a very talented swordsman who has been tasked to seal an item called “the Lord’s Head”. This item is able to fully control others, and has to be sealed no matter what. A theatre-troupe, meanwhile is out on revenge.
One thing that immediately strikes with this series: its awesome production-values. Seriously, this series showcases some of the highest-quality art and animation for a tv-series. Characters move extremely fluid, the CG is terrific, and especially the background art is extremely detailed. The graphics just ooze with realism like no other series has managed to do before. And if that wasn’t good enough, this anime comes with an absolutely smashing soundtrack, which doesn’t lose focus for even an episode.
On top of that, it comes with a very detailed storyline, featuring both historical as fictional characters, based around Enomoto Takeaki’s mission to found the republic of Ezo, on what is now known as Hokkaido. Be warned, though, as the storyline does require some afford in order to actually understand it. A lot of references are made to the Meiji-period of Japan, and without sufficient knowledge, you’ll need to look up things a lot in order to get all the references.
Still, as the anime moves on, the story will become clearer and clearer, and it results in one of the more solid storylines I’ve seen in anime. Still, with that, perhaps one of the few problems with this anime lies. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto may be a really solid story, it also lacks plot-twists. Most of the series is pretty straightforward, and only episodes 13 and 18 provide a number of very juicy plot twists (which, in the end, turned out to be the best episodes of the anime).
Overall, though, it may be a bit too straightforward, but it’s one hell of an entertaining series. The solid plot and great production-values more than make up for this flaw, and Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto has been one great watch.]]>
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto – 26
Short Synopsis: This was definitely an Akizuki-episode, as he closes the story by defeating Kakunojou, Soutetsu and the Lord’s Head.
Good: Akizuki vs Kakunojou was so sweet.
Bad: What exactly was the role of the troupe in the later half of this anime again?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
And thus ends Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, one of the best series to hit last year’s fall-season. Again, the ending was as solid as ever. I loved the confrontation between Akizuki and Kakunojou, while Soutetsu’s fight was a bit predictable, though. The epilogue itself was nice enough, and I was surprised to hear that Kakunojou actually is using a fake name for herself. Soutetsu also reveals a final part of his background before he dies, which involves his meeting with Sakamoto Ryouma. It seems that Soutetsu told Sakamoto about the plans he had, though Sakamoto disapproved of them. I’m not sure what kind of effect this had.
Like I said, Bakumatsu has been a really solid series, but ever since Rook died, this solidness did show one disadvantage: the rather straightforward plot. Rook’s death, and Kakunojou’s cutting of Akizuki were the last major plot twists in this anime. After that, it’s been a straight race towards the finish, in which Akizuki catches up with Enomoto, all unimportant side-characters die, while the Lord’s Head and Soutetsu are taken care of in the final episode. While this does make for some very solid storytelling, it could have been more exciting. I would have loved a few major twists towards the end, like in episode 13 or 18, but alas.
Overall, I’m glad I watched and blogged this series. There’s no denying that for me, this was one of the highlights of the Fall-season. It’s not the best series of that season (that title goes to Red Garden), but it’s definitely been lots of fun watching this. Thanks w, for explaining some of the more difficult parts of the storyline.]]>