Short Synopsis: Thaegan shows herself, and the lake shows to have more depth than originally assumed.
Good: Short but sweet. Just how I like it. 🙂
Bad: Seeing Thaegan get revived in the end was a tad disappointing
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Ah, this definitely was a great episode. I’m surprised but it seems that each arc will indeed be about three or four episodes long. Perfect for keeping up a steady pacing without getting dull or boring. The battles against Sorudeiin and Thaegan also were great. Instead of huge powers clashing, this episode is more about their characters than their powers. I loved the role of the flute for both of them. For Sorudeiin, it had a soothing effect, while for Thaegan it had an annoying effect.
It’s great to see that Deltora Quest puts many rules and twists inside the different items and characters. It’s great to play with these rules, if they’re creative enough. My only problem is the convenient full moon, and the effect this has on the Topaz which was revealed a tad too late. Still, it’s quite surprising that the people who have been abducted by Thaegan were actually turned into Sorudeiin, the statue and the fish inside the lake.
I loved Thaegan’s first death. I suspect that she’s going to play a big role as a mid-boss. I’d love to see some background from her side. I’m also curious about the next country that will be travelled to.]]>
Some quick first impressions: Hayate the Combat Butler, Seto no Hanayome and Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
Hayate The Combat Butler
Short Synopsis: A typical loser gets to be the butler of a rich girl.
Good: Hayate’s parents.
Bad: Oh god, where to begin? Ugly character-designs, thinks its funny but actually is horribly dull and much, much more.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 3/10
Ow, the pain. I knew that this series was going to be bad, but at least it was labelled as a comedy, so I would get a few laughs from it. At least, that’s what I thought. This anime just isn’t funny. Apart from that, we’ve got your usual loser who runs into a beautiful girl who quite conveniently happens to be rich and in need of a butler for no reason at all. He’s also got some inhumane powers, especially for someone of his age. Events are forced, don’t make sense or are just way too cheesy to be true. The only moderately interesting parts were Hayate’s parents. I’d love to see what drove them to neglect their child so much, but there is no way that this anime is going to focus on that. Avoid this one at all costs!
Seto no Hanayome
Short Synopsis: A typical loser gets to marry a mermaid. (Start to notice a pattern?)
Good: The Mafia-boss, concept seems to have potential.
Bad: The main character, appears to be trying too hard.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 6/10
Lots of people have been anticipating this, but I’ve yet to be impressed. The first episode so far was decent, but the fact does remain that the OP was the funniest sequence of the 24 minutes of airtime (seeing Mafia-bosses play in a band looked great :)). The rest of the episode basically consisted of the mafia-boss screaming, the main character freaking out, and the mermaid getting impressed over him. Like I mentioned above, it seemed to be trying too hard. But then again, Muteki Kanbanmusume also started off with one of its weakest episodes, so I’ll at least watch the next episode before dropping. But with a season with so many potentially good series, I’ll probably end up dropping this. I’ve also got lots of issues about the main character. Not only is he your typical loser, his character-design also looks rather ugly (luckily he’s the only character in this anime, as compared to Hayate the Combat Butler) and he’s rather annoying as well.
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
Short Synopsis: Ten years after A’s, we see two new (hopefully not main) characters… show their skills in a test-mission.
Good: Good to see this back.
Bad: A bit too much action and a bit too little characters.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7/10
This one probably is the most hyped show of the season. Still, I’ve been looking forward to it myself. The original two series had some great character-studies, which is what I’m expecting from StrikerS as well. So far, the first episode hasn’t impressed me yet, but that was to be expected. Nanoha never was great in its first or last episodes. The episode focuses on two new recruits. So far, they’ve got the potential to be interesting, though I do hope that Fate will get off of her chair at one time. Her character-design looks a bit off, by the way. I also didn’t quite like Nanoha, this episode made her look like some kind of superhero, instead of a compassionate character. One final remark: why do all these new recruits have to be women? The first two seasons showed that the space-time agency also employs a fair amount of males. While it does give potential for cheesy romance, this series has proved before that it can handle a mixed cast, instead of an all-woman one.]]>
Les Miserables – Shoujo Cosette – 13
Short Synopsis: The moment is finally there: Cosette leaves the Thenardiers.
Good: Cosette was as touching as always.
Bad: How long is Jean planning to keep Fantine’s death a secret?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8.5/10
That was beautiful! I don’t know what it is, but Cosette and the other characters are incredibly touching. I especially loved how Jean gave Cosette some better gifts than Eponine’s and Azele’s combined. Not only because it was probably the first time Cosette got such a treatment in years, but it also angered Eponine and Azele even more. And something tells me that they’re still going to play some kind of role in this story. Same with Thenardier. For the first time, he actually got angry.
It surprised me that Jean didn’t break the news of Fantine’s death yet. But then again, I bet it’s extremely hard to tell any girl that her mother died, let alone Cosette. Still, the more he puts this off, the more it’s going to hurt when the finds out in the end. And he also has to make up some kind of excuse why they can’t immediately come go to see her. I really wonder when he’s going to tell her, as I’ve got absolutely no idea about this.
And thus ends the first quarter of Les Miserables. I’m actually curious about how the rest of the series will continue. After all, the Thenardiers can’t make Cosette’s life horrible anymore. I suspect that Javert is going to play a big role in the future episodes, as he’s got to find Jean some day, hasn’t he? So far, this series has been beautiful. I’m hoping for the rest of the series to be even better. :)]]>
Yoshinaga-chi no Gargoyle Review – 76/100
The Yoshinaga-family has won a rather strange prize in a local lottery: a talking gargoyle who acts as their gatekeeper. Through the course of 13 episodes, it explores the lives of the Yoshinagas, this particular gargoyle (also hilariously nicknamed “GAR-kun”) and the people from their neighbourhood, with some very strong references to the practices of ancient alchemy. With a lot of writer’s freedom, that is.
My main problem with Yoshinaga-chi no Gargoyle is that it has a number of the most excellent characters, but refuses to use them well. Futaba is a true delight to watch when she is in action. Too bad that this only happens in three or four episodes. Osiris and her owner make a perfect team. Unfortunately, they never get the chance to truly show their personalities for more than ten seconds. Gar-kun is one of the most original characters I’ve ever seen. Too bad he also has a dull side, which he shows more often than not. Futaba’s mother and father also make a perfect team. It’s just too bad that it’s only till the final episodes that the two of them get any decent development. Takahara Iyo works great if she’s the main focus of the episode. Too bad that only happens once of twice.
Ironically, most of the time in this series is wasted on a character who actually works best as a side-character: Hyakushiki. His background is also one of the more unbelievable of the series, and especially the middle episodes keep on dabbling about useless things that don’t even matter. Other episodes focus on rather dull cases, and only the first two episodes and the final two episodes are the ones in which the characters are really showing the best sides of themselves.
If there ever was a series in need of a remake, it’d be this one. It’s got some of the most amazing characters. If they’re actually used well, they’ll definitely make for an awesome series. But because it dabbles away too often in dull elements, it turned out merely above-average. Still, this anime was definitely worth seeing. The good episodes were a delight, and even the bad episodes showcased at least a bit of the different characters’ brilliance, making them a tiny bit enjoyable after all. :)]]>
Some quick first impressions: Seirei no Moribito, Murder Princess and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Seirei no Moribito
Short Synopsis: The main character, Barsa, who spends her life as a hired bodyguard, accepts to protect Changgumu, the second prince of the Yugu-Kingdom after he has been implanted by the egg of a water-spirit, and his father is after his life.
Good: Great animation, AWESOME background art.
Bad: I expected more of the music, but it doesn’t really stand out until the final scene.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7.5/10
I was quite surprised when I saw this appear on Tokyo Toshokan. After all, it’s supposed to arrive in a week. As it’s one of the series I’ve been anticipating, I eagerly checked it out. So far, it looked quite interesting. I can’t say much about the overall story yet, as this clearly was an episode meant to introduce the story. In the next episode, we’ll see a bit more of Changgumu, and how the two of them will spend their time in this anime. Barsa, so far, has proved that she’s quite a strong and intelligent character. I didn’t quite get why the palace in the end had to be burned, though. So far, it’s been a solid episode, but apart from the amazing background-art, I’ve yet to be surprised. Let’s hope this comes in the next episodes.
Murder Princess
Short Synopsis: Nah, won’t tell you. It’s best if you find out yourself.
Good: Rocking music!
Bad: Can the rest of this OVA be worthwhile without its shock-value?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Murder Princess started out rather dull, with a castle being run over by a number of monsters and cute girls. But then a very nice twist in the middle made it all worthwhile. It’s something I didn’t expect to happen, and it’s really best if you watch this OVA without knowing anything about it beforehand. After this twist, the second half of the episode turned out very interesting. Okay, it may not be the most serious story, but it was definitely entertaining.
Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann
Short Synopsis: Our main character is a boy who’s lived underground for his entire life. He digs a lot, and during one of these diggings, he finds the face of a mecha. Lots of destruction ensues afterwards.
Good: Very interesting characters. Great style.
Bad: Contains every element of the shounen-series-formula.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10
Okay, it may be a shounen-series, but it’s a damn entertaining one. Sure, the main character is a wimpy boy, but the main side-character definitely is worth watching, and he even makes sure that otherwise dull characters turn interesting. I love the style of this one, even though it’s filled with clichés. The main character may have found the robot on pure coincidence, he may have run into a beautiful girl for no apparent reason, he may live in a world where people absolutely never get dizzy, but the way this anime is presented definitely made for an entertaining episode. Oh, and this anime may have one of the shortest ED’s ever. :P]]>
Jigoku Shoujo – 51
Short Synopsis: The detective survives the attack, while Takuma and Hotaru get captured by the sinful village people.
Good: Excellent episode, great climax. 🙂
Bad: None.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10
With this, I’m convinced: the climax of the second season is better than that of the first season, and the final episode has to be really bad in order to change that. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean that the second season overall is better. Personally, the cases in the first season appealed to me more than in the second season. Hajime’s and Tsugumi’s differences of opinion were very interesting to see, but the climax itself was more focused at showing Enma Ai’s background than resolving the conflict between the two of them. And they also just disappeared afterwards.
With Takuma, however, things are getting really interesting. The focus of this climax is much more interesting, and it seems like the entire series has been building up for this. It’s not the background of Ai’s dolls, like I originally thought. These were just some necessary episodes in order to flesh out their characters a bit. The real focus of the second season is to show people getting more and more lenient in sending a person to hell. Overall, I found the cases in the second season far less extreme than those in the first one. And I have to say, that while I originally thought it a bit unbelievable, I do admit that I really like the way this turned out.
Another thing is that Jigoku Shoujo is starting to become selfish yet again. This time however, it’s far more interesting, as unlike the first season, she doesn’t feel hatred, but compassion. Takuma and Hotaru were very interesting in this episode as well. Especially Hotaru freaking out in the boat was awesome. And even though the detective disappearing in the end had it coming, the results of this were so worthwhile to see.
It also becomes clear now why Kikuri showed Hotaru the pot full of candles. She knew that Hotaru would understand that Takuma has never sent a person to hell, so she’d get close to him as well, so that Takuma would lose another person who got close to him. I also assume that she alerted the detective of Takuma’s whereabouts. The next episode will be very interesting to see, as she’ll finally reveal her plans. Takuma obviously is going to do something to make Hotaru stop cursing him, after which she’ll probably make herself really hated.
One thing that’s too bad: Hell Boy not returning. It seems that the climax will really be about Kikuri and Takuma. Ah well, there’s always hope for a third season somewhere. In any case, I’m glad to see that Jigoku Shoujo still shines as bright as usual. :)]]>
Otogi Juushi Akazukin Review – 92/100
Otogi Juushi Akazukin is a children-aimed fantasy-series which can be fun for every age. It’s deeply rooted in the old European fairytales, with characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, the City-Musicians of Bremen, Rapunzel, Hansel, Gretel and the violinist of Hameln making cameo-appearances. The story is simple, an evil which had been sealed long ago broke free, and needs to be resealed again by our main character: Akazukin. Still, despite this fairly simple concept, I found myself mesmerized by this anime again and again.
For starters, it’s got some of the cutest character-design ever. The animation may range from flawed to good, the character-designs and imaginative background-art more than make up for it. The music also gives a perfect fairy-tale feeling to the whole atmosphere. Thumbs up.
Still, the parts where Otogi Juushi Akazukin shines the most are the characters and the storytelling. The series comes with a set of characters who complement each other perfectly. They start out as one-dimensional characters, but they soon gain lots of depth as the anime continues. Each with his or her own story. Overall, these characters were adorable, as they were featured in both serious, funny and cute moments.
Through the course of the anime, lots of different stories are shown. Even though some side-characters just serve the purpose of fleshing out some of the main characters, they worked out quite well. Still, the best stories were the ones who focused on the group of main characters. Especially after the second half kicks in, the show picks up steam, and some of the episodes were just amazing to watch. Each character got enough time to show his or her background, and near the end, there’s given enough time to close of their stories, some of these stories ending in the most amazing episodes. My personal favourite was the surprisingly sad Randagio-episode.
Any bad points? Well, the ending. Or episodes 36 and 37 to be exactly. After most of the stories have closed, and only the main storyline remains. Through the course of the series, this anime has done well at keeping its level of cheesiness just low enough for it not to be annoying, but these efforts all fail when it goes and uses some of the biggest clichés in the book. Thankfully, the final episode closes off the series well enough, but the fact remains that these episodes left a nasty thorn in an otherwise excellent series.
Excellent as it may be, I can see a lot of people disliking it. Especially people who believe children’s shows are too childish. There’s no denying that the series is childish at times, but for me, that was just part of its charms. If you’re not bothered by the fact that this is a children’s show, then it’s definitely worth it to give this a try, as the characters were just amazing.]]>
Otogi Juushi Akazukin – 39
Short Synopsis: The final episode focuses on the partings of the Fandavalians.
Good: Glad to see this anime ending with a good episode.
Bad: Hot springs?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Ah, thank goodness. The final four episodes of Akazukin weren’t a complete waste after all. While the ending was nothing special, It did leave no unanswered questions, it was in no way rushed, and the overall-episode was quite heart-warming. It’s also nice to see people back in Erde. And of course, Souta’s talking to flowers remains cute.
The climax only had one annoying point: Souta coming back to say a final goodbye to Akazukin, after having stated not to do so. It’s not necessarily bad or anything, but I’ve seen this happen a bit too many times. Still, the other events more than made up for it. I especially loved Ibara’s kiss. Overall, it was great to see the different antics of the characters for one final time. My favourite was Randagio. He still didn’t notice that Cendrion has been sealed, and he was still trying to get Erde’s key for Cendrion. So cute. ^^ Oh, and let’s not forget the voice in which Baru told Hansel that he’s not a dog. XD
Well, it’s finally time to say goodbye to this wonderful anime. It’s been great fanboying about this. It’s definitely one of the better anime I’ve seen. Even when you do count episode 36 and 37. It’s sad to see that it’s finally over. Sayonara Akazukin, it’s been very fun.]]>
March Summary
+ Top 5 Funniest anime +
#5: Kekkaishi
Kekkaishi proved to be not only heart-warming, but also incredibly funny with Yoshimori’s quirks. It’s really one of the few shounen-series with an actually interesting male lead. And that has to say something. Toshimori also was very cute in the episode he got dedicated to him.
#4: Power Puff Girls Z
Power Puff Girls Z probably remains the strangest anime on my current watch-list. While Blossom’s love was boring when compared to Bubbles’, the disco-fever-episode cracked me up.
#3: Master of Epic
It’s sad to see that Master of Epic is gone now. When it aired, it’s always been a very good source of MMORPG-parodies.
#2: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge
Yamato Nadeshiko keeps delving more and more into the absurd, but that’s probably why it keeps getting funnier and funnier. Especially the Valentine-episode was hilarious.
#1: Gintama
I agree with everyone else here: episode 20 was just classic. Apart from that, I just loved the witty humour that came from Gintama during this month.
+ Top 3 anime with 1 episode released +
#3: Hitohira
Hitohira: cute, some great characters, and some duller ones. Still the greater ones make this a potentially good series. Now let’s hope the rest of the series delivers.
#2: Freedom
An OVA that shines in its climaxes. The second instalment also was very interesting to see, and despite the main character who looks in every way like a shounen-hero, I actually liked him and his search for the girl, who happens to be from Earth.
#1: Strange Dawn
I’m not kidding when I say that I LOVE this series. In only two episodes, it accomplished what usual series only could dream of. It broke so many clichés, the characters are awesome. So far, it’s been a true masterpiece. I really hope for the rest of this series to arrive soon, as it deserves to be more known than it is now.
+ Top 10: +
#10: Kekkaishi
It seems that Kekkaishi went into another one of its hiatuses again, as after episode 19, I couldn’t find any more episodes of this. Still, the episodes that were released were some good stuff. I especially liked the Toshimori-episode. I’m not sure why, but the slice-of-life elements in a shounen-series like this are really worth watching.
#9: Jigoku Shoujo
Jigoku Shoujo has nearly finished, and it does show this with some very interesting episodes. While these episodes didn’t surpass my previous favourites like I hoped, there were some very strong ones among them. Now let’s hope it’ll finish off well.
#8: Master of Epic
Master of Epic avoided the pitfall of many comedy-anime: suddenly falling into cheesy drama for the final episodes. Instead, it just came with the regular funny sketches, and ended things off with a bang. ^^;
#7: Death Note
While the Yotsuba-arc got on my nerves a bit too much, episode 24 was one to remember. Especially that evil smirk of Light.
#6: Saiunkoku Monogatari
The Sakujun-arc ended magnificently. March has been as strong for Saiunkoku Monogatari as usual.
#5: Les Miserables – Shoujo Cosette
In march, the focus of Les Miserables was about equal for Jean and Cosette. Especially Cosette was better than ever.
#4: Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
Bakumatsu has been extremely solid for its final few episodes. Okay, nothing amazing happened, but there were almost no weak or silent moments, which is something I appreciated. Combine this with some very interesting direction and I’m hooked.
#3: Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi
You know, this would have been a very fine show to blog about. Unfortunately, I’m realizing this a bit late. The different arcs delve surprisingly deep into the different characters and their backgrounds, and because of the huge research the creators of this anime conducted, they’re able to provide a number of very interesting and intelligent cases. I’m definitely hoping that this show will set some kind of new standard for others, but it first needs to get a bit more acknowledgement for that. Definitely a neglected series which doesn’t deserve it.
#2: Red Garden
Red Garden showcased some beautiful final episodes. Especially the climax was heart-wrenching. So far, it showed that its deep character studies definitely worked.
#1: Chevalier
Seriously. The first half of this series was interesting, but the Russia-arc dragged horribly. But then episode sixteen blew me away. If I were to believe Wao, then episode eighteen is going to be even better. If this continues for the entire series, then we’ve got ourselves a gem here. It’s the same with Ayakashi Ayashi: it’s a shame I didn’t blog this when it first aired. It would have been perfect for that.
+ Biggest surprise +
Saiunkoku Monogatari
A strong contender with Chevalier here, but the plot twist of episode 35 was just too amazing. There are these kinds of moments that make watching an anime all worth it, and that was definitely one of them.
+ Disappointment of the month +
Otogi Juushi Akazukin
With shows as Code Geass, I already knew that they were bad. But Otogi Juushi Akazukin went from the most amazing episodes to some horribly cheesy ones. It’s just too bad. It’s been an outstanding series till the horrible episodes 36 and 37.
+ Newly Announced Anime +
Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho
Summary: Kaname Okimura, a student of Prefectoral Umineko Shougyou High (“Umisho” for short), joined the school’s swimming club in order to learn how to swim, but the club is filled with weirdoes, let alone teach him swimming. Then, a sunny, happy-go-lucky girl named Amuro Ninagawa who was transferred from Okinawa joined the club. Her extraordinary underwater speed and unorthodox swimming style (plus her personal habit of nude swimming — a powerful magnet to teenage boys) surprised every club member, especially Okimura, because she reminds him a mermaid-like creature he saw only once in his early childhood. – (taken from ANN)
Thoughts: Okay, when the promo-art covers a nude girl right in the centre of it, you know that this one’s going to be bad.
Bokusatsu Tenchi Dokuro-Chan
Summary: Sakura, our main character, has an angel living with him. The only problem: she likes beating others to death and revive them afterwards.
Thoughts: The problem with the first season was that the first episode was hilarious, only for the ret of the episodes to suck hugely. Are the creators really planning to continue this?
Puchi Eva EVANGELION@SCHOOL
Summary: A new project, Puchi Eva EVANGELION@SCHOOL has been announced. This SD series will initially launch in the form of figurines, designed by Hamamoto Ryuusuke and packaged by Yotsuba Stuidios, but the project is expected to accommodate conventional anime media as well. – (taken from Eggplant)
Thoughts:Okay, this is just scary. Are these people really planning to milk the evangelion-cash-cow even more? Don’t get me wrong, I loved Evangelion, but I’d wish the creators would focus their attention at something that would equal and possibly even surpass the series.
Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de
Summary: H-game it may be, but female fans may also enjoy the premise: in the game, the player’s character is a butler who must serve a demanding wealthy heiress. The Kuonji family is a very old and very rich one with three daughters, each of whom has her own wait staff. It’s a Kuonji family tradition for the wait staff to swear absolute loyalty to their masters, so when teenage runaway Ren Uesugi and his sister Mihato are desperate for the job (and the money), they agree to make the pledge.
Thoughts: Your usual harem-premise. Yawn.
Zombie Loan
Summary: When a human is marked to die, a faint grey line that is invisible to most appears around their neck. As time passes, that ring becomes darker and darker, until it is eventually black, and that person dies. Kita Michiru has an unusual gift, she posses “Shinigami eyes,” which allow her to see these rings. When Michiru notices that two of the boys in her Class, Akatsuki Chika and Tachibana Shito not only have rings, but that they’re jet black, they reveal to her that the were supposed to die in a tragic accident six months ago. With the help of the Zombie Loan loan office, they were given a second chance at life, should they be able to pay for their debt by doing the work of Shinigami and killing malicious zombies. They petition Michiru to assist them in their efforts, and she finds her everyday life changing dramatically.
Thoughts: So far, I’m not impressed. This looks just like the 20 other anime in which a cute girl teams up with a bunch of guys so that they can slay monsters for no apparent reason.
Clannad
Summary: Tomoya Okazaki is a third year high school student who dislikes his life. Everything seems to be unchanging for his school life until he meets Nagisa, and Tomoya finds that his life is about to change. Tomoya’s mother died when he was young, leaving him to be raised by his father alone. After the accident, Tomoya’s father turned to alcohol and gambling, and they used to argue all the time. However, one day in a fight, his father slammed him against the wall, dislocating Tomoya’s shoulder. Ever since then, his father started treating Tomoya nicely, but distantly, as if Tomoya and he were strangers instead of family. This hurt Tomoya more than constantly fighting, and the awkwardness of returning home led to Tomoya’s constant desire to stay out all night. In addition, due to the injury, Tomoya couldn’t play in the basketball club anymore and quit his school activities. In this way, his delinquent life began. – (taken from Wikipedia)
Thoughts: Okay, so this isn’t a hentai-game adaptation, it’s just a visual novel. Still, it does remain a harem. Is there a reason for all major side characters to be female, while the only male has to be the main character, apart from pleasing the moe-loving otaku? Of course not. Still, I have to hand it to this anime for featuring the first harem-lead with a bit of a background-story, which actually doesn’t centre around the girls he’s about to meet. Still, after watching the trailer, I’m afraid to say that the character-designs still look ugly.
Dragonaut -The Resonance-
Summary: ?
Thoughts: Ah, Gonzo’s next victim. They seem to be going for another original story, as I couldn’t find anything about where they based it on. So far, we know that it’s going to be a science-fiction series. This worries me a bit, though. “Gonzo” and “standard” don’t go well together.
Doujin Work
Summary: Doujinwork is a story about the main character’s exposure and adventure into the world of doujinshi. We follow Osana Najimi, a high schooler tempted into becoming a doujin artist after seeing how much her friend can make at a convention. A sucker at drawing, Najimi soon learns that the road inside the doujin world is not paved with roses as she expected, but, as she attends more conventions and meets more people, manages to find a group of very interesting friends. – (taken from Cardcaptor’s blog)
Thoughts: Ah, an anime about a group of doujin artists. It seems we’re talking about a comedy-series here. While it’s always tricky to see how a comedy-series will turn out in the end, I like the setting for it. I’m a bit afraid of the huge amount of fanservice-jokes that the manga this anime will be based on is supposed to have though.
Hatenkou Yuugi
Summary: A young girl named Rahzel is booted out of her house one day by her father with the instructions to ‘see the world.’ And so her journey begins, However, she won’t be doing it alone … for she befriends a stoic young man named Alzeido seeking revenge for his father’s murder. Alzeido and Rahzel are like oil and water … but even still, they feel strangely drawn to one another. This could be either the result of an underlying attraction — or their shared powers with magic. And so, the two reluctant allies travel from town to town, using their powers to help the helpless, while discovering their own respective places in the world. – (taken from Baka-updates)
Thoughts: Ah, a light-hearted fantasy-series about two polar-opposites who travel together. Reminds me of Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran. That was a fun series, so it’ll be perfect for a light watch. I hope.
Shigurui
Summary: “Shigurui” is ostensibly based on the first chapter of Nanjo Norio’s novel “Suruga-jou Gozen Jiai”, but it’s been so expanded and re-written that most folks tend to agree that the manga has become something else entirely. The series starts in the 6th year of Kan’ei. Tired of the Suruga martial arts tournaments and eager to see some blood, Dainagon Tokugawa Tadanaka orders his men to host a sword dual to the death for his enjoyment. The lucky contestants turn out to be one-armed Fujiki Gennosuke and his blind opponent Irako Seigen. – (taken from Nomad Soul)
Thoughts: Bloody, but bloody interesting as well. The manga it’s based on is supposed to have a very compelling and strong story. It’ll be worth it to at least check this one out.
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Summary: The story revolves around Itoshiki Nozomu, a teacher who is beset by immense pessimism and paranoia. Starting off his first day at his new class attempting suicide via hanging, he is stopped by Fuura Kafuka, a super-optimistic student of his. Still alive, he goes to class and introduces himself, but much to his chagrin, Kafuka notices that his surname, when linked together to form a single kanji, gives him the title ‘Teacher Despair’. And so the story revolves around the weird, far-out stuff that Nozomu and the various students of his class do together. – (taken from Lolicontrol)
Thoughts: You know what? I like this! There’s a possibility that it may be a bit too slice-of-lifey, but a desperate teacher can definitely be interesting to see.
Rose Marie
Summary: ?
Thoughts: It’s near-impossible to search for this anime, as all English sites list all kinds of females, while the Japanese search results direct me to cooking-blogs. Still, I don’t know why, but I like this.
Kara no Kyoukai
Summary: I’ve been trying to find a good summary, but I failed
Thoughts: At one point, I did read the summary of this though, and I have to say that I was impressed by it. It’ll probably take a loooong while before the movies will arrive in the English community, but it’ll be worth the wait.
Shinryougari -GHOST HOUND-
Summary: The main crew behind Ghost Hound includes director Ryutaro Nakamura (Serial Experiments Lain, Kino’s Travels), scriptwriter Chiaki J. Konaka (Serial Experiments Lain, The Big O) and character designer Mariko Oka (Jigoku Shojo, Jing: King of Bandits). The story will be co-developed by Crossroad. – (taken from Animation Magazine)
Thoughts: The people behind Serial Experiments Lain, Kino’s Journey and Jigoku Shoujo? Haleluja! This will definitely be something to look forward to.
Mononoke
Summary: Bake Neko Spin-off
Thoughts: Yes! Yes! Yes! I know I already talked about it, but this is just too awesome not to mention.
+ Top 5 Episodes +
#5: Jigoku Shoujo – 49
Ah, great episode. Loved the twist at the end.
#4: Red Garden – 22
That ending was, like mentioned above, heart-wrenching. Apart from that, this episode was very sad to watch.
#3: Death Note – 24
Light was SO evil in this one. Great to see everyone who left back again.
#2: Saiunkoku Monogatari – 35
My faith in Sakujun was immediately restored with this episode. Pure brilliance.
#1: Chevalier – 16
You’ve got your episodes which feature some amazing event. But only rarely do you run into an entire episode that just blows you away. with me, that happened with this episode.]]>
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto – 25
Short Synopsis: What I suspected to be a Kanna-episode turned into a plot-based episode in which the castle Enomoto has built takes off in the air.
Good: As solid as usual. I liked the direction a lot.
Bad: The deaths are getting a bit too frequent.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
One thing that irked me during this episode: an awful lot of people have died in the past few episodes. This time, two more characters suffer this fate: Kanna and Taiyou. The creators are really trying to eliminate everyone apart from the main characters. I’d rather see them bring something in at the climax, but I’m glad to see that my favourite ones (the troupe) still remain alive for the final episode. Especially Shiranui has to have some kind of role left, after seeing Taiyou die like that.
Anyway, one thing I liked about these final episodes is how solid they’ve been. Okay, some plot events were a bit too much (the flying castle), and I’ve yet to be blown away by the events, but there haven’t really been any weaknesses so far. Bakumatsu seems to have chosen to prioritize solid storytelling, and I can appreciate that. I also really liked how this episode didn’t have a common theme. It’s a bit of everything. Kanna’s death, Taiyou’s death, Akizuki’s background (which was really appreciated, by the way), Enomoto, the Lord’s Head’s plan, Kakunojou, Akizuki’s quest and Kuroda Ryousuke all played a small part in this one.
And then, with only one episode left, the usual question to ask is: will this end right? Will this series end too abrubt? Well, it would be a huge shame if it did, as this series has been building up and up, even in this episode. I’d love to see every side-character play a role in this. The fact remains that Akizuki is the only one who can seal the lord’s head, and he’ll definitely fight Kakunojou. I’m hoping for the others to take care of Soutetsu for some reason. (Still, there has to be a reason why Soutetsu took the trouble of inviting the troupe to Hakodate, hasn’t it?)
(On a side-note: did I misunderstand this, or did Kakunojou also spend a bit of time with Shouten-sama? See the scene about the child-version of Akizuki? All of his friends get picked up by their parents, while he is the only one to remain. One of these friends looks an awful lot like a young version of Kakunojou)]]>