Short Synopsis: Finally, after the Fantine- and Jean-episodes, we’ve got ourselves another Cosette-episode. And what’s more, Jean meets Cosette for the first time.
Good: Cosette was SO sad.
Bad: Jean running into Cosette was a bit too coincidental.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8.5/10
Boy, this episode definitely showed that Cosette is the star of this show. The past few episodes have been dedicated mostly to Jean. They were very interesting, but this episode definitely stole my heart when the anime starts focusing on Cosette again. The awesomeness begins when Gavroche is taken away. It’s probably to some labour-school-kind of thing. In any case, Cosette won’t see him again, and she sends Shushu after him, in order to look after him. This means that with the priest also gone, Cosette is all alone now. When I saw the episode-title, I never knew that it would go this far.
Cosette was so sad afterwards. Only now it becomes clear how heavily she relied on Gavroche, when she has to get a bucket of water in the middle of the evening, due to the fact that the original water-supplies for the day mysteriously vanished (courtesy of Eponine). What normally was a routine-task really becomes too much for her at that point. It’s there where Jean coincidentally runs into her. I forgive the lack of reason for this, as it’s an interesting twist. After all, right now the Thenariers won’t be able to fool him anymore about Azele being Cosette. Still, next episode is promising to be a beauty, as not only is Jean going to try and retrieve Cosette from the Thenardiers, she’ll receive probably one of the worst punishments she’s ever had. Definitely looking forward to it.
This episode also raised an interesting issue. Christmas in such clear weather? This means that we’re somewhere in southern France. I never really thought about things like that. Javert also was interesting this episode. This really shows that he’s convinced that Jean is evil, even though he knows about the things he did for the city.]]>
Otogi Juushi Akazukin – 38
Short Synopsis: The big climax: Cendrion is defeated.
Good: Considering the show’s genre, the ending could have been a lot worse; good to see Souta’s mother living.
Bad: Cheesy, but what else did you expect? 😛
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7.5/10
See? Now that Souta’s away from the main focus, this series is turning a lot more interesting. Due to the nature of this show, this episode obviousy had to follow a number of patterns, but overall, I’m happy with it. The animation was quite nice, and I liked how everyone worked together in the end. The end of the episode also was really nice. Normally, I don’t like characters who seem dead, only to be revived later, but as the death of Souta’s mother was rather disappointing, then I’m glad to see that she lives.
Next episode will be an entire episode dedicated to the aftermath, which should be quite interesting to see. Ringo also should have a bigger role (I still didn’t like how little attention she got in this episode). It’s sad to see this anime go at last. Overall, it’s been awesome. Just too bad of the horrible episodes that were 36 and 37.]]>
Jigoku Shoujo – 50
Short Synopsis: The case with the devil’s child really gets out of hand now, when people find out that putting the blame on the devil’s child is actually easy.
Good: Hajime and Tsugumi are back. Well, at least Tsugumi.
Bad: No major twists in this episode.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 7.5/10
This episode was definitely meant to show one of the main themes of Jigoku Shoujo even more: the fact that humans will commit sins when they’re easy and easy to cover up. Before, the thing that prevented people from sending a person to hell wasn’t because of the thought they’d go to hell themselves, but “what will everyone else think of me”. “Hell” is a nice concept, but people nowadays just don’t know how cruel hell can really be, so they pay no attention to that part. Now that the devil’s child has been an excellent person to put the blame on, people suddenly start cursing and cursing each other.
I’m also glad to see that Tsugumi has returned. She didn’t do much yet, but this episode mainly was meant to build up for the finale. Hajime also returns, but only in third person. We never really actually see him. Still, I’m glad they’re back. The only interesting parts in the episode were the ones that involved the Hotaru and Takuma. Sure, seeing random people send each other to hell is nice and all, but you can’t really connect to their characters, can you?
This episode also confirmed something I suspected ever since I saw the very first candle-scene, in the first episode of the first season. Ai doesn’t have to work forever, once she reaches a certain amount of clients, she’ll have accomplished her task. This isn’t mentioned directly, but Wanyuudo’s statement can’t mean anything else. I’m still not sure how Kikuri is going to get herself even more hated by showing the candles to Hotaru, but I’m sure we’ll find out about that next week. Remember, she has still to find out that her brother’s in the hospital (at least, I assume he survived the beating at the end of the episode).]]>
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto – 24
Short Synopsis: A Hijikata-episode. Last episode, we saw him finally realizing that Soutetsu’s up to no good. This gets continued in this episode, while Enomoto masters the power of the Lord’s Head even more.
Good: The past few episodes have been building up quite nicely for the climax of the series…
Bad: …now let’s hope that the next two episodes won’t mess up.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
And there goes Hijikata. Ever since episode 18, Akizuki has been kept away from the main events of this episode, and he’s been in the shadows, walking around a bit while the side-characters finish their stories. This episode, it was Hijikata’s turn. Next episde will be a great one, as it’ll continue Akizuki’s fight versus Kanna. I’m looking forward to the final episodes a lot. I finally realize that Bakumatsu is a good series overall, but masterful in its climaxes.
So far, we’ve got ourselves quite a formidable foe in Enomoto. In this episode it becomes clear that he actually brainwashes people. Judging by the fact that Kakunojou and Kanna have been affected, while Soutetsu and Hijikata have not, then it must mean that he can only do this with weak-hearted people. Hijikata, meanwhile, meets his end in the episode. With the end so near, I’m actually wondering whether the troupe is going to play a major role in the final episode. It would be awesome if they were, but somehow I’m feeling that they will just be spectators.
Still, a formidable foe Enomoto may be, the fact does remain that Akizuki is an excellent swordsman. He already showed that he’s capable of cutting the lord’s head more than anyone else has, and he probably also has some kind of trick up his sleeve to take care of Kakunojou. Soutetsu also is a good swordsman, but his skills will probably never match those of Akizuki’s, which means that the next episode is going to be very exciting. Speaking of Soutetsu, I’m still wondering why he needs Akizuki. Do his and Kakunojou’s sword have to meet under special circumstances or something?
And silly me. For episodes and episodes, I kept wondering what this strange “Hasha no Kubi” was. Some kind of kingdom, or something with a fog? In the end, it appears that it’s been the Lord’s Head all along. Things make much more sense now.]]>
Saiunkoku Monogatari – 36
Short Synopsis: Shuurei and Eigetsu get officially appointed to their posts, Eiki reveals the truth behind Chuushou’s death and Enjun’s massacre and Tei Yuushun’s identity is revealed.
Good: Great to see another light-hearted episode.
Bad: While it is nice to see that Sakujun has another chance of living, I do feel cheated somehow.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
This episode reminded me again why the first half of Saiunkoku Monogatari appealed to me so much. It’s a great combination between complex storytelling, compelling characters and at times a bit of quirky dialogue. The Sakujun-arc has been really different from this first half, it’s been way more focused. But that can also be because I watched the first half raw. Watching raw and subbed does make me experience things differently.
Also, Sakujun was removed from the spot where we left him after the previous episode. This can mean two things: either someone found his (dead) body and dragged it away, or he wasn’t dead at all, and just walked away on his own. While I do believe that the first option was the case, the fact that his body wasn’t found does mean that he’s still alive, due to the general rule of anime which says that unless you explicitly see a character DIE, he’ll live. (A notable exception being Shouko from Night Head Genesis)
In the end, it also appears that neither Enjun nor Kokujun has killed someone. Enjun took the blame from someone who admired him enough to kill off everyone in his path, while Kokujun got protected by his father from Chuushou till the end. The real reason Enjun also tried to kidnap Shuurei also gets revealed. In the end, he did it so that the Sa clan would get investigated upon, so that all the bastards in the Sa-clan would be removed. Quite a noble goal.
So, this episode formed the aftermath of the Sakujun-arc. That still leaves us with three more episodes, from which I really wonder which path this series will take. Will the first season end with a huge climax, or will the final episodes of dedicate themselves to a bit more character-development? There’ll probably be some kind of time-leap in one of the future episodes as well, showing how Shuurei got experienced as a governor.
Quote of the day: “Excuse me if I wasn’t lovable.” – Ensei]]>
1500 Comments!
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 2 Airdate confirmed, and possible Ayakashi Sequel
Ghost Hunt – 23
Short Synopsis: Naru still is out for the entire episode, while more people end up injured and wounded. There even was a suicide-attempt.
Good: Great cliff-hanger!
Bad: The evil grin on the spirits looked a bit fake, but this is just a minor detail.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
You know what? I liked this! 😀
Seriously, though. Now that Naru-chan is unavailable for this arc, Mai doesn’t have anyone to rely on or to drool over, so she’ll start acting for herself. The first half of the episode already shows this when she finally gives a good description of the dream she had. The things that happened in the dream of the previous episode are checked, and they all appear to be true. Not very exciting, but it’s definitely necessary.
I personally loved the second half. It starts with another one of the family-members being attacked (this time on his arms). The two children show themselves, and then it really becomes apparent that they’re possessed, as they’re actually disappointed that the guy didn’t die. They escape for that time, but Mai runs into them again later when she tries to give everyone a protective charm. They obviously run away, but Mai then finds out that they’ve been trying to kill various members of the household. What happened afterwards was very interesting.
Okay, so Mai made a mistake. Big deal, she almost threw her life away in the haunted school-building. But never has she actually put the lives of others on the line! She tries to catch the two children, but the boy escapes. The spirit then threatens to kill the boy if she doesn’t release them. He’s about to jump, and the only chance for Mai to stop him is by using the trick Bou-san taught her, despite his warnings to never use this on a human being.
The children ended up with some deep cuts in their back. They were lucky to have survived. But not only that. Mai didn’t only hurt the children, she also made the spirits even angrier than they already were. It’ll be very interesting to see how she actually is going to take responsibility for the things she did, as the end of the episode showed some signs that people actually died. In other words, Mai’s carelessness actually indirectly killed a couple of people. Finally she’s getting interesting! Woot!]]>
Death Note – 23
Short Synopsis: The climax of the Yotsuba-arc.
Good: Finally the Yotsuba-arc is over.
Bad: The second half of the previous episode was better; A deus ex machina? Death Note, I thought you knew better.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Those who have been reading my blog know that I’ve been annoyed with the Yotsuba-arc. It was basically one huge joke, in comparison to the Misa-arc and the Naomi-arc. Still, I’m glad it’s over, and I’m glad that it actually managed to end well. The past episode and this one have been excellent, but they once again show that Death Note is a shounen-anime, where the pattern of good and bad episodes is almost predictable.
SPOILER for the manga up ahead. Beware!
What will happen next could be very interesting, in theory. Still, I’ve got a problem with it: the fanbase of the manga. It seems that after Higuchi got caught, the manga featured a huge plot twist. The problem with this is that the people who read the manga found this twist so amazing, that they kept dropping way too obvious and unsubtle hints about it. It’s almost impossible not to get spoiled by the fact that [SPOILER]L is about to die[/spoiler]. It’s just like the fact that I won’t be able to really enjoy Starwars and Final Fantasy VII, due to the fact that their plot twists also have become famous. The anime now has to deliver something really good in order to make up for this.
Anyway, about the episode, it definitely was good, but the previous episode, as mentioned above, was better. Nothing much changed with Higuchi. He just was trying to find ways to kill Matsuda, and the huge change from calm to desperate in the previous episode never really found its equal. The police-cars at the climax also came from nowhere, what were the creators thinking of putting a deus ex machina at that point?]]>
Master of Epic – 11
Short Synopsis: No real theme of this episode, the girl from episode two returns and the Waragecha finally manage to defeat their enemies. For now, at least.
Good: The cooking-contest; Waragecha; The rather strange beginning-sketch.
Bad: What!? Only one more episode left!? Nooooooo!
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10
Dammit, this series only is going to take 12 episodes! That means that next week will be closing off this series. Dammit, I so would have loved to see more of this series. But then again, by keeping the series short, the creators did avoid this series from dragging on. But still, I want more!! Rawr!!
Sketch one: is it me, or was even the voice-actor trying to keep his laughing down? Really, it seemed he could burst out laughing any minute now. But what do you expect, when Bukotsu suddenly does such a ridiculous dance? XD
Sketch two: probably was the sketch who introduced the most new character-designs of any sketch so far. It’s a cooking-match, and both the contestants as the commentators as the audience have never appeared in the show before, apart from Bukotsu perhaps. The scene was really hilarious, as not only did the participants try to sabotage each other, the commentators also had some strange conversations on their own. One of them (a version of Bukotsu with actual hair. :P) even went as far as describing his own sad history. Hilarious sketch. XD (Notice when Juliano seduced the female members of the audience, the commentator also reacted to this? XD)
Sketch three: the news. Another beauty. The reporter is out to interview Philippe as he’s attempting to run for a long time: 922 hours. He’s already been running for three hours. When the reporter asks him for the reason… well, there isn’t. It just seemed like a nice idea. XD
Sketch four: we finally learn the names of the Newtar and the female Pandemos he has a crush on! Tatsuya and Minami. While I usually hate these kinds of scenes, it’s great to see them parodied like that. As usual, Tatsuya keeps goofing off, and in the end he promises her something he could never do: give her a gattling gun. XD Oh, and we see the main character again! Yay!
Speaking of that main character, she’d better have a big role in the final episode!
Sketch five: the girl from the second episode returns. She’s still searching for a way not to fight. Let’s just say that that doesn’t work. XD
Sketch six: the producers finally are defeated in a very humorous way. I kept wondering why the roundy thingies on the robot looked like speakers. Well, this episode showed that they actually are speakers. The Waragecha defeat the duo by unleashing the terror of their theme-song on them. XD I loved how they realized how it’s quite pathetic that their own theme-song is such an effective weapon. XD
I really wonder what the final episode will be like. With a show like this, you’ll never know. I never thought I’d say this for a comedy-show, but I’d love to see some more serious scenes. That scene in the previous episode made me hungry for more. It’s interesting to see that in a comedy-series as this, such a serious scene worked out so awesome. It’s probably because the creators really made me curious for each different character. I keep hoping for certain characters to appear again, and it of course it’s a treat to see these hopes come true.]]>