Simoun – 13 – Aaeru Can be so Incredibly Dense at Times

by psgels, posted in Simoun



This was a fun episode. It centered around Aaeru and Neviriru. Aaeru’s thick-headedness and Neviriru’s hestitant nature were put in the spotlights, with some satisfying results. The other characters also provided some nice development.

We start the episode with the characters reflecting the previous episode. Dominüra seems to have put Kaimu and Aruti together as an experiment. To see whether they would go well together. Kaimu and Aruti then acknowledge that the two of them can’t pair anymore. It’s because Kaimu rejected Aruti as her pair. Rejecting your pair is the same as rejecting your Simoun, hence the distorted Simoun-gem from the previous episode.

We then switch to the dormitory, in which the lack of enemy movement is getting on Furoe’s nerves. She’s getting bored with the lack of activity, Yun scolds her about this. Furoe unleashes her anger upon Rödoreamon’s stuffed animal, who doesn’t quite survive this ordeal. This provides some funny material for later in the episode. ^^

Rödoreamon meanwhile has decided to help Mamiina with the households, and she keeps getting impressed by her. The bond between the two really has increased a lot.

Meanwhile, outside, the inevitable happens: Aaeru learns about the Emerald Ri Maajon (Doremi translated this as the Jade-Remergon, for some unknown reason. Emerald seems to be the right way to translate it, though). In any case, I was expecting her to do something stupid, though Aaeru really surprises everyone when she does the most stupid thing you can ever imagine.

She runs towards Neviriru, in the middle of the dining room, and promptly asks Neviriru to do the Emerald Ri Maajon with her. Aaeru speaks about Amuria like she was just ordinary dust. Aaeru doesn’t seem to realize that Amuria’s a sensitive subject. But that only makes that scene more fun. Aaeru really proves that she’s able to do things nobody would dare to.

The others have interesting reactions when this happens. Neviriru gets incredibly scared and walks away. Paraietta begins to yell at Aaeru, though she follows Neviriru in the end. Limone wants to help Aaeru, though Rödoreamon stops her. Mamiina rushes off immediately when a couple of plates fell on the floor (an interesting reaction. She, didn’t really care enough about Neviriru, so she noticed that she needed to take action). Yun and Kaimu both scold Aaeru after Neviriru left. Dominura observes everything which happened without involving herself and Furoe takes Aaeru towards a quiet place in order to teach her a few things.

As Aaeru’s incredibly thick-headed, Furoe isn’t able to make clear to Aaeru that Neviriru loved Amuria. Aaeru hasn’t fallen in love yet, so it’s only natural. Still, Aaeru does seem incredibly oblivious to the phenomena called “Love”. Aaeru did, however, pick up one thing about the definition of love: if two people want to kiss outside of a Simoun-flight, then it’s love. Overall, Furoe was quite funny in this discussion. You can really see that she’s having trouble with Aaeru’s incredibly to-the-point personality. ^^;

Neviriru, meanwhile, locks herself inside an empty room, gets some freaky flashbacks about Aaeru and Amuria, she begins to scream and faints. In one way, Aaeru acted like an incredible idiot. But on the other hand, Neviriru has been locking herself in. She still has a trauma from when she lost Amuria, which keeps haunting her mentally. At the moment, Aaeru keeps bringing this trauma to the surface. It may be painful at first, but it does make Neviriru confront her fears. That, or she might totally lose it. Depending on her own strength.

Paraietta managed to find Neviriru, and put her on a solitary bed in a dusty room. Aaeru, meanwhile, tells her new discoveries about love to Limone. The results are quite amusing when Limone ends up kissing Dominüra, later that evening. (^^;) Dominüra was a bit agitated before, as permission to go after the enemy carrier from the previous episode kept getting delayed. She was also getting worried about a certain “Kyoukoku”. It was interesting to see Dominüra worrying about the decisions of the officials like that. It was even more interesting to see Limone’s actions towards Dominüra, and seeing her reaction to this. ^_^

Aaeru, meanwhile, keeps trying when she enters Neviriru’s room through the window. After this, another kissing scene follows. (I bet the yuri-lovers will be very enthusiastic with this episode ^^) Neviriru keeps ignoring Aaeru, though. Paraietta gets to be the one to break them apart. Neviriru then wants to be alone again.

Meanwhile, a very funny scene follows in the dormitory. Every main character except for Neviriru, Paraietta, Dominüra and Aaeru’s there, and they first reflect a bit about Amuria. It seems that she was a very strong person. Everyone was scared to mention this to Neviriru. Then the amusing things begin when Rödoreamon finds out about Furoe’s treatment to her stuffed animal. It seems that Furoe tried to sew it afterwards, while she can’t sew at all. The results are quite hilarious. It’s great that they people can still laugh, even with such a gloomy atmosphere. It was a nice touch. ^^

The next day, Dominüra decides to not wait for official orders to destroy the enemy carrier from the previous episode, and she sends Aaeru and Neviriru on a solo-mission. Aaeru’s very enthusiastic when she hears this, though Neviriru and Paraietta object. It’s the first time that Neviriru really objects, and Paraietta manages to send her out anyway. It’s probably because Neviriru believes that the Simoun-gem will probably get corrupted, just like in the previous episode. After all, after what happened, she believes that she’s got no other choice than to reject Aaeru as a pair.

The look on her face, when she saw the Simoun-gem shining to its full extend was amazing. What was even more amazing was the statement with which she ended the episode. She wonders how it could be possible for her to accept Aaeru, when she’s actually scared of her. This can promise to be incredibly interesting for future episodes.

Overall, this was a very fun episode. Especially Neviriru’s development was awesome. Dominüra also was quite interesting. It seems that she indeed has a personality. Furoe’s also quite funny, despite her bratty behaviour.

Memorable moment: Limone x Dominüra ^^

Popolocrois 2003 – 03 – “Seirei”, or Cute Wind-Spirits

by psgels, posted in Popolocrois 2003



The episode already began with removing one of the major annoyances in this anime: Papu who talked! Thank goodness he can do more than just “Papu Papu Papu”. In any case, this episode improved my overall opinion of the anime yet again. You can really see that it’s been building up perfectly.

We start out with Pietoro getting extremely worried about Pinon. Narcia tries to comfort him. Meanwhile, Papu explains that the three of Pinon, Luna and Papu have ended up in Phantonesia, or the world of the Seirei. Pinon’s quite startled when he hears Papu talking. What follows is both Papu and Luna trying to hide their secrets. It’s as obvious as a hammer near a pile of balloons, though Pinon decides not to question them. Or he’s just too busy with other things to notice. ^^

Papu also explains that the golden key, otherwise known as the key Narcia used to transform to Kai, has also the power to transfer to Phantonesia and back. It also seems that the Seirei of the wind has been captured. This causes wind in Phantonesia to stop, and the winds in Popolocrois to go out of control. Luna comes with the impulsive idea to save the Seirei. Pinon, of course, hesitates. He’s very different in this when you compare him to his father. Pietoro would’ve gone in, no matter what, and no matter how weak he was. Pinon keeps clinging to his father. It’s interesting, as he suggests for them to go back to the castle, in order to make Pietoro save the day. When you realize that Pietoro hates it when he’s compared with his father, you get some interesting results. Then again, he’s only just a child.

In any case, as there’s no alternative, Pietoro decides to go. Meanwhile, we switch to the bad guy, who appears to be the one who captured the wind-Seirei. He seems pretty confident in this, and his ultimate plan is to wrap the world in darkness. I hope that this part gets fleshed out soon, though he looks evil enough. Pietoro, meanwhile, is extremely worried about Pinon. Something his father would’ve done differently.

Pinon, meanwhile, stays gloomy. Then the threesome reaches a point at which they have to advance on bouncing rocks (think 2-D platform games). I liked that scene. Pinon’s very scared to jump. After all, if he fell, he would’ve fallen a loooooong way. Still, Luna managed to give him courage, and the two of them jump together. Luna also reveals that she’s been longing to be Pinon’s friend for a long time. This means that she’s heard about him before. Still, her background remains a total mystery.

Then, Pinon, Papu and Luna reach a small tornado, which keeps staying on one place. The Wind-Seirei seems to be sealed in here. Pinon plans to jump into the eye of the tornado from above, in order to not get bothered by the huge winds. In order to do that, he is helped by Punpun and Kogoto. Pinon manages to trick the two of them into dropping him off above the tornado, parachute included. While this scene may have been interesting in order to flesh out Punpun and Kogoto, it also was annoyingly long. The two of them are far from as awesome as their father.

Anyway, inside the tornado, we finally get to see a Seirei out of its little sparkly form. It’s indeed been captured, inside a barrier, which is preventing everyone from entering or exiting it. Except Pinon, for some reason. The creators’d better have a good reason for this. In any case, Pinon saves the Seirei (who looks too cute, by the way) and the Seirei seems to know Pinon. The Seirei gets all giddy, though she soon loses energy when it seems that her powers are stored in the bottom of the tornado. Papu seems to know the little creature, as the Seirei seems quite scared when she sees him. Papu, however, quickly shuts him up.

When they head down towards the bottom of the tornado in a dark-looking cave, Pinon gives Luna and Papu the two herbs he bought in the previous episode. When they reach the bottom of the tornado, a wind-beast shows up. It was interesting to finally see a wind-monster use wind in its attacks, instead of the usual blades which form out of nowhere. An interesting touch. Luna and Papu offer to act as decoy, so that Pinon can get Punpun and Kotoro to help. Still, Pinon uses his dragon powers to save the two of them. While a bit cheesy, the animation looked awesome. It really made up for this flaw.

In any case, the monster seemed to guard the Seirei’s power. With it gone, everything seems to be fine and the Seirei shows up in a third form: a large version of the second form, minus the chibi-speech. The Seirei then sends Pinon, Luna, Papu, Punpun and Kotoro back to Popolocrois. Pietoro’s too glad when he finds that his son is safe, though the interesting part comes from Narcia when she sees Luna. She, of all people should be able to recognize the golden key, though she decides not to mention it near Pietoro. I wonder when she’ll confront Luna about it. We’ve already seen her personality, so she’ll definitely wait. But for how long?

In any case, it seems that Luna’s been travelling, and that she’s been sleeping under rocks, etc. Pinon therefore offers Luna to sleep in his bed. (*big grin* ^^;) Luna’s a bit startled at first, though she doesn’t mind in the end. Then the Wind-Seirei shows up in yet another form. It’s also the one we keep seeing in the OP and ED. The Seirei transforms to its fourth form after Pinon gives it a name. He first considers “Hyuu”, which just shows the similarities between Pinon and his father. In the end, the name gets to be Hirarin.

And just when you thought that the episode couldn’t get happier, more laid-back, more peaceful. The bad guy appears, attempting to kill of Pinon. Pietoro then rushes in and defeats the guy. Both parties end up heavily wounded. Seriously, I would never have expected such a heavy scene after what just happened! In one turn, the anime turns darker than ever. It also displays Pietoro’s concerns and love for his son more than ever.

I also have to say that the ED greatly helped to accompany this. It’s one of the better ones I’ve seen. We also have to remember that there are some characters who look major, but haven’t appeared at all. The little guy with the painted face, for example. His mother as well. Not to mention his and Luna’s Seirei. It seems that Luna’s got something to do with the water, while the former has affinity with fire.

The music also is a major plus in this series. 1998 already featured an amazing soundtrack, and this was only strengthened with 2003. I’ve also noticed that the ED is one of the few which actually tells a small story. We first see Luna create light with her own powers (say, doesn’t her wand look suspiciously much like Narcia’s?). The little guy with the painted face looks astonished when he sees this. In the next screen, he uses fire in order to impress the others (and cook some fish). The next screen features the three of them playing with their Seirei, while Papu, of all creatures, looks agitated, wanting them not to linger. In later screens, Pinon directs the way, while Luna’s happy to follow him, and the little guy with the painted face has a weird expression on his face, I wonder what he thinks at that moment… On the last screen, Luna is carrying the other two along with her water powers. It looks pretty awesome. I may be wrong, but I guess that the next episode will introduce the little guy with the painted face. That, or Luna will meet her Seirei.

Overall, my respect for this series continues to grow with each episode passing. The ending was just perfectly executed. (After all, most of the times when protagonists mess up the plans of antagonists, we switch to them, while they find out about it. The antagonist screams a bit, and swears to get back at the protagonist. This time, these scenes are just skipped and the antagonist comes to kill the protagonist immediately). On a side-note: why did the creators decide to dye Pietoro’s hair brown?

Memorable Moment: Pietoro at the ending. Definitely a scene to remember.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni – 14 – No Keiichi

by psgels, posted in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni



Whoa… I knew that this arc was going to be unique, with no Keiichi as main character, but I never thought it would be this unique. I absolutely loved it. You see, this arc plays four years before the other three arcs. Keiichi’s gone, Rena’s gone and Rika’s even cuter than she was before. With a bit of luck, we’ll also see a flash of Satoko and Satoshi in the next episode. This arc will probably explain the first of all the murders. I wish I could be able to remember who the victim was, though I’m ashamed to say that I forgot. And the great thing is that nobody seems to have written it down. -_-

In any case, this probably is the first time since episode one that this murder gets mentioned. All of the other arcs kept silent about it, for some strange reason. The mysterious victim was cut in six pieces by a pickaxe (ouch), with one of the murderers still roaming free. It’s only now that I realize that Rika was the murderer. She was the one who murdered for the first time. It’s also very interesting that she didn’t commit this murder alone, though she was the only one who managed to not get caught. I wonder who the other murderers might’ve been…

In any case, the previous arcs showed us a very bloody or gory scene right before they started. This arc just shows about the same guys we saw in the third episode, trying to run Keiichi over with their mini-van, kidnapping a little boy. Meanwhile, the radio tells about three people who were arrested because of violent acts against the Hinamizawa Dam Project. Things were a bit bloody, judging by the newsreader. The boy who gets kidnapped is the son of Cabinet Minister Inukai, by the way. The dam was probably his father’s idea.

The OP rolls, and the real episode begins. We then see our main character for this arc: Akasaka Mamoru. He really looks like an old version of Keiichi with black hair, though thankfully, his personality is different. He’s been sent out to investigate whether Hinamizawa’s got something to do with the son of the Cabinet Minister who’s been kidnapped. It isn’t very likely, so he’s sent out alone, as every possibility needs to be investigated.

Akasaka also has a wife, who’s highly pregnant. She’ll probably have her baby when he’s in Hinamizawa. Once inside Hinamizawa, he heads for the local police station. There he hears the first rumours about the dangers of the Onigafuchi Last Defence Alliance, or the group who opposes the dam construction. Then Oishi shows up, and he gives him a bit of a tour around Hinamizawa. He also tells Akasaka about the three main families, and the Sonozaki-family.

Oishi then shows a bit of interest in the investigations Akasaka is conducting. I guess that he’s of course interested in what he can find out, so he can use it in his own research. Oishi’s willing to introduce Akasaka to a Mole in the Sonozaki-family as well. After Oishi left, Akasaka decided to go undercover, and have a local villager guide him around. He’s planning to pretend to be a leisure photographer, who wants to see a bit of the neighbourhood.

When he reaches the meeting point with the guy, he runs into a four-year younger version of Rika. (So cute ^^;) Then the guy arrives, and Rika decides to tag along with the two of them. When she hears that Akasaka’s planning to take photos, she compares him to Tomitake. It’s very interesting to see that Tomitake’s been visiting Hinamizawa for over 4 years now. I guess that that gives him enough time to meet up with Takano. Still, Rika did give him a good nickname. After all, we all know what happens to Tomitake in the end (*wink wink, nudge nudge*).

Then, while Akasaka keeps taking photos and Rika asks a few questions, Akasaka says the most stupid thing you can ever imagine. He tells about his wife, who’s having a baby right at that moment. What idiot abandons his wife for a leisure-trip at a time like that!? Rika also noticed this (you can see that in her expression. Smart girl, especially considering that she’s so incredibly young. And cute. ^^;)

The guide then offers to take Akasaka to the place with the best scenery around: the Furude Shrine, Rika’s home. Only then it becomes clear that Rika also is a member of one of the three big families in Hinamizawa. When the threesome arrives at the Furude Shrine, a very touching scene follows. The Furude Shrine also appears to be the centre of the anti-dam movement. The guide automatically thinks that Akasaka’s an activist as well, though the latter corrects the former. Akasaka then comes with an incredibly politically correct speech, in which he thinks that it’s better to get yourself involved in politics if you want something, instead of just fighting back. Rika then totally smashes this statement in the ground, when she asks him how he would solve an issue like that. She indeed managed to see the flaw in modern-day politics. ^^

Rika then takes him to the place with the beautiful scenery, after which we also get signs that Rika’s infected with the disease as well. She then warns Akasaka to go away. She’s also certain that the dam project will soon be gone, no matter what. It’s already been decided.

That evening, Akasaka meets up with the mole, right after a meeting of the three big families. Mion and Rika also were present. Mion was paying attention, though she never said anything, while Rika was busy drawing a picture of her along with Akasaka. ^^ We also got to see Mion’s mother. She’s also one of the characters whose hair has unnatural colours. (That’s one of the major flaws in anime. The main characters seem to be the only ones with obscene hair colours). We also get to see Mion’s grandmother, the current ruler over Hinamizawa. (Was she still alive in the previous arcs?)

The end of the meeting, it became clear that Akasaka’s mission had been discovered and the Sonozaki Family indeed was the one to kidnap the Cabinet Minister’s son. Akasaka doesn’t really like the things he hears. The next morning, Oishi gives him a call. It seems that the Minister’s wallet has been found at a certain place called Takatsudo, a fairly deserted area, not mentioned in the previous arcs. Oishi’s willing to bring Akasaka there, though he does put on a knife-proof vest as precaution. The episode ends with Oishi offering one to Akasaka as well.

This arc will probably end with the first murder. Still, that does leave one murder and one disappearance without any attention: Rika’s parents. Before I saw this arc, I was expecting that it would cover the death of Rika’s parents, how her mother committed suicide and her father died of the mysterious illness, but as this arc plays long before the two of them die, we’ll probably get left in the dark about this. One of the answer-arcs will probably solve it.

I still have no clue about the nature of the disease. This arc clearly shows that the disease can go to sleep after it’s been active. It indeed seems that heavy emotions are the trigger for the disease to get active, but in that case, why didn’t Rika kill herself when her parents died? Or did Satoko manage to save her just in time before she freaked out? In any case, Rika getting under the control of the disease really happened. It was not in Keiichi’s mind, as he was totally somewhere else at that moment. I also don’t see Akasaka for being caught with the disease as well.

We also finally get to see the same mini-van as in the third episode. At that time, it tried to hit Keiichi, when the driver saw he failed, he ran off. I think it appeared again during the end of the fourth episode, though I’m not sure. In any case, it does suggest some sort of link between the Sonozaki-family and Irie (as the minivan seems to be under the control of the Sonozaki-family). What kind of connection might that be? Before I can really speculate about this, I need to know whether Mion’s grandmother was still alive, and the leader of Hinamizawa and if she was, Mion’s influence on this.

Differences with previous arcs:
– The previous arcs Keiichi as main character, one of the girls as opposing character (Rena, Mion and Satoko), and one of the side-characters who played a major role (Oishi, Shion and Irie). This arc had Akasaka as main character, Rika as opposing character, and Oishi again as the side-character with the important role.
– This arc plays during the dam-opposition (does that mean that everything that happens here, happened with the previous arcs as well?)
– Rika’s gotten even cuter.
– This is the first arc in which we see nothing about Keiichi and Rena, possibly Satoko as well.
– In the first arc, Oishi was concerned. In the second arc, Oishi was cheerful and more business-like. In the third arc, Oishi was evil. In the fourth arc, I’d describe him as helpful. Eager to learn valuable information from Akasaka.

Overall, I loved this different episode. Rika was omega-kawaii, and it really is great to see an episode without Keiichi. I can’t wait to see the next episode. ^_^

Memorable Moment: Rika calling Akasaka Tomitake #2 (You think she was trying to give him a subtle message? ^^)

Nasu Summer in Andalusia Review – 70/100

by psgels, posted in Anime Reviews



Nasu – Summer in Andalusia was a fine example to demonstrate the flaws of the .mp4-format. At random times, it likes to cause the screen to freeze because of the lag. In my case, it was right before the climax. I didn’t really like that.

In any case, this 40-minute movie is a sports-movie about pro-cycling. It’s not about the giants who battle against each other, no. It’s about a nobody who tries to win an etappe. This nobody (or Pepe) works for a group who hasn’t been doing too well. They haven’t won anything for the entire season, and now they face a breach of contract with their sponsor. Pepe is seen as the major problem in this, as he’s got a small temper, which doesn’t work too well with their main cyclist: Gilmore. This etappe basically is the last chance for the group in order to stay alive, and it’s up to Gilmore to win it. Pepe’s role is to help him do this.

Pepe also has some extra motivation to perform, as the finish lies in his home-town. During this movie, we get some nice background commentary from the people he grew up with. His brother, who also got married on the same day, his new sister-in-law, his uncle and a couple of other friends. Especially these friends were very interesting to watch. They never knew what’s going on inside Pepe’s group, so they were just celebrating his performances.

What follows is a set of unique opportunities which drive Pepe to the finish. Overall, I had to say that the tension which was created worked pretty well. Still, there’s one major disadvantage with this movie. Everything just feels too much directed. Most of the story elements worked pretty natural, though at the times in which the creators got stuck, they used Deus ex Machina in order to keep Pepe in the right tracks. The climax also could never happen in real life. Still, despite these flaws, I have to admit that I had a good time watching this. A sports fan will probably like it.

Bleach – 88 – Behold, The Wisdom of Vice-Captains

by psgels, posted in Bleach



This episode can basically be summarized in one word: boring. What happens is that the four shinigami have found the Bounto-base, so the four of them head in to infiltrate. And of course, all of them have had an extensive Shinigami-education, so they do exactly know what to do in a situation like this: Just storm the damned thing, split up and wander around aimlessly. Of course. So, what was the school for shinigami’s purpose again? Ah, yes. It’s like a school for body-builders. That explains everything.

In any case, it’s not surprising that the shinigami go down immediately. Strawberry and the others meanwhile also head for the bounto-base. Everyone’s recovered, except for the unknown brat that Renji rescued. It seems that his soul has already weakened too much, and he needs to rely on his will to live in order to be able to survive. I’m interested to see whether such an unknown brat can make it or not. Apart from that, we had a touching scene in which Ririn broke down in front of Strawberry. But apart from that, this episode was just boring.

Still, in the preview for the next episode, Kon gave some very fitting descriptions for each of the bounto. I think I’ll be using them from now on: Gorilla Dude, Scary Old Lady, Freaky Guy, Fishin’ Gramps, Mister Four-Eyes and Mr Smarty Pants. All that’s left is the Shinigami. Any suggestions?

Saiunkoku Monogatari – 14 – Ryuuki Looks Interesting in Armour

by psgels, posted in Saiunkoku Monogatari



This episode basically was meant to show the harsh treatment Shiurei and Eigetsu had to endure on their first month of work. Ryuuki may have passed the bill which allows women to take the exam, the fact remains that half of the palace hates the two of them now. You can’t change the beliefs of people that easily, and Shiurei, as a woman, really has to show people how awesome she can be. Not an easy task, though she’ll definately be able to manage in the end.

To sum things up:
– When Shiurei and Eigetsu get a letter about their first day at work, the dates are changed.
– People keep talking behind Shiurei’s back, without caring whether she hears it.
– Shiurei gets assigned to clean the lavatory (in the minds of the palace officials, the only useful thing a woman is able to do).
– Eigetsu gets to polish shoes.
– Officials are get too enthusiastic when they see a chance to bump over a bucket of water near Shiurei.
– Eigetsu gets kicked in the face numerous of times.
– Did I already mention the talkings behind Shiurei’s back?
– People treat Shiurei like she’s a patch of dirt.

Though this does show Shiurei’s strength. She’ll live through this, and within no time at all, she will be the one to order around everyone who talked bad about her. Talk about revenge! Those officials will really regret the day they mocked with Shiurei. ^_^

Eigetsu also manages to survive his harsh treatments. We don’t know exactly what’s going on inside his head, though he does try to not pay attention to the officials, and just tries to remain his usual fake-cheery self. Still, there’s one thing about Eigetsu that bugs me. He’s a genius, though I’ve yet to see any genious actions from him. Okay, he’s a thirteen year-old, though he didn’t really strike me as a very smart thirteen year-old. (After all, who sends an enormous amount of money through the postal order?).

In any case, Shiurei will be tested like this for two entire months. The first one and a half months, she’ll have to continue assignments as cleaning the lavatory and cleaning up paperworks, after which she gets half a month the time to write a report about this. Once this is over, the real officials get picked, out of the ones who survived the national exams, based on the things they accomplished over these two months. This arc will probably follow Shiurei as she makes her way towards the end of the two months.

We also got introduced to another minor character this episode: a yellow-haired boy, Haku. He’s the one who came in fourth, after Shiurei, and he didn’t quite take a liking in her. After all, she beat him fair and square, and now she’s busy cleaning lavatories. He doesn’t want to imagine his status when the truth remains that Shiurei’s above him. After all, this would make him below the level of lavatory-cleaning. We should expect some great things from this guy in the near future.

Rijin also played a big role as observer during this episode. He didn’t quite grow, though he made sure of some interesting background commentary about Shiurei. When Shiurei speaks to him for the first time, he gives subtle hints to her that Shuu and Shiurei were different persons. He also advices Shiurei to act more like Shuu, which is in one way a compliment, he approves of her and the things she did the previous summer. I have to admit, when I first saw him, I thought him as a bad guy, though he really has good intentions. He also asks his assistant to subtly show Shiurei a small pile of papers. The assistant gets shocked when he sees these, though I never really found out what these papers meant. So, what were they about?

Ryuuki also was adorible once more. He saw it as his duty to protect Shiurei on her first day, so he dressed up as a soldier. I have to say, he looks surprisingly good in an armour, though his hair looked a bit whacky. (^^;) An interesting fact is that he doesn’t appear in the rest of the episode, and he’s nowhere near Shiurei when she gets to endure these harships. I wonder what his reason was not to interfere. Of course, there are countless of reasons, but I also see him crazy enough to do something about it as well.

The beginning of the episode also shows that a certain ring of the “Sa”-family has been found. Still, it was gone as fast as it appeared. The leader of the group who found the ring was not exactly happy with this. More background about this ring, and what it’s got to do with this arc, is missing, though.

Overall, the more I think about it, the more awesome this episode becomes. This is one of the few shows that doesn’t need to create tension in order to be good. Something that’s very rarely accomplished. Each of the main characters are just so likeable. Oh, and Kouyuu’s sense of direction was too cute once more. ^_^

Memorable Moment: Seeing Kouyuu trying to handle the tasks of the emperor for one day. ^_^

The Third – 08 – Keeps Getting More Interesting

by psgels, posted in The Third



Okay, that’s something I NEVER would have expected! The Third gives us more and more proof that this will probably be the best series of the Spring Season. And that has to say something, when more than 50 shows came out. It’s just such a pity that the fansubs are coming in so slow. Honoka’s almost reaching Alice in terms of awesomeness.

We start the episode with Honoka and Bogie travelling towards Emporium. They hear some trampling, see a lot of sand blow up in the horizon, only to realize that they’re being chased by a rampaging herd of sandworms. Bogie takes off, attempting to get out of the sandworms’ track, accompanied by a very nice background tune. Just when you think that they made it, they get hit by a sandworm, which really beats up the sand-tank. If Honoka wasn’t in her PSP for protection (yes, mechas can be used for other things than just fighting ;)) she would’ve ended up in the hospital.

It seems that Joey is not enough to fix it completely, as he hasn’t grown enough to reach Zanka’s level, so Honoka has to think of something. Still, Joey does what he can. Bogie is meanwhile taken to the hospital, as it seems he also suffered some damage (why the hospital? Does it have a special section for AI?). Meanwhile, Honoka runs into Kevin, who seems to be tracking some kind of cult which is said to have appeared in Emporium.

Honoka runs into these guys later in the episode, in a cafe. She first has hallucinations about Ikus, after which a group of three guys enters. They try to hit on another main character, introduced this episode: Sensei (for now, I’ll just name her Sensei, as I don’t think her name became clear in this episode). She’s one of Millie’s teachers, and a fairly interesting character. She also seems to have some strange power, which she can use to get control over people for a short while. For some reason, this doesn’t work with Honoka. Her third eye probably interfered.

Millie and Honoka also got to meet each other again. Millie’s turning more amazing by the minute as well. Because she loves Honoka, she wants to study to become a mechanic, so the two of them can be together again. She was so adorible when she said that. Though indeed, Honoka and the doctor fear that she might become a bit too attached to Honoka. I’d love to see how her case gets developed. ^_^

This episode also took another turn you wouldn’t expect so soon in the anime. It seems that there is something in the desert, nearby the sandworms’ nest, which can get out of control any minute now, with the possibility to destroy Emporium within ten days. Honoka also gets sent to investigate in the sandworms’ nest, so this should promise for some awesome scenes. The scenes which introduced this also were perfectly built up, I just loved them.

Overall, The Third is awesome, and it doesn’t show any signs of weakening. It’s another one of these series in which I like every single character, and it deserves to be subbed. I really can’t wait to see more of this.

Popolocrois 2003 – 02 – Gamigami’s got Children?

by psgels, posted in Popolocrois 2003



You’ve got to admit one thing about this anime: the music rocks. Every tune seems to fit, and the ED really is breathtaking. Still, it’s got a long way before it can reach the awesomeness of the 1998-series.

For one, it’s got annoying characters. Pinon and Papu aren’t exactly the best characters ever. Their voice acting is a bit off, especially when they kept calling for each other, it really got on my nerves. Still, Pinon’s got some good points, mostly his struggles to get away from his father’s shadow, though I haven’t seen any good points about Papu.

Basically, in this episode, Papu gets lost and ends up in a lone island offshore. It’s basically meant to show how much Pinon’s willing to do for his new friend. It’s interesting that he’s able to make friends with Papu so easily, while he has troubles with ordinary humans. I guess it’s because Papu was the first who didn’t see him as Pietoro’s son. (Star Ocean Ex, anyone?)

Three new characters are introduced this episode, and we get some signs that Gamigami’s still alive! Woo! We get to meet his children during this episode. This, of course, brings up a very interesting issue: who is the mother? Who would be crazy enough to give a guy such as Gamigami two children? In any case, they do have some antics, though they haven’t reached the brilliance of their father yet. Gamigami was just 100% chaos, while the two of them try to be like him.

The final character to be introduced is Luna. She somehow reminds me of Hyuu in a way. She’s an extremely good swimmer, and the ED seems to suggest that she indeed has affinity with water. It seems that she’s really surprised when she finds out the lengths Pinon’s willing to go through in order to save his friends. The episdoe ends with her, Pinon, Papu and Gamigami’s children being sucked into some kind of portal. Star Ocean Ex all the way.

Still, 2003 did make me see one thing. 1998 doesn’t have any animals or monsters at all! It’s just a character study of each of the different characters, nothing more. The RPG-elements are almost nearly gone. This is totally different in 2003. Last episode, we ran into Papu, a walking skeleton and a big huge monster, and this episode we get treated by some angry horned penguins. I guess the creators were trying to create a better RPG-feel out of it.

Overall, I’m still waiting for the awesomeness. But then again, 1998 also started out slow, so I’m suspecting that this one’s also building up perfectly. After all, we still have a huge amount of characters left to be introduced. And did Shirokishi ever find his Great Knight Sword?

Memorable moment: Punpun and Kogoto waiting for hours for Pinon to return from the cave. ^^

Simoun – 12 – Kaimu and Aruti

by psgels, posted in Simoun



This was another incredibly exciting episode. One of the best in Simoun so far. Dominüra gets the strange idea of messing up the pairs, in order to let Kaimu and Aruti work together. As she’s in love with Paraietta and hates Aruti, Kaimu doesn’t really like this.

The major part of the episode really illustrated this. Kaimu kept getting angrier and angrier. Simoun is great in portraying angry characters. The background music also really helps in this. It’s a really sad tune. Especially when Kaimu and Aruti make their first test flight, along with Aaeru and Neviriru, the scenes kept getting more amazing by the minute. It indeed seemed that they were sortof close once before they came to the Arcus Prima, though on the night before Kaimu’s first flight, one of them seduced the other, and well, you can guess the rest.

It isn’t clear who seduced who, but Kaimu clearly blames Aruti for this. Aruti, however, still remains nostalgic. Both of them are at fault this time, and both manage to learn a bit. Kaimu learned that she doesn’t need to get so angry with Aruti (still, I doubt whether these scars are totally gone). Aruti learned to stop living in the past, and stop depending on her sister to make her grow.

Aaeru meanwhile tries to get even closer to Neviriru, though that doesn’t really work. She also looked very cute with her hair loose.
Yun also displays a cute side when it seems that she doesn’t like onions. I’ve also noticed that she’s along with Limone the only one who likes to read books. She’s also the last one to go to sleep in the evening.
Furoe still doesn’t seem to have forgotten what happened at the previous episode. It’s a shame that we don’t get to see the two of them meating again. The soldiers seem to have left the Messis.

Overall, this was an awesome episode. The tension was just perfect. So far, we’ve had an episode dedicated to Neviriru, Paraietta, Limone, Furoe, Kaimu, Aruti, Mamiina and Rödoreamon. That only leaves Morinasu, Aaeru, Dominüra and Yun. I can’t wait for them. 🙂

Memorable moments: Seeing the Sybilla actually fixing the leaks on the Messis. Limone trying to comfort Rödoreamon.

Popolocrois 2003 – 01 – Couldn’t resist ^^

by psgels, posted in Popolocrois 2003



While waiting for the rest of Popolocrois Story 1998 to come in, I couldn’t resist to check out its 2003 version. A lot has changed. Pietoro has now grown up, and has taken the throne, along with Narcia as his wife. Hyuu seems to have been buggered off, and the two now have a son: Pinon. All of the adults from the 1998 series also have vanished into thin air, as there doesn’t seem to be a sign of Paolo, Hilda, Shirokishi and unfortunately, Gamigami.

The art also has changed a bit. It still bears the unique art of Popolocrois, but the overall color scheme looks a bit less bright. The character’s faces also are more blocked instead of curved and the eyes and mouth of each of the characters look a bit more evil. The music, however, is as good as ever. The CG, however, doesn’t seem to be living up to the 1998-version, which is strange, as you would expect a newer series to come with better graphics. Though the beam of light shown in the first episode of 1998 certainly was able to beat the beam of light in the first episode of 2003.

The great thing about such a sequel is that you really can compare the two of them. Pietoro has grown very different from his father, Paolo. Both of them are strong leaders, but they both do it in their own way. Paolo was very laid back. He had a huge amount of self-confidence and because of this, he was able to rule with a very laid-back attitude. Pietoro, however, wants to rule as good as possible, and he wants to do this as good as possible. He therefore actively concerns himself with things going on in Popolocrois and he’s also very strict on Pinon.

Because of this, Pinon was raised in a totally different way than Pietoro. Pietoro was son of Pablo, the great leader. Pinon is son of Pietoro, the great hero. This anime manages to show the huge difference between these two. Pietoro is great for what he has done. Pablo is great for what he’s doing. Both of them have their good points and bad points, and these are reflected in their children. As Pablo and Sania were rather carefree, Pietoro also grew up to be carefree. When Pietoro grows up, and gets to be strict to Pinon, Pinon grows to be a bit more rebellious.

Okay, maybe rebellious isn’t the right word. Both Pietoro as Pinon run around the castle. Though Pietoro does this because he wants to play. Pinon does this because he wants to run away. It was also interesting to see that Pinon didn’t consider Ulala as a friend. He’s been locking himself inside so much that he doesn’t even care to see the things in front of him. Still, he does have a kind heart, as he always stands up for others, willing to take their blame.

Ston and Sanda also seemed to have their roles as cute familiars (maybe “cute” isn’t the right word for them, but whatever) to Papu, a weird flying ferret. I liked Ston and Sanda’s designs more, for some reason. The OP and ED also seem to suggest that three more animals like Papu will appear. I so hope that their roles won’t be just “cute and mysterious”. After all, Ston and Sanda were great because of totally different reasons.

2003 also seems to be a lot darker. While 1998 had the wind-kind and Gamigami as the major enemies, 2003 seems to suggest for something actually evil to threaten Pinon. The robots from Gamigami also seem to have been replaced by actual monsters. Pinon, just like Pietoro beats them using his dragon powers. I hope that these also get lost somehow.

Overall, I liked the first episode of Popolocrois 1998 more. 2003 just doesn’t seem to have any awesome or memorable characters yet. There are actually annoying characters (the little boys, for example, they may have a good effect on Pietoro, they remain annoying as hell). Still, you can really see that just as 1998, 2003 is building up very carefully. After all, there are lots of characters appearing in the OP and ED who didn’t appear at all in the first episode, and Ulala, on her turn, doesn’t showu up in the OP and ED at all. There’s got to be some reason for that. And after all, 1998 was quite good when it actually came with a solid storyline, so I’ll keep my hopes up.