(note that I’m still experimenting with rating scale, so the numbers are meant to be low, though GSZS deserves it somewhat)
Junjo Romantica 2
Short Synopsis: Our lead character meets Usagi’s brother.
Highlights: Nice banter.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 6/10
This season really is the season of sequels for Studio Deen (APART FROM AMATSUKI!), where their only new series are continuations of some of their past franchises. Junjo Romantica pretty much continues where the first season leaves off, and introduces Usagi’s brother, who was mentioned a few times in the first season. I’m looking forward to more of this, because it’s one of the few series that takes a realistic view at being in a relationship with someone as it explores the give-and-take aspect of dating someone. Okay, so what if the characters are gay. It might make for a few disturbing scenes, but nonetheless there’s some nice chemistry between the characters, just like in the first series.
Michiko e Hatchin
Short Synopsis: Our lead character gets picked up by someone who claims to be her mother.
Highlights: Rather one-sided.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 5,5/10
Well, so far it really looks like we’re dealing with the spiritual successor of El Cazador here. Both feature a strong woman, travelling with a weaker girl, they’re both about gunfights, they both have a strong emphasis on music and they both play in Mexico. The big difference is that the music is rather jazzy with Michiko e Hatchin, and it’s much more dramatic. And that’s my problem a bit here: the whole abuse of Hana is just too one-sided. It’s already established that Hana’s family abuses her after one minute. We don’t need 20 more minutes of this same abuse if that’s all that these characters do. Flesh them out a little more than that! Les Miserables did this the right way: even though Cosette was abused, there was a lot more going on inside the family than just that, while with Michiko e Hatchin, the whole life purpose of that family seems to be to abuse Hana as much as possible.
Goku Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei
Short Synopsis: Our lead character is in despair.
Highlights: Much of the same, but with this series that’s a BAD THING.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 4/10
Well, so for this OVA, I decided to not wait for the subs and just watch it raw. The disadvantage of that obviously is that it becomes much more difficult to understand (especially with a series as focused on dialogue as this one), but the advantage is that the visual direction stands out more, since you don’t have to frantically try to keep up with the huge lines of dialogue. In any case, this pretty much was a standalone episode of the series, and that’s my big problem with it: this series has already gone way past its expiration-date, and it still tries to squeeze some cash out of the viewer. The jokes that once were hilarious have become stale because this series simply refused to develop its characters. And am I the only one who feels that the Otaku-jokes have passed their freshness by now? I mean, it was nice and all when they appeared the first time, but what the heck do the Lucky Star and Haruhi-references in this episode really add? Why show a bunch of stereotypical otaku when a truckload of other series have already done the same? I appreciate how Chaos;Head is trying to make an original story out of them, but this OVA was just nothing. It contributed in no way, and was overall just pointless.
Actually, Michiko e Hatchin is set in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, I think.
HM junjou 2. I really liked the first one as well as its OP. Hopefully the second stays just as good.
Being a straight male, it was a little weird at first but I really liked it.
I feel like you though. GIVE US AMATSUKI S2. My god that show blew my mind. It was just so good. I LOVED the last episode (IF there is a continuation)
ah yes forgot to mention.
With your new rating system I think it’s VERY important for you to state what you’re doing with the rating scale for a while or else it’s going to generate some unwanted responses and such.
I’m following Junjou 2 too, don’t mind if it’s gay or not since the characters’ interaction is good and well, absolutely agree that why there is no Amatsuki season 2?? The last episode is real epic. Maybe they are waiting for the manga to move on a bit more.
I also lost interest in SZS for some time now but maybe it would feel better if you watch it subbed for full understanding.
Well, so far it really looks like we’re dealing with the spiritual successor of El Cazador here.
=> Excuse me. I’m sorry. I think I just died right there.
“looks like we?re dealing with the spiritual successor of El Cazador here.”
OMG…NO WAY. That is SO wrong. If you really think so than you better rewatch it
I felt that the first episode of MichiHachi was like a modren Cinderella story…but I overall think it well portrayed the lifestyle of Latin America. Yeah and I am also pretty sure that the series sets in Brazil not Mexico
Wow, I just looked at your latest page of blog entries and the scores were all 8 or 8.5. No wonder some people were urging you to change your rating system.
I haven’t seen an episode of anything SZS-related for a while. Must have gotten tired of it. But Michiko e Hatchin..5.5…aww. I can’t help but be a little disappointed. Perhaps it’s because you compared it to another anime that I think isn’t that similar to MeH. Also, I have high expectations for it.
First of all: my english is very bad, im apologizing for that. I just wanted to say, that I really love your blog, i enjoy very much reading it. Thanks to you I have watched anime I have never heard of before – and I loved them. I really appreciate your opinion about the diffrent shows and I have to admit that I was VERY suprised to read that you like Junjou Romantica.
“it’s one of the few series that takes a realistic view at being in a relationship” – really? I find this show incredible stupid and stereotyped. Perhaps because I am a yaoi-fangirl and have seen too much of things like that. Oh well… I will try to watch it again (I have seen only 4 episodes so far)… Now I’m curious…
yes, “michiko E hatchin” is set in brazil. look at the particle, it is portuguese. if it were spanish, like the above mentioned “EL cazador”, it would be “michiko Y hatchin”. and a brazilian musical producer (from the group +2) is working in the soundtrack.
I liked Michiko & Hatchin but I had the same thought that they spent too much time with the abuse scenes leaving the viewer far in the dark what this series is going to be about anyway. The similarities with El Cazador while superficial were also striking. However, animation, style and direction is completely different. I wouldn’t mind if this was episodic and road-movie-like but then it needs more action and/or comedy than El Cazador.
I think that they took so long showing the abuse is because Father Pedro is supposed to be a priest. So technically, he’s supposed to be follow the Christian creed of kindness, piety and not being greedy but him and his family are the complete opposite – hypocritical, cruel and greedy.
I had trouble with the long scenes in MichiHatchi depicting the tribulations of Hana as well. I do believer the beatdown she delivered on the evil stepsister more than made up for it.
I felt that they had to buy that scene of wondrous power and righteous fury with the extended suffering sequence. If they had made it shorter it wouldn’t have been so righteous.
I do hope this turns out to be a really good anime the way Samurai Champloo turned out to be. I don’t know about El Cazador, but I’m really intrigued about Michiko to Hatchin
ghostlightning, I don’t really agree that the beatdown made up for it. Those burnings would have had caused a permanent damage in her face. I also believe that these scenes were meant to depict her daily life, so she had been abused this way for a long time over and over again.
I agree though that this part was probably so long so that we would not forget and to show that this wasn’t an extraordinary day. A bit of teasing and even minor torture is “normal” for kids but if adults participate in bullying that’s far beyond normal and quite sickening.