|
Pseudo-Elf Princess Speaks:
Sunday, June 13, 2004 05:58 p.m. dot dot dot
Been a while.
That's 'cause I haven't been doing too much watching. Most of this is old.
Erm . . . Gantz 2 = darkly interesting. Licensed?
Monster 8 = Good. I think. Don't really remember too well.
Madlax 7-8 = I'm getting sort of bored. The video's choppiness which I've been experiencing lately doesn't help. Sort of a link between Margaret and Madlax now. Hm. Have up to 9. Will watch at some point.
Midori no Hibi 2-3 and manga = disturbing, but cute in that shounen way. Like Love Hina, but less girls, less accidents, less stupid. For the most part. Amusing.
MMPPP = didn't watch any more. Got licensed (!!!) Still have 9 and 10, so, later.
Piano = didn't watch any more. If I did, I don't remember.
Kyou Kara Maou! 6 = long time ago. Demon sword that bites. Or something. Yuuri got naked. Didn't see anything. Good. I think. I don't remember.
Orphen 11-14 = Watched some a while ago. Almost remember those more than today. But good. Orphen's hot. Little bit of plot development, some filler, and a new OP and ED on ep. 14. Songs I don't know. I knew the first OP and ED songs. Guess I'll just get used to it.
Hot Gimmick manga 3-4 = Soap opera hot boy yummy. They're all hot. It's almost maddening. In a good way. Fun to read out loud in all the female's voices. I'm addicted again--it's like a bad drug that feels good. Bah.
Duck Prince manga 1 = Heh. It was a magic dog. Yumiko is the only one nice to Reiichi Swan, and she thinks he looks like her dog. But she loves her dog. She's moving away, to America. Dog gets lost on moving day. Reiichi finds dog, gets hit by car. Dog feels bad, grants one wish. Reiichi wants to be beautiful. Wakes up one year later, taller and with a face job because his face got messed up. But it was really the dog. Turns back to his old self whenever he tries to make a move on Yumiko (who transferred back, goes to his new school, doesn't recognize him) because the dog used to be a prince and is possessive. Sorceror who turned him into dog is also at school, but doesn't know magic. And he's trying to make a move on Yumiko, too. Cheezy, slightly dirty, silly. Will probably buy future volumes.
D/l more Full Moon wo Sagashite for shoujo fodder. Since MMPPP got licensed. Maybe I won't get bored this time. Still have Piano, Orphen, MMPPP, Tales of Eternia, Madlax episodes to watch. Oi. Peace out : P
Monday, May 31, 2004 11:46 a.m. wow, that's dense.
Today I have not only d/l stuff to review, but more DVD stuff! Also, there seems a lot because I think I forgot some last time . . .
Monster: [ep. 6-7] Monster continues to be suspenseful and somewhat creepy and altogether excellent. Dr. Tenma collaborates with a reporter to try to find Anna/Nina who he has figured out Johann (monster boy--I often forget he has a name o.o) is going to kidnap, while Nina begins to regain memories of what really happened that night years ago when her brother was shot in the head. Oh, yeah, and Johann does more killing. Plot futherance overall, Dr. Tenma begins to look like he does in the opening, the list of people who can be trusted shortens, and the ending sequence does something. Yay!
Kyou Kara Maou!: [ep. 5] Um . . . oh, right, pirates in sailor suits (that look sort of like school girl uniforms). And bald guys, quests for demon swords, and controlled breathing like a mother giving birth as a way to row. And so ends another HILARIOUS episode of this oddball series. o.o Weird.
MMPPP: [ep. 6-8] More cheesy shoujo-ness teaching girls about things like slapping guys who kiss you, following love legends, saving ugly pink dolphins, helping out idol singers who sing in crappy Engrish, making bento (lunches) for your hot teacher, and saving the world by singing the same song, over and over and over (defeating evil bishounen who spend their time naked in the bath tub, drinking wine and giving orders?). It's still fun to parody, but, just to show I'm still human, it's starting to get on my nerves. Ah, well.
Piano: [ep. 3-4] More snail-paced non-cheesy sweetness about a somewhat traditional (certainly quiet and helpful) Japanese girl doing . . . not a heck of a lot. Though some people would see this as a form of the Chinese water torture, I like it. Can't say exactly why, but . . . it certainly is uncomplicated.
Midori no Hibi: [ep. 1] So there was this punk dude who had a heart of gold but got rejected 20 times in a row, and then there was this chick who liked him but was too shy to tell him, and then, she, like, became his hand! Wow, um, screwy. Funny, yes. Ecchi, slightly. Weird, definitely. But surprisingly, it's almost sweet. In an odd, WTH way. Um, but the girl actually likes being his hand. Which is . . . *blinks* Weird. Um, yeah.
Orphen: [ep. 1-10] The first three episodes gave a good intro to the characters and story. I was just going to watch the fourth, but then the fifth and sixth were a two parter with lots of sweet moments and Cleao getting Leki (who is actually the child of the "deep dragon," who looks like a giant blue wolf, not a cat. Even though it looks like a cat most of the time O.o). And then the seventh and eighth episodes promised plot development and then I watched the ninth and it was a two parter again so I watched the tenth. *coughs* That's my story. Anyway, it was all very good. Not like, wow, that's so deep and confusing, but more like, Hey! Angst! Humor! Filler! Fun! (um, except for that one chick who was really a guy and that was just disturbing). My biggest complaint is actually the packaging. The set was one of those plastic boxes with dividers for each DVD sort of things (instead of the individual DVD cases, which I would prefer), and it had one insert that only told the episodes on the disc, and the episode titles were all wrong and they even mixed up two of the DVDs (luckily they were in the right order in the case). Ah, but the show is good, and we're gonna have an anime fest so we can all watch.
RahXephon: [ep. 13-16] Wow, that was dense. With the fourth volume, my love of RahXephon is revived (and I think I even gained some of the brain cells lost from MMPPP). Now I need to rewatch the first three volumes and watch this one again, because there is so much going on that you don't quite notice until a few seconds after it happens and you discover that it's really been apparent all along. RahXephon is one of those series that can be enjoyable with one watching, but it won't really make sense or be great until you've watched it over and over, because otherwise you'll miss a lot. The number of levels that things are happening at is amazing. There are simply no flat characters, either. Each episode reveals more about their personalities and origins and emotions. I have the feeling this is what I was supposed to get from NGE, but didn't (maybe I didn't get that far?). And it's all wrapped up in a shiny, gorgeously animated package. Love.
So I really should've been working on my final exam project for American Issues which I really, really don't want to do, but I watched anime instead. I still have til . . . Wednesday . . . *dies* Peace out : P
Saturday, May 29, 2004 01:33 p.m.
This is mostly for Megan's benefit, since I told Jen and Traci already . . . but I went shopping . . . and I got the Orphen perfect collection . . . you know, box set (but not really--it's just one big thing with dividers for the individual DVDs). I watched the first three (first DVD) episodes this morning. They were good. I'll probably replace this with a review later, but . . . I don't really feel like writing it now. Peace out : P
Saturday, May 22, 2004 04:37 p.m. and it goes on and ooooonnnn . . .
Another week, more anime.
Madlax: [ep. 6] Red Alert! Red Alert! Butt-kicking maid in Sector 5! . . . *shakes head* Ah, this was kind of a weird episode. More of rich girl Margaret's past was revealed (or rather, the mysteries surrounding her past). And she went to a party. And some guy started talking with her. And then he saw inside the picture book she keeps with her, turned evil or something, and got his *ahem* rear kicked by Margaret's maid. Um, okay?? Let's get back to Madlax. She may have weird hair and a stupid name, but at least she's interesting.
Kyou Kara Maou!: [ep. 3-4] Flying skeletons, baths, baseball, mysterious powers, mazoku fathers, bishounen, fanboys, and *coughs loudly* a little black G-string. . . . . . . . . . *AHEM*
Poor, poor Yuuri. Accepting the position of Maou is a lot more trouble than it's worth, it seems. No, it's not as dirty as it sounds, just very funny. Yuuri does more bonding with older-brother figure Konrad, more bickering with the bishounen Wolfram, and receives more belittling from Mr. Doubtful, Gwendol. But, oh my! He actually meets a female besides the former Maou! And he gets pulled back to our world, where the story of Yuuri's parents and the circumstances of his birth are recounted. This was VERY funny, as when Yuuri's dad tells his mom that he's a mazoku, she asks if he has big black wings. He says no--don't you care that I'm a mazoku?? She doesn't, and instead wonders if his children will have big black wings. Or maybe pretty white feathered ones! Oh, but that might be some trouble for his wife. . . . Then he asks her if she would like to be his wife. Aw. Yuuri's parents kind of remind me of Daisuke's parents . . . And later, when Yuuri's older brother, and then Yuuri, are born, she's disappointed by their lack of wings. Fun stuff. Funny stuff. ^_^
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch: [ep. 3-5] So. Suddenly I had a shoujo craving, so I got the first package of MMPPP. Working on the second batch now. This show is so cliche and stupid that it's completely hilarious. It's as if someone was a big fan of Arina Tanemura-sensei (Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Time Stranger Kyoko, Full Moon wo Sagashite), took the shoujo cliches out of her work (leaving out all the stuff that makes me love those three titles), and smashed them together to create something so unoriginal it's funny. Transforming (hair looks suspiciously like Marron's before and Jeanne's after) into an idol singer (along with her two friends--just like Mitsuki!) to defeat evil underwater women (who are doing this to make their master, Kaito-sama, love them) while trying to win the affection of Kaito, her first love (who loves her mermaid self), and searching for the rest of the Mermaid Princesses (or are they 'strangers'?), Luchia is the average shoujo heroine. And I doubt it's any coincidence that her main squeeze and her archrival have the same name and the same hair (though they're definitely not the same person, nope). Like I said, very stupid, but very funny. Like candy, you know it'll rot your teeth/brains, but you can't stop eating/watching it.
And in the DVD section . . .
Twelve Kingdoms: [ep. 18] It feels like I watched this so long ago, but it's been less than a week. Anyway, continued "SQUEE!"-ness. I really adore this show. Kaname/Taiki is the kind of kid that even a hard-hearted woman like me would love to babysit (I've only been a babysitter twice in my life, and I think I scared the children ^^;;). I want the next volume!!
Samurai X: [all] Now that I actually knew what was going on, I enjoyed this a lot more (not to say I didn't enjoy it the first time I saw it). It doesn't seem as bloody as I remembered it to be, but then again . . . *shrugs* it was the most violent thing I had seen when I first watched it, but that's a long time ago, now. Maybe I've just been de-sensitized to the violence (with the exception of the first sword through the neck, I didn't feel very shocked by anything). Also, I kind of liked how the whole love story aspect of it played out (which I had previously ignored). I have to say that I don't hate Tomoe in the slightest bit. I understand what she did and why she did it, and, if it wasn't right or even all that intelligent, she realized that herself. I'm still a Kenshin/Kaoru fan to the core, though ^_^
*phew* long. And there's more that I've just gotten/am getting/will get before the week is over. Ah! And the next episode of Monster is out now, too! @_@ And I really want to read Time Stranger Kyoko because it's my favorite Tanemura manga (and one of my favorite manga period). . . . Peace out : P
Sunday, May 16, 2004 04:55 p.m. What was I saying?
Hmm. Funimation has liscensed FMA. Which basically guarantees a crappy dub (although I do sort of like YYH's dub . . . but I've never seen its sub). Which will be shown on CN in the fall. Hmm. This depresses me. It would be nice if they came out with special extra stuff. . . . Actually, for the most part I'm just disappointed because shows that I've finished and liked (i.e. Matantei Loki, Jubei-chan 2, and most of all Scrapped Princess) have not yet been liscensed while shows that I want to see more of have been liscensed. Ah, but on to comments.
Fullmetal Alchemist: [eps. 28-30] Hmm. I watched these the day before the liscensing announcement, and they were pretty interesting. I'd still rather read the manga at this point, but TW scanlations is lagging in comparison to the fansubs, and I'm interested in seeing how the show's storyline will play out. Which may mean that I'll buy the DVDs when they come out, but I'm still not too sure. I would've liked to see a bit more. . . . Ah, but I'm not complaining >_<
Monster: [ep. 5] In this episode we are introduced to the almost 20 college student Nina Fortner, who, surprise surprise, is actually Anne, Johann's (monster boy, or whatever his real name is) twin sister (no, not really a spoiler; it was pretty obvious). She has no memomories of her life before age 10, and has been adopted (though she doesn't know it) by two parents who she obviously loves. But her memories are clawing to get back, and Johann is coming back to her, though she doesn't realize who he is. Dr. Tenma spends this episode learning about Johann by following the trail of murders, and the knowledge he obtains sheds some light on Johann's personality. And the plot thickens. . . .
Slayers Premium: Hehe. Octopus speech? You've got to be kidding me. This played out like a good Slayers (filler) episode (since all the best episodes are technically filler) with a much higher quality of animation (it was made only a few years back). There are some golden moments here, and good cause to laugh out loud. My biggest problem was that Amelia got the short end of the stick, and ended up looking stupid, whiny, and, to many people, I would guess, annoying. Which really bothered me because I like Amelia, and this made her seem like a loser. I felt like she lost all the character development she had up to that point, and anyone who might watch this without previous Slayers experience would probably end up another Amelia hater, which is the last thing the fandom needs (especially since I don't think Amelia's character warrants all the bashing she gets). Ah, and the dub was . . . *shudders* I only listened to a few lines, but it just felt horribly wrong. So, I was happy with a lot of things (the best part was the song the one chick sang *snickers*) but unhappy with other things. But that's life.
.hack//sign: [extra eps.] Since I had already seen 'ep. 27' (the recap, which is actually 14 or so), this is mostly for 26 (the Mimiru ep.), and 28, Unison. Both were fairly interesting, but not that great. 26 tells about a strong character Mimiru met when she was new to The World who was controlled by three friends. It was nice, but didn't really add anything to the series. In Unison, the characters from sign and the games meet up and have a party. It looked really silly when they were dancing, and not much happened. The Tsubasa/Subaru interaction was kind of annoying, but I guess it was nice to see all the characters reunited. And Silver Knight dancing *snickers*
Gantz: [ep. 1] Can you say 'screwed up'? When a series starts with a high school kid getting a *coughs loudly* woody *ahem* in the middle of class, you know there are going to be problems. This was just effed up. In a semi-hilarious but slightly horrifying way. After the class incident, the boy is at the train station, and some drunk loser falls on the tracks. Someone goes to get help, but everybody else just stands there staring at him. "Oh, is he going to die?" It was disgusting. Finally a boy the main character (who I'll call 'MC' since I forgot his name) used to know jumps on the tracks and forces MC to help him with the man. They get the man off, but then they get hit by a train and . . . well, I sort of wish I could say MC died since he was a perverted bastard, but instead both boys are transported to a room with others who were also about to die. . . . Erm . . . this was both funny and gross. The opening and ending songs were HILARIOUS, but . . . the whole experience was disturbing. If I had been able to find more info on this beforehand, I probably wouldn't have downloaded it. I'm not sure whether I should crack up or immediately stop watching. Um . . . the animation was sort of nice?
Twelve Kingdoms: [eps. 15-17] SQUEE!! KAWAII!! These episodes start the second arc of the series, and the focus is a boy named Kaname who is actually Taiki (the black kirin of Tai), whose ranka (the fruit 12K inhabitants are born from) was blown to Hourai (Japan) in a shoku (like a storm). When he was 10, he was brought back to the Twelve Kindoms, but returned to Earth just a year later. Most of these episodes detail his time in the 12 kingdoms (and how they hope to find him and bring him back). Taiki is an adorable 10-year-old being taken care of by the Nyosen (who care for all Kirin on Mt. Hou) and his nyokai, Sanshi (who is a youma born to protect a kirin). It's especially amusing when the stiff and blunt Keiki tries to help him out, ends up making him cry, then becomes his friend. Gah, I just realized that some people will find this boring as heck. But with the deep characterization, the stunning visuals, beautiful character designs, and gorgeous music, I can't help but love this anime.
The Demon Ororon: [manga, vol. 1] Mmm. I like it, but I don't like it. My feelings for this manga match my feelings for its odd art style; it's ugly on the surface, but I'm drawn to it. A half-angel and the king of the Demons? As long as I regard it as strictly fantasy, it's all right. Because neither angels nor demons fall in love, and they certainly don't fall in love with each other. But in here, it's bitterly sweet. And no 'King of Demons' could be as angsty and on the edge of loving as Ororon is (even as violent as he is). So I don't know if I'll continue with this or not. It gives me much the same vibe as Hot Gimmick, but it ended on such a cliffhanger that I don't think I'll be able to resist getting the second volume. I hope it's a short series. . . .
Beyond that, I have ep. 31 of FMA (which I d/l the day before the announcement of the liscense), ep. 6 of Madlax, ep. 3 and 4 of Kyou Kara Maou!, and ep. 18 of Twelve Kingdoms (which I haven't watched because I wanted to savor the DVD, but will probably end up watching before the day is over) still to see. *whew* Maybe I do have too much exposure to anime. . . . Peace out : P
Tuesday, May 11, 2004 07:08 a.m.
Fullmetal Alchemist got liscensed *cries waterfalls*
More on this subject in the indeterminant future.
Sunday, May 9, 2004 01:19 p.m. Lots and Lots
*phew* I've been busy . . . Long entry ahead . . .
Neon Genesis Evangelion: [eps. 9-11] Can you say 'fanservice'? All together now, F-A-N-S-E-R-V-I-C-E. Really, that's about all that was going on in the third volume of NGE. Okay, maybe when Shinji questioned why the angels are called 'angels' when they're attacking people, and the occasional interesting bit. But from close-ups on Asuka's breasts to Misato and Kaji in the elevator (when they were making out, not when they were just stuck -.-) to Shinji in the hot springs (I thought I was going to die of disgust. If you have seen it, you probably know what I mean) . . . there wasn't much I wanted to see here.
Kyou Kara Mao!: [ep. 2] I watched this a few days back, and it was amusing while bringing in some surprisingly nice relationship development and some funny situations. Funny as in humorous, and funny as in odd. Apparently, a slap on the left (?) cheek is a marriage proposal. Whoops, Yuuri, you really shouldn't have slapped bishounen (Wolfram) there! D'oh! Oh, but Yuuri's transformation at the end was the best--and not even in a humor way. I'm starting to really like this series despite the slight shounen-ai overtones (they're mostly there for humor, and are mostly ignorable--Yuuri appears to be straight enough, at least, he doesn't want to marry Wolfram). Hopefully it'll continue with the mix of humor and interesting developments.
Piano: [eps. 1-2] Most people will find this deathly boring. And really, it's about a girl who plays the piano and goes through everyday life--forgetting her sheet music, trying to calm her (annoying, petty, selfish) mother when her father breaks his promise to come home early on their anniversary . . . nothing of much excitement happens. It's a lot like Someday's Dreamers, moving at a very slow pace. But it can be pleasant and cute in its own way, particularly if you're a fan of slice of life. Otherwise, you might want to stay away. But I absolutely ADORE the ending theme "Kokoro no Oto." Pretty *_*
Boogiepop and Others: [part II of II] Um, I don't have much to say. I like Kirima Nagi and Suema (the girl with a braid who was tracked by the serial killer 5 years ago) in the anime, but they're really annoying in the live-action. That good-looking bastard Saotome gets more screen time, playing boyfriend with the Manticore and killing people every now and then. And I thought he was nice before he became the Manticore . . . The ending is all right, but the annoyance of the characters that I previously adored made it a lot harder to watch. The first half was definitely better. On the bright side, you finally learn exactly what happened to cause the mysterious pillar of light featured in the series, which was an interesting sequence of events.
Now I'll be covering my two new manga titles. Yay-ness!
Crescent Moon: Mahiru is an orphan (living with her aunt) who has strange memories (and visions) of a song about a princess who promised to marry a demon boy then forgets her promise. The demon boy kidnaps the princess to marry her, but ends up getting killed by her people. With his death the "treasured source of power for all creature kind was scattered throughout the land." It turns out that Mahiru is actually the Descendant of the Princess, and the Lunar Race--a tribe of 'demons' whose powers are awakened by the moon, strongest at Full and weakest at New--wants her to help them reclaim their source of power ('drops of the moon'). *phew* Part Juvenile Orion, part Inu-Yasha, part all its own. I really like it.
The main characters include Mahiru, who can give others good luck, but has no luck herself, as evidenced by her parents' deaths in a car accident; Nozomu, the suave but nice vampire--"I'd never, ever bite the Descendant of the Princess. Well, that is, unless you wanted me to, of course. Because that would be a totally different story!"; Akira, the good-natured and amusing werewolf; Misoka, the relatively quiet female on the team who looks odd when human but pretty when Kitsune; and Mitsuru, the tengu/bat/whatever who was raised by humans and seems to hate Mahiru (but is also probably the love interest ^_^) They need Mahiru to regain their powers during the New moon. Also, they all work at a bar/nightclub ^^;; (sorta like "Bloodhound").
The art is pretty sometimes and so-so other times--the guys are cute and all of the 'demon forms' (can't think of a better name for it) are interesting, but sometimes the characters' eyes and faces look odd. The translation is readable, though apparently not quite free of added silliness (since I haven't read the original, I can't be totally sure what is added and what belongs). Mahiru likes to swim and thus appears in a bathing suit, but this is shoujo so it's not fanservice-y. I like the personalities of the characters and the direction the plot is moving in, so I'll be sure to pick up the other five volumes when they come out ^_^
Suikoden III: First of all, the actual manga is many times more interesting than the descriptions on the Tokyopop website and the back make it out to be. There are three main groups: The Grasslanders are at war with the city-dwelling Zexens (the second group), and there's also a very small group of mercenaries (okay, too small to be a real 'group,' but they obviously are part of the story and are separate from the other two groups--they haven't seen much page-time, but their leader is a man by the name of Geddoe) searching for the Fire Champion as mentioned on the website. But the real focus seems to be the characters.
Hugo is the son of a Karayan (Grasslander clan) chief. He's good-natured, likeable, and doesn't take his fighting lessons too seriously (though he is doing quite well). He is watched over by Sergeant Joe (a duckish anthro), his somewhat tough mother, Lucia, and a gryphon named Fubar (WAI!! I LOVE Fubar!) who he must fight to keep. All of this is fairly ordinary--the real conflict begins when Hugo is asked to bring a message asking for a truce to the Zexens.
Chris Lightfellow is the daughter of a Zexen Knight who was killed in combat with Grasslanders when she was very young (apparently, her mother is also out of the picture). She enrolled in military school at 13 and strived to become a great fighter so as not to dishonor the memory of her father. She succeeded, graduating at 16 at the top of her class and becoming secondary knight to Captain Galahad. However, she was still ridiculed for being female. But through her strength, she gains support from those around her, and when the captain and vice-captain both die in combat, after she has a moment of self-doubt, she pulls the troops together and salvages what she can.
Two characters, on opposite sides of the battle, both (by the end) with real reasons to hate the other. I wasn't very confident in the purchase of this manga, but now I'm glad I got it, because it looks to be really interesting--like turning an RPG (the first two Suikodens were in fact video games) and successfully creating a readable story from it. Hugo and Chris are both interesting and likeable characters, and it's hard to say whether one is right and the other is wrong. And I really find the art pleasant, too ^_^ Fubar (the gryphon, again) is adorable as a hatchling and wonderful as an adult as well.
*sighs* So how many manga am I buying, just at this moment (as in, not including Bleach and so on that aren't yet out but I'm definitely going to buy)? Well, there's Vampire Game, Fruits Basket, Kare Kano, Crescent Moon, Suikoden III . . . *sighs* I guess I should stop checking out the new manga put up on the Tokyopop site. . . .
Ah, I think that's it ^^;; Peace out : P
Sunday, May 2, 2004 05:03 p.m. Interesting mixtures
Some good stuff, some bad stuff . . . what can I say?
Monster: [ep. 4] Still watching, still good . . . though I was getting a little bit bored with this episode until the end. But we've been introduced to our title character (so to speak--his name isn't really "Monster"), and I'm ready for the next episode. I don't have much else to say ^^;
Kyou Kara Mao!: [ep. 1] BWAHAHAHA!! I went into this show completely blind, except for a small look around the Japanese website at the (all male) character designs. It has a certain bishounen factor, so I decided to give it a shot. *laughs* So, this is supposed to be parody, I think?? (If no, I'm very afraid). Anyway, there's a boy named Yuuri (which refers to "April" or "prosperity," not the other thing) who helps out some guy getting bullied, and ends up getting flushed down the toilet in the ladies' room. Yes, flushed down the toilet and into a fantasy world. o.o Refreshing, eh? He gets bullied by some villagers, some guy does something to his head so he can understand their language, and then this other guy, accompanied by a grinning, flying skeleton, shows up to "rescue" him. Turns out Yuuri is the Maou ("demon king" I think they said in the notes), and he's been rescued by the noble mazoku (loosely translated in "Slayers" as "monsters" ^^;), who want him to defeat those nasty humans who keep trying to undermine them (or something).
Very interesting, quite amusing. Decent animation, music's okay (maybe I'll get to like it better later), nice character designs . . . one problem. The cast is almost entirely male. Which wouldn't be a bad thing, but . . . we have a silver-haired girly man who seems to be after Yuuri, and the first episode ends with Yuuri meeting what he calls with awe "bishounen" (at which point the bishounen does an annoyed *sparkle sparkle*). Did I mention Shoujo-Ai is one of the groups fansubbing this? No? Well, I'm not taking cover yet, because I like this show. >_< I'm just hoping that I'm wrong.
Boogiepop and others (live action): [part I of II] Okay, so I was pretty freaked out when I saw the first few minutes of this. It was, like, the name of the fansub company mentioned above. So I spent a while with it sitting on my hard drive, untouched. But . . . when I actually sat down and watched it, it was good (and the beginning scene is made okay later on--the one girl is dead, the other is the Manticore, apparently being cannibalistic ^_^) Much like the anime (which this is a prequel to--this based on the novel), Boogiepop and Others is separated into segments which delve into the stories of various characters. The first half of the movie (which alone was a whopping 583 MB) has two main segments and one smaller segment.
The first main segment deals with Boogiepop before and during the time frame of the anime series. Well, actually it deals with Toka Miyashita (the girl Boogiepop dwells in) and her boyfriend, Keiji (I think that's his name--I forgot ^^;) Keiji ends up finding out about Boogiepop (though Toka herself doesn't actually know that she's Boogiepop) and first thinks she's crazy, or a repressed personality or something (a Messiah complex?), but eventually ends up being more comfortable with her than Toka. It focuses on how he deals with the situation, and it's kind of a fun, different look at Boogiepop. And the ending of it is pretty nice, too ^_^
The second main segment deals with . . . shoot, I cannot remember these people's names!! Oh, that's it, Akio and Naoko (I'm using first names because they're a lot easier to remember). And some archery guy who we don't care about. And Echoes!! Okay. So Naoko (who happens to be Nagi Kirima from the anime's good friend) gets Akio to go out with her, but she also decides to go out with archery guy at the same time. "But I love you both! ^____^" Strangely, she's not that annoying (erm, at least, she could be worse). So she's going out with two guys at once, they both know about it, and then she finds Echoes. Echoes is . . . well, he's the one from which the Manticore (AKA, the one who's usually the ultra-hot Saotome ^_~) was cloned at Towa Organization (the bad guys--yes, it is kind of confusing ^^;;) He's a higher level being (sort of like those getting killed in the anime), and Towa has made it so he can only echo human speech (hence, Echoes). There's not that much going on in this segment, and yet there is (Naoko's part in the Boogiepop saga is said to be very important). There are some really cool moments, too. Um, yeah.
The smaller segment deals with Saotome, some chick, and some other chick who becomes the Manticore (I think?? It's hard to explain). And apparently there are drugs involved? Made from the Manticore chick's tears??? I'm guessing the rest of this is in the second half (and there's stuff I could say, but I wouldn't want to give anything away).
All in all: the acting was all right (Toka/Boogiepop's actress did a really good job of separating the two), the music was LOVELY (Yuki Kajiura! And I have the soundtrack because it was released with the anime!!), and the plot was good in the way that Boogiepop Phantom is good (so if you hated the way the anime is, you won't like this, either). It was pretty weird to see real people in real places (or sets, depending) as opposed to animated ones, but it was kind of neat, too. I was disgusted with how small and cute and perfect all the girls were, and was awed by Saotome's pouty cruel hot-ness (he was *this close* to being a real bishounen). Boogiepop's costume was kind of silly, but otherwise there wasn't too much of a goofy factor. I'd probably skip the first few minutes (because they're not technically needed and I personally think they're disgusting), but I liked it over all. I have the second half, so I'll probably be watching and covering that soon (and I'm not including it in the ratings because it's a movie--those are for series).
Okay, so I still haven't watched 28-30 of FMA. I feel kind of bad, but I'm sure no one really cares, and I'm sure I'll watch it eventually so . . . That's all. Peace out : P
Wednesday, April 28, 2004 05:01 p.m. Another lost entry
A few days ago, I posted a nice, long entry with updates on stuff I'm watching and an introduction to a new series. Unfortunately, my internet decided to have issues and trash my entry. So you're stuck with a summary (or maybe that makes you happy?) Okay, so it's really not any shorter than the original . . .
Monster: Episodes 1-3. I really like Monster. It takes the simple premise of a doctor who just wants to save lives and twists and shapes it into something mysterious, dramatic, and a little bit freaky. Dr. Tenma is a likeable character, especially when compared to some of the insensitive jerks he knows (I was so happy when he didn't go back to the gold-digging blonde woman--I hate her *grr*), though he does have his own flaws. It perplexes me that, nine years after the murders of his co-workers--still unsolved--Dr. Tenma does not seem to have been formally suspected (though the inspector thinks he did it). *shrugs* But I suppose there are reasons for it (I can guess those by the opening ^^--which I still adore, by the way). Anyway, I can't wait 'til four comes out, because I really enjoy this well-done series.
Madlax: Episodes 1-4. Despite my continued annoyance over the ending theme (which contains naked women floating in a champagne glass--at least this isn't too detailed--and, let's face it, so much anime and manga does contain nudity), I'm starting to warm up to this series. Some of the story seems a little bit cheesy, but I cling to the fact that the main characters do not know each other. Both do seem to share a connection with a strange young girl (who's out in who-knows-where), but that's just a little bit of the show's mystery. There's some interesting stuff going on all around, and I'm curious about the characters' respective backgrounds. I like the opening theme a lot more than when I first heard it, and the majority of the music is all right (except this one chant-ish thing that's supposed to be freaky but ends up just sounding really, really stupid). So, yeah, still watching for now.
Aishiteruze Baby: Erm. I wanted to see if there was any good shoujo coming out, but the latest one seems to be this. Hmm. Teenage playboy/pervert must take care of a kAwAII!!!!!!!!!11 5-year-old girl whose mommy disappeared after her dad died. I was doubtful even before watching it, but this series--at least, the first episode, so I can't really pass judgment--is pretty atrocious. Flat characters and uninteresting dialogue mixed with the ugliest plodding synth music you could imagine makes for a dull combination. The only nice thing about it was the art, which had odd but sometimes pretty (e.g., in the end theme) character designs and smooth, pastel-y coloring. Okay, so maybe it's not as bad as I claim. I might check out the second episode if I hit a slow spot in other things, because, hey, I greatly disliked the first episode of Stellvia, too (a series which I now adore). So it could change. I mean, it can't possibly get worse than this. Unless the pervert was to fall in love with the 5-year-old. *gags* (Luckily, he has a stock love interest his own age, so this will not happen).
Um . . . so that's the long and short of it. I still haven't watched 28 and 29 of FMA, because I'd kind of like to get a few more chapters of the manga before I get pushed farther forward in the anime (Schnell, toriyama world! Schnell!), but if I can't, I'll watch it eventually. I still don't know whether or not to discard the super-weird/probably-nasty live action Boogiepop, and I haven't been in the right mood to watch the fluffy Tales of Eternia (or maybe I just forgot it... but I still love it!). I've been reading some Hana-Kimi, but . . . sometimes the characters really annoy me. But I still love HK, too. Bah. I love everything *kisses world* *blergh* Peace out : P
Saturday, April 24, 2004 09:04 p.m. Go spirit sword!
YAY!!
Tonight, CN started showing new episodes of YuYu Hakusho! And Wolf's Rain will be on later, too (apparently on AdultSwim, thank goodness). And, of course, the second episode of Gundam SEED will appear (maybe I'll get used to the dub if I listen to it enough ^^;).
But back to my odd obsession with YYH. For a fighting show, it rocks. There's actually a plot! (OK, sometimes there's a plot -.-) And the characters are cool. And Kurama's hot. and Jin (the wind guy with an accent who showed up for a few episodes) rocks my world. And I adore that cowardly grown-up Koenma. YYH makes me laugh.
Erm, that's all. If you get Cartoon network, be sure to watch SEED at 9:30 and Wolf's Rain at 10:30 (I think) central time. This reminder brought to you by your local friendly mossygirl ^^; I wonder if the episode of Inu Yash will be new, too . . .
Peace out : P
Friday, April 23, 2004 10:23 p.m. More female assassins?
Wow, I'm on a roll.
Tonight I watched "Madlax," the latest in the female assassins genre. I have mixed feelings. Let's jump right in.
Though the main character had a million times the amount of personality of Leila from Avenger (also a female assassin show, of sorts, also by Bee train), she--"Madlax"--was still kind of bland. She's good at her job of assassinating/getting information/whatever, but it's just a job. She doesn't seem to have great emotions either way--she can easily pick off a dozen men with a cool head if she has to, but she's not so cold that the plight of even a near stranger doesn't make her a little bit sad. She could be an interesting character, if the story and writers treat her correctly.
The animation is . . . good, but whoever designed the characters' hairstyles (particularly Madlax's)? . . . Antennae are okay. But two giant hair spikes when the rest is lying down normally? On a woman who's supposed to put men in awe of her beauty? Um, okay? Vaguely annoying, but ignorable enough.
The music saddens me. It's Yuki Kajiura, whose stuff I love, and while it isn't exactly bad, it's not particularly memorable either, and the majority of it feels out of place.
Final point, biggest point: I'm afraid this'll degrade into pseudo-lesbianism. There, I said it. Goodness. I've never seen a female assassin show all the way through, but they seem to have a tendency toward having two females, one older, one younger, whose relationship is such that there's nothing really there, but if your mind is wandering and you start to consider that neither show any interest in any human other than the other . . . this doesn't have to be a bad thing. This could be a great place to showcase powerful female friendship. But that's usually not the intention. Anyway, the younger one in this series has only appeared in the opening and next episode preview so far. And Madlax did agree to a 'date' with a boy--erm, he was obviously dying at the time, but she did feel sort of bad for him when he passed on . . .
*sighs* Is there some rule that says that one who wants to watch girls kick butt also wants to see them act in such a way that allows for yuri doujinshi? I certainly don't, which is the reason I've been wary of Noir--there's nothing there, per se, but, for example, one of the DVD covers features the two girls lying in a bed near each other. It can mean nothing or it can mean a lot, depending on how you take it. And it's not hard to guess how most people will take it.
So will Madlax end up as such, or worse? Or will it smooth out to be an enjoyable frolic through the meadow that is assassination and intrigue? (I am so weird). I suppose I'll take a risk, watch the next few episodes, and find out for myself. Peace out : P
Thursday, April 22, 2004 04:30 p.m. A little bit of black
Been a little while, ne? I'm starting to forget what I've watched over the course of these past five day . . . ah, well, start at the beginning.
Comedy by Studio 4C
Studio 4C is probably best known as the team behind some of the animatrix animation shorts. "Comedy" would feel right at home with them, as it clocks in at about ten minutes (credits add 30 seconds).
This is definitely odd stuff. Done up in blacks and faintly glowing whites with little bright color, Comedy's plot is . . . not really a comedy, per se. It begins with the words "Lately, I keep remembering him" across the screen, with a fading, fuzzied male voice saying things like, "What you saw . . . If you dare speak . . . I will kill you, I will rip you apart, I will drink your blood, etc., etc." Ah, but it's not very sinister, actually ^^;
The story is simple. Some years before, many books were burned, destroyed, gotten rid of, et cetera. They are back now. A little girl's village in Ireland is about to be attacked by English soldiers. There is a lone swordsman living in a castle in the Black Forest. He is skilled, but only takes rare books as payment. The girl brings a book from her home--one that she feels he will want especially for some reason--and seeks out the swordsman. She gives him the book, asking for protection of her village (and the deaths of all the English soldiers) in return. After some hours of reading the book, he accepts.
Not much, but somehow very charming. The animation is unconventional, but fluid and lovely (and when we get color--red ^^--it looks nice also). I can describe the story as a slightly dark fairy tale with a calm, pleasant ending. And I can hardly neglect to mention the lovely operatic/classical soundtrack playing throughout this piece (it sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm not savvy enough to recognize it). It's definitely something different, but I think all of you would like it ^^
*wow that was long* Erm . . . I've finished Stellvia up til ep. 15, so now I'll just be waiting until it comes out in September to see 16-26. I'm definitely anxious to see what will happen, but at least 15 wasn't a cliff-hanger (though there are some troubles between Kouta and Shipon). I really enjoy the way the characters act human. Even Arisa (who I initially wasn't very fond of) has grown tremendously--despite her carefree attitude, she seems lonely somehow, though this is not explicitly stated. Hmm . . . maybe I will end up searching for places that still have subs up . . . I am planning on buying it, after all.
Agh, this is gonna be long. On to Monster. Very, very interesting. What's with all this dark anime I've been watching lately? Ah, well, it's all excellent ^^ Anyway.
Monster concerns a talented young doctor, Tenma, living in Germany. He is at the top of his career and is engaged to the hospital director's daughter; things couldn't be rosier. Then an older woman tells him that it's his fault her husband is dead, because he was supposed to perform an operation but instead was shuttled over (by order of the director) to work on a famous opera singer. Without Dr. Tenma, the operation failed and the man died. Tenma is deeply affected by the woman's words to him, and when a young boy is shot in the head and Tenma is moved from the boy's operation to remove the bullet to one on the mayor who is supposed to give the hospital a grant, he refuses. That's about where the first episode ends, but from what I've heard, things go awry after that.
*gonna try to be brief* All in all, this show is very fascinating, even if it is still building. I'm not greatly fond of the character designs, but the quality of the animation itself is smooth. The ending theme was kind of blah, but I really like the opening. It was interesting that they used a passage from Revelation at the very beginning, and I'm curious about how that'll fit in. Apparently, there will be a lot of episodes made (to accomodate for the 18 volume manga?), so I figure there'll be plenty of this story to keep me occupied for a while. I will definitely be following this one ^^ (by the way, scanlations of the manga can be found at mangascreener *points to links*, though they might only be on IRC)
I think that's all . . . hmm. I still have an ep. of FMA (which is on its third set of OP/EDs) and some new stuff to see (Madlax . . . sounds like a laxative >_>). I think I'll just have to buy all of FMA, because I like the opening and ending sequences so much (though the third set is a little weird...) Gah, I'd better marry a millionaire *heh* Okay, more like a billionaire. Trillionaire? I'm too much of a slacker to earn enough money to feed my anime addiction *sweatdrops* Peace out : P
Saturday, April 17, 2004 04:09 p.m. Game to anime fun
There has been a lot of new stuff coming out in Japan the past week, but so far I have only snagged the first episode of the horror OAV "Le Portrait de Petit Cossette," since I spent most of the week d/l the Tales of Eternia anime ^_^
First we'll tackle Le Portrait, since I watched that this morning. This is a weird little anime. Okay, so we have an antique seller named Eiri who looks sort of like Kamina Ayato from RahXephon. He gets this sort of colorful Venetian wine glass, and it seems whenever he looks in it, he sees a beautiful, doll-like young girl walking around and living her life in general. He becomes obsessed, and wonders who the girl is and where she is and why the heck he sees her in the Venetian glass (because he's the only one who does). Erm . . . then he kills her. Or sees himself killing her. Or something. There was a lot of blood *heh* Anyway, he sees her die violently and gets even more freaked out about the whole situation. Then his friend finds a portrait of her in the back of the store . . . a portrait of Cossette . . .
Wow. This was weird, and I'm not really sure what the plot is exactly. I think Cossette's trying to regain her soul (since she's been dead for a while actually), but I'm not too sure how Eiri figures in to this (Cossette keeps saying something about people giving up their lives for her because they love her). I mean, I thought he would be dead by the end of the episode, but I don't think he is. Anyway, I picked this up because the animation is pretty good and the music (by the ever talented Yuki Kajiura) is lovely. I guess I'll watch the rest whenever it comes out. It's not so much a bad show, I just don't understand why . . . but it's only the first episode.
Next: Tales of Eternia based off the game of the same name (AKA Tales of Destiny II). Actually, this anime was liscensed by Media Blasters a long time ago. But they dropped the license (*growls* I didn't know they could do that), so the fansubs went back up in batch of all 13 episodes. Being an adoring fan of the game, I got it.
Now. ToE reminds me somewhat of Slayers. As with Slayers, I knew exactly who everyone was and knew the final end result. ToE, rather than trying to retell the game, is a sort of spinoff taking place somewhere in the middle. As such, you're expected to pretty much know who everyone is and what they're trying to do. They explain it a bit, but I doubt this show was big with anyone who hadn't already beaten the game and fallen in love with the characters (like me).
If the first episode is any indication, this will just be light hearted fantasy fluff (a la Slayers). There are a few new characters to play with, but the real treat is getting your favorite characters hanging out and acting like you'd expect. Reid (not 'Ridd!') and Farah, fighting as usual, Farah remembering back (including a glimpse of Ras, who someone who hasn't played the game would definitely not pick up on) to when they first met Meredy, Keele and Meredy chatting nicely *goes into fangirl-ish spasmings*, Farah and Reid hunting for dinner and having fun kicking butt ^^ The animation is fairly decent, there hasn't been an opening or ending (perhaps the fansubbers cut it off) or much music, and there is little plot to speak off (other than that which draws off the video game's excellent storyline). Oh, but there are mysterious people watching them! And some dark-haired chick and a silly minstrel girl. I'm not expecting anything big, but I liked the game, so I think this'll be fun for me ^^
That's all. Soon I'll get the next ep. of FMA, so perhaps I'll comment on that and any new anime later ^^ Peace out : P
Tuesday, April 13, 2004 09:00 p.m. The dawn of a new plot
Mmm . . . Stellvia . . . I watched ep. 11-13 today, and I'm a lot less lukewarm about it.
First of all, the new story arc that was hinted at during the Great Mission story arc (eps. 1-10) is starting. And, having been the ones who 'saved the world' during the Great Mission (mostly because they were in the right place at the right time, with no one else possibly qualified around), Katase Shima (Shippon) and Otouyama Kouta are called away from their winter break, just as they were reunited with their families. Yes, there is a downside to being a hero besides raving fangirls.
But even before that (that was the end of 13), we get some delicious character development. Tiny, tasty morsels on everyone from JoJo-kun (the goofy fall-boy who might just have some sense) to Ayaka-sempai (the perfectionist bitch who we--I, at least--can now sympathize with). They haven't wasted a moment.
And, oh! the relationships. You all know I am a devotee to sap. Remember the cuteness of Asagiri no Miko (um, no? gomen ^^;) Okay, how about . . . the first DVD of Kare Kano?? When everything was fresh and sweet and flowery scented? There we go. Relationships (or the lack of them) sometimes forming out of nowhere, yet feeling perfectly natural and right. One confession and an expected resulting couple (but goodness, they kissed three times in two episodes! My, my!), one conversation belying mutual affection (no confession quite yet, but it wouldn't be their style), and one rejected confession (ha, I liked this one the best. The rejected says "I lost the battle, but I won the war." Hmm. Helps that it involves my favorite female character, who I can imagine doing the rejecting ^^) I like this kind of thing as long as it isn't allowed to take over and turn into something nasty (like DVD 4 of Kare Kano...) At the moment, it's just about right.
Perhaps it's only because I'm a sap that this is rising in my personal stats. But the plot is thickening quite nicely, and the characters are developing like crazy. I'm interested to see what the writers did with this thread they've let loose, and I'll certainly be sorry to see the end of the 15th episode (because that means I'll have to wait until the rest are released domestically , or scrounge up some fansubs). But I think this one will be worth my money ^^ (provided I have money at the point it comes out ^^;)
That's all for now. I should be doing homework -_-;; Peace out : P
Monday, April 12, 2004 11:37 a.m. Samurai girl and the liscense fest
Well, if you've visited either ANN or animeondvd.com, you know that a lot of stuff that I have/do watch has been liscensed as of Anime Boston. But you probably haven't so . . .
Bandai Entertainment: Di Gi Charat Nyo and Please Twins
FUNimation: Kodomo no Omocha
Geneon Entertainment: Paranoia Agent, Dokkoider, Stelvia.
ADV Films: Princess Tutu
I haven't watched Kodocha in a while (though I do plan on buying it when I can), but I was watching DiGiCharat Nyo (actually the orginal DiGiCharat TV also finally got liscensed...) and Stellvia (which I will finish what I have of--up to ep. 15). I was curious about Paranoia Agent, but I think that was liscensed from the get go.
In other news, I finished Jubei-chan 2 last Friday. It's ending was . . . good, but not quite satisfying. I really liked how they wrapped things up throughout ep. 12 (and gave that little zinger near the end ^^), but 13 didn't quite clinch things as tight as I would have liked. But, it did have a lot of good action and sweetness. And surprise guests. And a few I so-did-not-expect-that things (I don't get it. What was the point?--was my reaction to one of them). So, yes it was good. I guess I'd just prefer no ambiguity whatsoever at the end of a series (I mean, if you want us to think for example, that so-and-so is staying 'for good,' have them say that--or somehow show it--clearly), and while that doesn't necessarily make an ending bad . . .
I'm going to use Cowboy Bebop as an example. It's general consensus that Spike is dead at the end. But . . . is he? It's this kind of annoying, niggling question that I don't like (not that there could be much done to change that in CB, but this is purely example). I can easily figure out what they're trying to imply, but I'd rather know 'completely for sure' than just hope that I'm right (not that I want Spike to be dead ;_;). But that's just me.
So, yes, I'll still be buying it. Someday.
Um . . . oh, yeah, and I finally finished eps. 1-3 of Tokyo Underground. Verdict: Based on these, the show is worth crap; don't watch it. Bland story + bland/annoying characters + uninspired design and animation + icky voice acting (yes, in Japanese it was icky) = Tokyo Underground. So don't watch it. The opening and ending themes are kind of nice, though.
That's it, for now. Though I feel sort of bad about watching stuff that's liscensed, I got ep. 11-15 of Stellvia still on my computer, so I'll probably review them at some point in the future. It's a good bet that I'll end up buying it anyway. Peace out : P
Thursday, April 8, 2004 11:09 p.m. Too bad, no post
I should go to sleep . . . I'm sick . . . meaning I probably wouldn't be able to sleep. So I'm here. For the moment, at least.
I wish I had something to post in here. But I already did a small rant on xanga, so why here too? Maybe tomorrow.
Tonight I read FMA fanfiction. I was pleased with the few that were well-written and the occasional fic hinting at Mustang/Hawkeye (much more true to character that way). But most of the stuff was . . . Mustang(Roy)/Edward. That is so wrong in so many many ways that I don't even know where to begin. Okay. Um . . . they're both guys?? But you know, that's just me, I guess -.- Age: 29/15. That's kind of illegal in itself, don't you think? And . . . They don't like each other! Not in a hate way, but it's just so . . . where do they get this from?! *sigh* A lot of the other stuff was Al/Winry (which I don't see much basis for either--Ed's the one who gets the Winry girlfriend jokes, not Al), and there were even a few Elric-cest *shudders* I don't get it. What's so attractive about two guys who would never ever hook up . . . ew. Stopping here. Gomen. Peace out : P
Wednesday, April 7, 2004 05:56 p.m. The Great Mission
I've heard that Uchuu no Stellvia (otherwise known as Stellvia of the Universe) picks up at about the 8th episode. So today I saw episodes 8 through 10. I agree that these particular episodes lend well to marathoning with how closely they follow each other, but I don't feel a great change in pacing. But now the Great Mission, which the earth has been anticipating for 189 years and could mean their destruction if failed, has come and gone. So I guess the question is "where do we go from here?"
But let's focus on what's passed, since you all probably have little idea what I'm talking about. This is all based up to episode 10.
Story: 8 (out of 10)
Stellvia of the Universe is like a Candidate for Goddess that actually works on finishing its storyline (in other words, one that doesn't make you scream because a whole series went past and nothing happened). It is focused on the story of Katase Shima (nicknamed 'Shipon') who goes to the Stellvia space facility to train for the Great Mission (and I suppose space training in general). The emphasis is on Shima's life and friends, successes and failures, almost giving it a slice of life feel. The first episode didn't appeal to me much, but Shima gradually develops into a character you can relate to and have sympathy for. She's not cocky and she's not perfect, but she is a brilliant programmer and, with a bit of help, a good pilot. Her abilities (and how she gets to use them) walk the line of suspension of disbelief--how good is too good? Nonetheless, she is much more enjoyable to watch and root for than, for example, Amuro from Mobile Suit Gundam (but I despise him, so perhaps that's not the best example ^^;)
Animation/Art: 7 (out of 10)
I confess, I'm not a big fan of this style of art. Huge eyes, crazy, super-shiny hair, kitschy CGI spacecraft, bright, not quite matched colors and an overall plastic-y look aren't to my taste (my kind of art is found in RahXephon, Scrapped Princess, Escaflowne, and so on). But the character designs are bearable (cute even) and the look of the ships isn't terribly important to me, so I can stand it. This isn't my favorite aspect of the show, but it's serviceable enough.
Music: 8 (out of 10)
The opening theme is "Asu he no Brilliant Road." Yum. I've only heard the first of the three ending themes ("Kirei na Yozora"), but I like it also. It seems all this music is done by a lady named Angela, who has a lovely voice, and it's fun stuff. I adore the violins in "Kirei na Yozora" ^^. In fact, if I was just rating the OP and ED, I would give it a 10. However, there's also the incidental music to consider, which is mostly unnoticed or so-so. It doesn't stink, but it's definitely no Yoko Kanno or Yuki Kajiura.
Overall: 8 (out of 10)
No, I probably will not usually use a rating system, and perhaps this score will change when I've seen more of the show.
Stellvia is enjoyable. The characters look to have more to them than we've seen so far, so I can't wait for more character development (of which there has been a fair amount). It isn't terribly exciting or deep, but has had enough substance and emotion to hold its own. You like sci-fi space stuff? You like school scenarios? You like slice of life stuff? Then I would definitely recommend Stellvia. It's not for everyone, but if you can get past the slow first episodes, you'll probably be in for a treat (erm, I hope--as I said, I've only gotten to episode ten thus far ^^;).
Ha. End. Peace out : P
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 07:05 p.m. Dog of the Military
Really gonna try to be quick, but must comment on chapter 16 of FMA. I love Hiromu Arakawa. This man (woman?) has great skill in writing and a glorious sense of humor ^__^ The character who died was well laid to rest (there was a depressing moment, but then there was also a funny picture at the beginning of his soul floating upward and him asking his trademark question "Would you like to see a picture of my daughter?"). And the omakes! *guffaws* Al (a soul in a suit of armor) has leg hair! Col. Mustang gets wiskers from Lt. Hawkeye because he wanted facial hair! This is the kind of stuff that'll just make you guys blink at me, but it's so funny in conjunction with the story. And the "Dog of the Military" gaiden is probably one of my favorites. Lt. Hawkeye adopts a puppy ^___^ And she potty trains it quite well ^________^
With my first exposure to FMA being the anime, you'd think I'd like it better. But the anime is so lacking in that it doesn't benefit from the funniness a manga can have (and the marriage jokes are gone! The girlfriend jokes with Winry! Obviously they want this to appeal to boys and boys only ;_; they were so funny, too) and at times the stuff it adds is positively maudlin (especially all the Scar stuff. I don't care for Scar that much). Urgh. Not to say I don't enjoy it (because I do), but it falls completely flat when compared to the manga.
Mmm. And I can hardly bring up a series with some mention of pairings. What can I say? I'm a romantaholic. Most of this is conjecture on my part, but I think Mustang and Lt. Hawkeye would make quite a match. I mean, Hughes (the one who raves about his daughter) did tell him he should get married, and who better to control his fantasies of taking over the military and making the women wear mini-skirts than a girl like Lt. Hawkeye? I mean, when you see how the woman trains that cute little puppy *grins* Perhaps it's just because Mustang and Hawkeye are my favorite characters that I think this, though. (Mustang is a flame alchemist, by the way ^^). But he did say she was "kind" on the inside (even if she seems tough on the outside) and she's definitely loyal to his cause. . . . Okay, so it doesn't matter so much whether they actually get together or not. I like the pair of them--they're such fun characters!--and can add my own little details on the side and wait and see if my suspicions are true ^^
Erm. Okay, gomen for rambling once again about another series you guys don't know too much about. But if you should want to read it, scanlations are available at Toriyama World scanlations (I hope I did the linking right--if not the link is on the side bar). I don't remember much of the beginning (I mean, I know the story, but it's sometimes hard to separate the manga and anime since the beginnings are pretty similar), so I can't guarantee greatness from the start, but what it is at the moment ^_^ It's great fun, and there's even a solid, sometimes serious plot behind the humor. I recommend ^__^ Peace out : P
Friday, April 2, 2004 04:32 p.m. Score for the Samurai girl
As if I wasn't before watching episode 11, I am now officially obsessed with Jubei-chan 2: Siberia Yagyu's Counterattack. Yes, I know, it's a sequel. Yes, I know, I didn't even see the first series (I'd like to, though just because I adore the sequel doesn't mean the first one is worth crap--you never know). Yes, I know it sounds cliched. But as unexperienced as I am in the samurai/ninja/whatever genre, I know the difference between a good story and a bad one. I've heard enough stories to know that much, at least. And this is not a bad story.
Nanohana "Jubei" Jiyu (last, first) is the successor of Yagyu Jubei, the famous swordsman of 300 years past. She was sent the Lovely Eyepatch, a pink, heart-shaped eyepatch, which, when worn, turns her into a leather clad, expert samurai (not that she's too shabby as she is). That was before. Jubei doesn't want anything more to do with the Lovely Eyepatch. It causes her and those she loves too much pain. So she got rid of it (presumably at the end of the first series). But now, it's back.
Yagyu Jubei, when he was living in Siberia, had a daughter named Freasha (Felicia, really, but whatever). She was lost and frozen in an iceburg when she was young (300 years ago), but now, unfrozen, she believes herself to be her father's successor, and wants nothing more than to gain the Lovely Eyepatch from that imposter Jubei. And she's made her own eyepatch, a blue spade, with which to access her father's powers. So she finds Jubei and pretends to be her friend, all the while trying to plan her downfall.
But Jubei doesn't have the Lovely Eyepatch anymore, right? Well, she didn't. Except there's also a small, dirty, adorable boy flitting around with it, trying to bring the eyepatch to the girl who it belongs to, the girl who doesn't want it. Jubei is being forced back into the lifestyle she never wanted in the first place. She doesn't know her new friend wants her dead, either.
Add in some revenge driven but semi-incompetant samurai, also from Siberia (led by a guy who always wears sunglasses), Jubei's two bumbling admirers (and the one's monkeyish but intelligent sidekicks), a woman who was apparently the villain in the first series (but owes her life to Jubei and will protect her no matter the cost), and Jubei's father, with whom she shares a loving, devoted relationship ever since her mother died when she was little.
Everything works together. Drama, action, comedy, even a tiny hint of romance (if you squint hard enough--perhaps I'm the only one who sees it) are all present. Jubei is human. She is kind, she is strong, she is loyal and lovable. She becomes Freasha's friend without any questions asked, and would do anything for her. She believes the best of people, and perhaps she's vulnerable because of it. Freasha is also human, though. She wants the eyepatch because she can't have her father or mother, and she feels cheated that it got passed to someone else. She smiles at Jubei on the outside and plays the innocent, but inside she's become utterly bitter. And, of course, there's still that little boy, Ayunosuke, who somehow has the Lovely Eyepatch, who looks a lot like someone Jubei used to know.
Is that too much information? I tried not to give any spoilers, though it's hard when I have only episodes 12 and 13 left to see. This is definitely something I plan to buy when it's liscensed and released in the U.S. (of which I have little doubt will happen, since the first series has been here for a while). I like it that much. It's a little bit odd at first, especially considering its disconcerting switches between drama and humor, but that's one of the things that makes it unique. Okay, this post has turned to cheese, but someday you're all going to watch this show, because I'll make you! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!! . . . Okay, I'll only make you watch it if you want to -_-; I sure can ramble on, can't I? ^^ Peace out : P
Wednesday, March 31, 2004 05:06 p.m. Intro and WHR
Okay. So we've got the layout (minus the pic--can I send it to you, Megan-san? ARIGATOU!). Here's the purpose: Anime and/or manga comments. Since I'm virtually always commenting on them, now I have a place to do it. I would've waited to get the picture, but since I already want to comment . . . here we go.
Topic: Witch Hunter Robin: the end
Since only Megan has seen it, I'll try to make this as spoiler free as I can.
. . . I adore WHR. It is an awesome show. But the end? I must've turned away for a moment (or blinked? zoned out from sleep deprivation?), because Miho was with Robin and Amon, and then she was exiting alone. And Doujima was saying . . . well, to put it in un-spoiled terms, I'll go with a paraphrase of Michael's final narration, "Doujima says [spoiler spoiler spoiler]. But I don't think so. Who would believe her anyway?" So, um . . . did I miss something? Why are we even considering the [spoiler] to be true? And does anyone know how to blank out text so I don't have to say [spoiler] every time I want to say something else?! *ahem* Anyway, I liked it other than the ambiguity of something Doujima is telling everyone to believe that I find pretty much preposterous. (Or is that how I'm supposed to feel?). Everything else was good. Lots of interesting stuff. It was good ^^
Oh, the D/L, watching, reading section is still kind of under construction. It's supposed to be a sort of ranking of the stuff that I'm currently thinking about, but I'm not quite sure how to work it out, since I get anime and manga from so many different sources (fansubs, bought DVDs, borrowed DVDs, TV, library, bought manga, scanlations, etc.). So I'm considering cutting it down to just 'anime' and 'manga' and adding more spots (and putting its classification in paratheses).
Mmmm . . . I also have some to say about Jubei-chan 2 (which is my favorite fansub at the moment--not counting Scrapped, of course), since I saw eps. 7-10 today, but since I've already rambled a good bit and no one else has watched it . . . maybe I'll post something on it another day (I think it only has 12 eps. . . . I'll miss it when it's over ;_;).
That's all for now. Peace out : P
|
