| Eve no Jikan: Lovely new find! |
[Jan. 19th, 2009|01:50 am] |
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I just found a fantastic new anime, by the same director who made the beautifully understated Pale Cocoon. It's called "Eve no Jikan", or "Time of Eve". It's online at crunchyroll and YouTube. Only 3 eps so far, but it's definitely up there on the "smart, interesting, well crafted, potential classic" category. The premise is nothing new: a little parable about autonomy, discrimination, and the definition of humanity set in an android filled world a la chobits; yet its divine subtlety and gorgeous CG makes me think that it's a keeper. Too bad they update the thing like, once every two months. Sigh. |
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| Whoo! Natsume is back! |
[Jan. 7th, 2009|11:27 pm] |
Watched the first episode of the second season of Natsume Yuujin Cho today, and I can't say that I'm disappointed. The production quality is identical to the first season (none of that GSG Il Teatrino nightmare), and they really kicked off the season with a strong, stand alone story. They wasted relatively few lines to help people who hadn't seen the first seaon catch up, but (having watched this with ppl unfamiliar with the story), they did a fairly good job with their brief explanations. The episode had everything one would expect from the show: nyanko sensei's chubby antics, the refreshingly gentle melancholia, and even a bit of light fan service in the bishie youkai-of-the week and his tête-a-tete with natsume.
Heck, they even made the show season-appropriate, with the snowfall ED and whatnot. What's not to love? |
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| Solanin: a manga recommendation |
[Dec. 9th, 2008|09:48 pm] |
So two days ago I picked up this thick, one-volume manga to be used for study breaks as I perused medical books in the bookstore (yes, I'm a bad person). Today, I unexpectedly hit a point in the manga where I simply couldn't put it down, and I spent an hour and a half ignoring my open review book despite the fact that my test is ominously near. As I'm not one bit regretful for my find, I've decided that I should share it with you.
The manga is called Solanin, by Inio Asano. It captures a moment in the lives of 20-something college grads who are trying to "grow up" and live their role as realistic human beings, but who are also quite reluctant to give up their ambitions and dreams of youth. As the author notes in the epilogue, "None of these people are cool", yet it is precisely their ordinariness that allows their predicaments to resonate. The plot-turns are depicted with nuance, and the emotional moments are evocative without being melodramatic. It had it moments of light humor, but it also had quite a bit of heft and maturity that are not often seen in most anime/manga today.
Good job, Viz, for releasing something worthwhile.
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| natsume yuujin chou |
[Aug. 20th, 2008|06:31 pm] |
Ahh, Natsume Yuujin Chou: you slam the viewers with your messages like a sledgehammer--but what a soft, melt-your-heart sledgehammer it is! Episode 7 (which has yet to get english subtitles) is so... ridiculously... cute... and okay, maybe the melodrama is a little bit over-the-top... but hey, who can resist a baby fox?
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| angry at anime men |
[Jul. 31st, 2008|11:05 pm] |
So, just finished watching episode 13 of "Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief" or Nijuu Mensou no Musume, and I'm a little indignant. The basic premise of the show is that a little orphaned heiress narrowly escapes murder by evil aunt when mysterious (but handsome) thief rescues her from said aunt. The plot moves at a good pace and is relatively interesting, although it loses points through the aggravating innocence/general niceness of the heroine.
Okay, I've held back my rant long enough. be aware that spoilers follow!
So, at the half way point, we learn that one of the mega villains for the past 4-5 eps was actually the girlfriend of the "phantom thief" back in the day. Basically, he was interested in her research of human controlled automata and flirted rather aggressively with her while she toured him in her lab. She reciprocates, then he decides that the research is too dangerous (in a time of war) and essentially dumped her while telling her that he'd burn up the lab. Disillusioned, she undergoes a painful body-modification process so she is joined with her robotic machines. When he burns up the lab, she shows him her new body, and he just sort of turns away and disappears. She gets more disillusioned and turns into a machiavellian monster in order to find him. When she has finally wrecked enough havoc (by capturing our goody goody heroine), Mr. thief waltzes in with his "yes you have every right to kill me" line. She expires believing that she has finally captured him, and he disappears again in an ambiguous "maybe I'm dead, maybe i'm not" way (and I'm betting on "not").
Anyways, what pisses me off is the implication that he's somehow justified in his handling of the situation? That somehow, he can amend his sins by letting the girl-turned-monster kill him (and btw, he doesn't even really do that). There's better be something wrong with his "grand plan" by the end of the show, because the whole "I have a view of how the world should be and i'm going to manipulate ppl to accomplish what I need" is clearly screwy. Oh, and he should learn how to appropriately break up with his girlfriends. |
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| Damn, Bones knows how to do action. |
[Jul. 20th, 2008|01:47 am] |
Sword of the Stranger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG6Fh7qlqtY
In other news, I'm evidently on an anime rediscovery weekend. My friend gave me a Death Note notebook, which prompted me to watch the Near arc of Death Note (which I haven't read in manga form). That was nostalgic enough to get me looking through anime blogs again, which is what led me to the Bones movie. Which is why I'm still awake at 1:50 AM.
*sniff* we need more quality anime in this world. |
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| Shigofumi |
[Mar. 2nd, 2008|07:09 pm] |
So, Shigofumi is one of those series that I really just stumbled upon, thanks to a AnimeNewsNetwork post about how one of the episodes was censored due to "recent events in Japan." I started watching it without expecting much, since the main character designs seemed suspiciously loli-esque. 9 episodes later, I'm convinced that this is going to be one of the best shows this season.
The show, about a girl who delivers letters from the dead to the living, gives off a sense of calm-tension that is reminescent of Mushishi. Its plot structure is highly episodic, thus saving it from the disastrous potential of a disappointing series conclusion. The individual stories touch on edgy issues such as child-pornography and suicide, though they are saved from gratuitous shock-pandering by a constant undertone of quiet melancholia. Although some of the plotlines may seem cliche to someone who has read her share of Kaori Yuki, the show somehow still manages to keep this viewer engaged. The art style is simple but pretty, and the music, while not the most creative ever, sufficiently sets the mood for each story.
In other news, Persona: Trinity Soul is progressing along nicely, though I sometimes get worried that they'll fall into the trap of a shoddy ending. Spice and Wolf turned out to be somewhat disappointing, with their vague talk of trading, declining artistic aptitude, and general male-lead suckiness. |
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| Yay! Two series I can watch! |
[Jan. 13th, 2008|05:34 pm] |
So, to make up for the Il Teatrino disaster, I have found two new shows this season that look to be promising--and all for different reasons, too! Life can go on!
First--Persona: Trinity Soul. Quick Plot: Two school age brothers with some issues go to live with their rather distant Police Director older brother, who is investigating a series of gruesome murders with a supernatural bend. It isn't long before it becomes evident that there are immense powers to be mined in these ordinary looking people. So far (first 2 eps), this one reminds me of Rah Xephon, which hopefully means that it'll be a plot driven series with emotional/psychological touches. The animation is polished, the character designs sleek and enjoyable, and there is a nice balance between supernatural plot-driven suspense and everyday slice-of-life tensions. The only potential drawback is that this series is based off of a game, but thankfully not an eroge, so hopefully it won't devolve into a Shingetsutan Tsukihime. Also interesting is the fact that Matsumoto Jun is at the director's helm (Kimi wa Petto! Hana Yori Dango!), and it is fascinating to see him prove his mettle behind the screen. Of course, the inability to use his pouty puppydog face may make this challenging.
Second--Wolf and Spice, or Spice and Wolf. Quick Plot: Traveling merchant circumvents the advances of pretty village girl but picks up perky wolf god instead. Travels continue. This show is beautifully animated (see a trend here?) but appears to be much more slice-of-life than Persona, which is just fine by me. There is a wonderful sense of nostalgia and melancholy in the way the show starts, and the OP sequence holds a lot of promise, both in its inherent beauty and in the glimpses of future characters. There are hints of more plot elements to come (how did the wolf god get hitched to a village so far away from her home? what's this talk of a Church who might be hunting down the duo soon?), but the dynamic between the two main characters is quite enjoyable just on its own. Finally, despite its tellible engrish, the ED is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. |
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| What a disappointment! |
[Jan. 11th, 2008|10:17 pm] |
Remember how I said I was going to cry when I learned that there was a second season of Gunslinger Girls? Well, I just watched the first episode of said season, and I think it's just about the right time to bawl.
First of all, the production value went from beautiful to about nil. Perhaps related to this was a change in studio from Madhouse to Artland, although Artland did a fairly reasonable job with Mushishi. There were many extended freeze-frame shots and multiple places where it was obvious that the old animation technique of sliding one panel over another to create the illusion of movement was used (and used badly). Not only did the character design change significantly, they also often had flat, inappropriate facial expressions. The background music also often lacked tact. I really don't think it's just an issue of stylistic difference--it's an issue of stylistic quality.
Unfortunately, the pain does not stop there... Much, much more problematic than the change in art quality was the overall change in the very basic tone and nature of the show. The first season--and in general, the manga--paints a subtle, nuanced picture of the lives of the girls and their complex admiration of their handlers. There was violence and there were problematic relationships, but they were meant to elicit thought and emotion from the viewer, and often hit the exact right spot. The show was absolute proof that you can take a cliched and disturbing concept--the relationship between a younger girl in a controlled position and an older man in power--and explore it in an intelligent and sensitive manner. Yes, the girls in the show were exploited, but at no point did I feel that I was watching an exploitative show.
On the other hand, the first episode of Il Teatrino (this is the secondary title of the second season, and I think I'll use it to refer to this subpar season from now on to keep my love of the original GSG untainted) contains about 70% mindless violence/carchase and 30%... sketchiness. Henrietta has turned from a bashful yet willful girl to a simpering, clingy lolifest. At one point in the show, she walks into Jose's unoccupied room and ends up lying on his bed, blushing and using his shirt as a body pillow. I don't know... This is something the Henrietta from the original GSG would have never done--and if she did, she would never have giggled and whimpered as she squeezed the shirt to her body. Ugh... It's a bad sign when you feel dirty watching two of your favorite main characters interact.
So yeah. What happened?! Why make a second season of a good show just to trample everything it stood for? |
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| Genshiken makers are TB fans!!! |
[Nov. 6th, 2007|06:39 pm] |
In the 4th episode of the second season (currently airing), the preview segment is a lovely parody of Tokyo Babylon/X and the sei/sub relationship. Here are some screencaps galore! (hint, think of the glasses guy as Subaru)
SPIFFY!!!! |
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| New season! (Genshiken 2! Ghost Hound!) |
[Oct. 22nd, 2007|04:59 pm] |
So, as a new anime season rolls in, these are the shows that I have picked up (so far).
Genshiken II: This was a given. I've been excited about this show ever since I learned that there was, in fact, going to be a second season. Somehow, I love this story so much that, although I have read all of the manga, I am still psyched to see the show. Even though the show is sometimes slow paced, I still savor every minute of it. The otaku characters are just so endearing--it only goes to prove how much of an anime dork I really am.
Ghost Hound: I just watched the first episode of this series 2 hours ago, so take my enthusiasm with a grain of salt. So far, this show has a great combination of spookiness, emotional tension, fantastical elements, and non-straightforward storytelling. It also seems to be rooted in realism (despite the obvious presence of... ghosts), although it could easily go either way at this point. I'm just hoping that it doesn't lose me halfway through the season like the similarly named Ghost Hunt did.
In other news, Darker than Black ended well enough, although I didn't think it was as strong as it could be (also, Misaki? what kind of dumb heroine are you?!). I'm still making my way through Bokurano, as my opinion of its quality varies greatly from episode to episode. Sometimes, I just absolutely love the way the show handles a character. Other times, it wallows so much in sentimentality that that I get pissed off by the poor animation quality. I've started a new show called Mononoke, which is strangely interesting (ghost stories galore!), but I'm still getting used to the animation style. I've also been assigned Black Lagoon and Neon Genesis Evangelion by my friends, so I'm making my way, slowly but surely, through those series. |
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| Darker than Black (22), Bokurano (13), Ergo Proxy (finished-finally) |
[Sep. 9th, 2007|10:21 am] |
My summer anime hiatus was punctuated by episodes of Darker than Black and the occasional Lucky Star, but now that I'm back to my normal school routine I am more or less back in my old anime routine...
I'm still loving Darker than Black. Bokurano and this show were the only two series that I chose to really follow from that smorgasbord of shows I surveyed in the last entry. I love its format of the two-episode arcs, which gives the show both intensity and a succinct, story-telling quality. There's a certain degree of sentimentality, but it's backed up well by strong plot elements and fun characters, both new and recurring. The show is also not afraid to kill off characters--usually the ones that die are the new characters within each 2-ep arc. In the latest episode, though, they killed off a recurring character who's been there since ep 5, and it hit me hard. I didn't realize that I liked this character so much until he died--but I think his general cool-ness grew on me, and the death certainly added to the attraction (plus, he looks like a white version of Seishiro). Pooh. Also, at the beginning of the episode, this dude was sitting naked and smug in a chair, and I found it extraordinarily funny that at least he gets his sexy moment before they kill him off.
Bokurano is still going along--I didn't keep up with it as well, and I almost dropped it at one point because the melancholia seems so artificial. The funny thing is, I find myself enjoying the show a lot more if the "chosen" child is a flawed bitch/bastard--the "nice" kids who want to selflessly or selfishly save others get on my nerves. Still, the giant plot-turn/revelation they threw in at episode 13 is interesting enough to keep me watching. Now, if only I can find the episodes between 13 and whatever is coming out currently!
I have also finally finished Ergo Proxy. I started it last spring thinking that it was one of the better series at the time, but with the arrival of summer, I took a break and never got back to it. The thing was, the show was interesting enough to watch as a routine, but the stagnant/confusing nature of the overall plot made it difficult for me to get back on track once I took a pause. Still, a good review I encountered last month was enough to draw me back to the series, and its ready availability on Veoh made it easy to finish the show over the span of days. I rediscovered how much I liked the suspense and ambiguity, and, despite the super crammed/slightly unsatisfying ending, I thought the show wrapped up well. Unsurprisingly, though, I found myself sympathizing with the supporting cast much more than the main characters--Daedalus' hopeless obsession and Raoul's misguided desire to defeat the Creator (not to mention his last-minute rediscovery of fatherhood) seemed much more human and realistic than Real's declared love for her ever-absent grandfather.
In other news--there is potentially a second season of Genshiken! This makes my world a happier place. :) |
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| *cough* major new series binge! *cough* |
[Apr. 14th, 2007|08:46 pm] |
Series: Darker than Black (1&2), Bokurano (1), Seirei no moribito (1), Romeo & Juliet (1), Lovely Complex (1), Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan (1), El Cazador (1&2), Sisters of Wellber (1), Lucky Star (1), and Genshiken OAV 2.
With the new season coming out and my most recent exam out of the way, I went on a major anime binge in the past few days...
Despite the run down, it's likely that I'll watch another episode or two of all of the series before deciding to drop any for sure. It's just that the ones in the WTF list has a very small chance of really staying... |
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| Paprika! |
[Apr. 7th, 2007|06:36 pm] |
Just came back from watching Kon Satoshi's Paprika as a part of the Philadephia Film Festival. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.
Oh fine, I loved it.
Despite how cliched this will sound ("Oh! Japanese animators are SO IMAGINATIVE!" does this remind anyone else of reviews for Howl's Moving Castle?), Kon uses a fantastic blend of magical scenery to achieve the "dream" effect: a technicolor circus, a psychedelic amusement park, a street filled with movie theaters, and an insane parade of dolls, animals, robots... He also pays a great deal of homage to animations of the past: Tinkerbell, Atomu, the Little Mermaid, Sun Goku, giant-monsters-stomping-on-cities-OMG! and dare I say it... tentacle porn? Let's not forget the little pat on the back near the end, what with the movie posters and all...
The plot itself is quite interesting too, though the questions it raises are hardly original (how much are humans entitled to mess around eachother's heads with technology? is there anything sacred? what is reality and what is the real self?). It is hard to go into details regarding plot without being too spoilery, so I shall refrain. Suffice it to say that the plot is quirky and philosophical enough to keep the movie interesting without making it absolutely incomprehensible... There is a great degree of similarities here with Kon's Paranoia Agent--where things are trippy, but not as out-right-strange as something like Lain.
If I have a bone to pick with this movie, it would be the way sexuality is handled and used. I'm still trying to figure out what disturbed me about this aspect of the film... Sexuality is certainly a minor (if not major) issue of the movie: While Paprika is flirty and sexually confident, her real-life alter ego, Chiba, is much more reserved and calm. There is also the issue of a character selling his body for material benefits, not to mention the odd, climactic scene. There are also a number of sexually suggestive and disturbing scenes involving the main character and, while I don't think they're completely gratuitus, I get the feeling that the message that the film is trying to get across with all these scenes isn't something I'd like. For one, I've been trying to figure out why Paprika is so special--sure, she hops around other people's dreams and is one cool lady, though her ultimate victory seems to derive solely out of her female-ness and ability to, um, either procreate or eat a lot of shit (have to rewatch to decide on that last bit). This scene reminds me of three odd things: Plato's Symposium, where procreation is perhaps interpred as women's only notable virtue, Faulkner's Light in August, with it's disturbing imagery of feminity as a cracked container with darkness oozing out of it, and the mating rituals of the preying mantis. Non of those things make me feel happy about the way the heroine saves the day.
Still, a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting experience, and a movie I'd most definitely recommend and watch again. |
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| Binging on Noein |
[Mar. 26th, 2007|11:21 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | noein | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sleepy | ] |
So, having attended a lecture on substance abuse this morning, I have decided that anime has special effects on my nucleus accumbens (pleasure center of your brain) and that Youtube is a most generous, and thus evil, dealer.
Did I not just watch a 24 episode show over the span of 3 days? Yah. Braincrash.
Now, if I didn't write anything about this, it would be a shame--all those hours of input has to result in some output, right? So, in summary--
Noein: Not the best, but certainly better than most.
I won't attempt to describe the plot for you, since, like almost all anime, it sounds like someone wrote it on crack. Suffice it to say that the show is of the sci/fi variety with a whole lot of pseudo-science and... fiction. It involves the Many Worlds Interpretation, Hunt's uncertainty principle (yay AP Chem!), and even mentions Schrodinger's cat (meow?). There is the token teenage-girl-who-has-the-power-to-alter-the-universe, her eccentric friends, the cool-morose-angsty hero, and a mysterious, glowing villain. The parallel-worlds aspect of the show (as well as the organic-mecha they employ, and even the main-boy-character's hairstyle) reminds me of Rah Xephon, though as a whole I feel that Xephon is more character driven, and, well, better done. The episode themes vary between "let's use superpowers to solve slice-of-life issues!" to "oh noes the fate of the universe is at stake, must save it by proving friendship!"
Joking aside, the variety is actually not a bad thing, and the plot is generally quite suspenseful and keeps one clicking on the "next segment" button. However, seeing that Noein is a more serious series which focuses on relationship themes, it would have helped if the characters were more sympathetic and multi-faceted. Frankly, I never really warmed up to the leads and found them quite boring. What saves the show are the more colorful side characters as well as their potential fates. Also (not that this would make sense if you haven't seen the series), can I just say--it TOTALLY not fair for an awkward middle school boy to have to compete for a girl's affection with his handsome, melancholic, superpowered 27-year old self. Totally not fair. Especially if the older version wears a cool looking black mantle.
In terms of production aspects--the background score is very pretty and epic, and the studio seems to have spent big bucks to plant some pretty 3D elements into the show. However, the quality of the 2D drawings varies considerably, even when they're not trying to prove a point by animating battle scenes with the moving-manga-style (now, now, while this may have been a creative, well intended move to illustrate the psychotic nature of the characters and the battles, it seemed gimmicky to me--if only because I have seen this strategy employed in other shows). I didn't mind this too terribly, but it was irksome. I guess sometimes, I just want a nicely, prettily, traditionally animated anime that relys on plot and characters to shine, not stylistic tricks.
Haha, it seems like i'm focusing quite a bit on the negative, so you're probably wondering, "what's good about this show?" I must say that I enjoyed trying to keep one step ahead of the plot to guess the identities of characters and what's to come. I also liked some of the existential questions that come with this interesting thought experiment of the Many Worlds Hypothesis and time travel. Although some of the slice-of-life issues were solved with tacky "A Christmast Carol"-esque methods, they kept the show somewhat grounded in reality. The feminist in me also enjoyed the fact that although the male leads kept insisting that they must protect the heroine, it is the heroine that ends up saving them in most instances with her superpower (although, the superpower only seems to eminate mysteriously from her subconsciousness, but that's a philosophical discussion for another day).
So yeah, if you're looking for something to burn a few hours or a weekend, Noein's not a bad choice. There are definitely better things out there, but this is one of the few decent "serious dramas" I've seen lately. |
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| wow |
[Mar. 20th, 2007|12:29 am] |
so after a season of somewhat depressing forays into trying and failing to find good new anime series, and ultimately replacing them with liveaction series (Nodame Cantabile, Hana Yori Dango II, Heroes, Grey's (I know, I know...hangs head in shame)) I seriously started thinking, "gee, maybe I'm growing out of this anime/manga thing." (I KNOW! The HORROR! call me a traitor, but I did start to imagine that maybe i was wavering in my steadfastness as a hopeless fangirl.)
Then, I was rescued by a serendipitous run-in with Genshiken volumes 6 and 7 in the bookstore yesterday afternoon, followed by going home and finding the rest of it online, followed by finding an OAV of this fun 12 episode series... And what do you know--the love is all back, which is so appropriate considering Genshiken is really about dorks in an anime club, anyway.
Then, then, today, I found an OAV of ichigo mashimaro on youtube. The show is CUTENESS defined... like, the perfectly innocent, melt your heart, slice-of-life cuteness. If you ever need a lifter-upper, this is IT. aaahhh....
Having said all that, I'm still looking for recommendations... I miss series of the Mushishi/Cowboy Bebop/Rah Xephon caliber. I do have Eureka 7 and Deathnote on my hands, both of which have potential to be good, but I've seen the first few eps of Eureka 7 and it didn't do it for me, while deathnote... i sort of know what's going to happen. So yes, anyone out there with any ideas? |
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| wow... complete cognitive discord... |
[Dec. 10th, 2006|09:44 pm] |
So, I'm not sure how many of you who read this will know what I'm talking about, but the guy who voices the cheery, happy-go-lucky, crazy and self absorbed Tamaki in Host Club also voices Raito (or Light) Yagami in Death Note this season. If you know the two characters you'll know that they cannot be more different. I think the only similar thing is that they both get good grades. (A little context: Raito is a brilliant high school student who picks up a Shinigami's notebook and can kill anyone by writing in it. He proceeds to pursue vigilante justice against criminals to build a new world of "good people that he would approve of", all the while acknowledging and savoring the fact that he is playing god.) Tamaki is all innocence and light, while Raito becomes more than morally ambiguous as the story proceeds.
Well, now that I think about it, the guy also voiced Kiba in Wolf's Rain, and I remember being surprised at that. I guess he is just super, super versatile. I mean, I had just watched some Death Note, and I had no idea that it was the same voice actor until I read it in another blog.
(i don't know why these little things get me so excited, but maybe it's just a reflection of how much of a crazy anime fan I am) |
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| on a musical note... |
[Oct. 17th, 2006|01:02 am] |
I was just watching some Zettai Shonen, when I recognized a character's cell phone ring tone as a theme in Rahxephon. Knowing how much fanservice the producers of Rahxephon are capable of (in Ouran, which is also produced by BONES, one of the characters cosplays as a Rahxephon character), I wondered if there's some connection between the production teams of the two anime. Turns out, there isn't any (or any that is apparent from Wikipedia). I did find out, however, that the musical theme is not an original from Rahxephon but one from Borodin's opera, Prince Igor. This makes much more sense.
... the more you know! (courtesy of Wiki!) |
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