Been a while since I linked anything UNMEI KAIHEN-related here, so here is a big link dump right now: Ep9 of Spice and Wolf II (with ep10 to come up later today), eps 19-20 of Cross Game (I'll post about ep21 tomorrow), ep9 of Bakemonogatari, ep22 of FMA: Brotherhood, eps 9-11 of Genshiken and eps 4-5 of Kare Kano.
Whew! Anyway, here is the weekly word dump, including thoughts on a series I should have watched a bajillion years before now. :O
Anime discussed: Bakemonogatari, Canaan, Cross Game, DOGS: Bullets and Carnage, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Genshiken, Hayate no Gotoku!!, Kare Kano, Kemono no Souja Erin, Le Chevalier D'Eon, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2, Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~, Shugo Chara! Doki, Sora no Manimani, Spice and Wolf II, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Valkyria Chronicles, Wolf's Rain, Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
-- Bakemonogatari ep9: Man, Araragi is a real dope. He keeps getting it pounded into his head that he should be more aware of how he acts around people, especially women, but it never really seems to penetrate his mind to the level it needs. Guy doesn't know how to tell Kanbaru to lay off and not be so flirty, and when Hanekawa leans in for the "you're totally proving my point" kiss, Araragi doesn't fall back even a millimeter. Now, I don't think it's because he doesn't like Senjougahara or actively wants to cheat on her, or something. (You don't plan birthday parties for or plan to go to college with some random girl you're going to dump in a couple of weeks.) Guy just does not know how to deal with women at all. It would be best if he took some advice from Nancy Reagan and learned to just say no. Meanwhile, the new girl, Nadeko, has some definite self-hatred/self-harm issues. She went crazy on all those damn snakes.
-- Canaan ep10: Pretty good episode, featuring more of Liang Qi being epically crazy and evil. I approve! Liang Qi is truly horrible to Hakko in this episode: She cuts her off from the group, teases her with glimpses of Santana, hints that Santana will fall into a trap and then she lures Hakko into accidentally killing Santana. Whaaaaaaaaaaat a bitch, making poor Hakko cry so much. She's at her cruelest when she mocks Hakko by saying, "Lasers? Spears? You've been reading too many comics!" and then laughing her ass off. So horribly evil. <3 Liang Qi also drops the big revelation this week -- namely, that all the experimentation on the Borners and Unbloom with the Ua Virus was to create another specimen like Canaan (whose power was amplified by the virus), someone whose powers could not be matched. And it appears that Maria and Yunyun have stumbled onto the clone's underground hiding place. And, uh, so has Natsume, Canaan's handler. She just wants the clone, I think, so Maria (:() and Yunyun (:D) are safe for now. Alphard and Cummings are also at the factory. Are they going after the Canaan clone, too, or is something else grabbing at their attention?
-- Cross Game eps 19-20: Couple of solid episodes here that introduce Aoba's cousin, Mizuki Asami, who is emerging as a sort-of rival for Aoba's love. I say sort-of because while Asami genuinely likes Aoba, I don't think Aoba sees him in that way at all. Nobody's gettin' in the way of the Aoba x Kitamura train. Asami really does try to set himself up to be a viable contender for Aoba's feelings; however, there are so many Kitamura x Aoba moments (both subtle and not so subtle) that it is pretty obvious Asami stands no chance. Plus, he is completely in the Friend Zone and does not know it. Poor guy. Some good Azuma/Kitamura Odd Couple hilarity, as well. Once again, I would absolutely watch a spin-off of these two living together and arguing every day. It's awesome.
-- DOGS: Bullets and Carnage eps 1-4: Kind of a cool burst of fun. Each episode in the OVA covers a standalone story (although the stories occasionally overlap) about various underworld happenings -- an aging hitman returning to the town where he was blackballed from a gang; a nicotine-addicted goofball putting his life on the line to secure blackmail material; a young woman training to seek revenge against the man who killed her parents; and a powerful man who stumbles upon a girl with mysterious origins. ("Mysterious origins" always piques the interest, right?) They're entertaining enough for what they are: Light, violent, fun stories packed with crazy characters. A lot of it is straight out of the mafia/gangster story cliché book, but there's enough to energy to everything to not make that problem matter so much. No, I think the biggest problem is that the stories are a bit too light. There's the bare minimum for everything to make sense, and that's about it. There are so many things left hanging (especially in the final two episodes), but none of that is here. To be fair, this OVA is adapted from a prologue to the Dogs manga and is apparently faithful to the letter. However, where the manga (I assume) answers all the questions and ties together the plot points raised in the prologue, the OVA doesn't have the luxury (yet) of a series to tie off all the loose ends, so this flaw is a lot more glaring.
-- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ep22: Pretty intense episode if you can look past some of the contrivances. (Winry looking for Ed and Al even though she knows they are in a dangerous fight, and she should probably stay the hell away; Winry stumbling upon everyone just when Ed accuses Scar of killing Winry's parents; a gun being within convenient range of Winry; and so on.) I think the emotion and the development with both Scar and Winry cancel out any issues I have with that, but I have read a lot of bitching about it, so mileage may vary, I guess. Scar's part of the story is especially good in this episode. It's tough to completely sympathize with the guy, because he has become the type of person he claims to be destroying, but his backstory is pretty damn tragic. He does have a legit beef with Amestris, even if the whole ordeal has turned him into a hypocrite. But Winry confronting him, and Ed protecting Winry, at least made a bit of an impression on Scar. He's not going to abandon random destruction any time soon, but he'll soften at least a little bit.
-- Genshiken eps 9-11: Ep9, with Madarame stuck alone in the Genshiken clubroom with Saki for an entire awkward episode, is one of my favorites in the entire series. This is where the poor guy really starts crushing on Saki, and aside from that, the way Madarame approaches the awkwardness of not being able to speak with Saki really hits home for me. (Well, not so much the imagining her as a dating sim heroine as the desperately trying to find a topic of conversation that works, and completely failing at it.) Funniest part is definitely Madarame casting himself as a suave bishounen hero, deftly plucking the nose hair from Saki's delicate nostril. Haha. Ep10 is probably Keiko at her most bearable, if only because Saki is smacking her around the whole episode and teaching her some tough life lessons. (Such as: Don't date extreme otaku.) Doesn't stop Keiko from trying to be an otaku so that she can get in Kohsaka's pants, however. That leads to a great moment where Keiko sees Ohno's yaoi doujinshi and reacts like, "Holy shit, I can be a geek and still like this stuff?! Count me in!" Ep11 has Saki turning Genshiken's castoff doujin into a burning ring of fire, which then turns into her being guilted into cosplaying in the clubs festival (Genshiken is no longer allowed to participate in it due to Saki's accidental arson). Saki dressing as the president from Kujibiki Unbalance is amusing, but a subtler moment that is just as funny is Saki initially doing an Ohno impersonation when she takes the stage, as if she believes all cosplayers are like Ohno, since Ohno is Saki's only exposure to the world of cosplayers. Did not remember that at all, and it completely cracked me up.
-- Hayate no Gotoku!! eps 16-17: Good pair of episodes. Ep17, which involves Nagi helping an alien get back to her home planet, is particularly weird. There are so many great parts where the episode breaks up a rare serious moment with something that comes completely out of nowhere. The best is Katsura being on the UFO for absolutely no reason. I have no idea how the hell she got in there, but when Katsura has a bottle in her hand, I am apt to believe she can get into pretty much any mess possible.
-- Kare Kano eps 4-5: What really strikes me about this pair of episodes is the absence of energy as compared to the first three episodes. Or, to word it better, the willful restraining of energy, especially as it pertains to Miyazawa. It really does justice to the tentative way Miyazawa approaches the relationship -- particularly during ep4 -- after the intensity of Arima's confession in ep3. Miyazawa puts a lot of pressure on herself, because she does not believe she has truly let Arima know how much she loves him in the way Arima let that fact be known to Miyazawa. Because Miyazawa does not have much experience with this sort of thing (she has spent much of her life building a wall around herself, after all), she is really clumsy and struggles to find a way to articulate her feelings to Arima. And that, I think, is her problem: She thinks only to verbalize something that is felt deep within. Sometimes the simplest gestures, such as when Miyazawa holds Arima's hand in class, can say so much more than OVER 9,000 words of nonsense. (lol @ me) Ep5 is mainly about how tough it can be to find time to spend with one's partner, and also serves as one of Kare Kano's best side characters, Hideaki. This episode only hints at the depths of hilarity he will approach throughout the series. Actually, this appearance is kind of weird because Hideaki's conflict with Miyazawa is introduced and resolved relatively quickly. I can only assume Hideaki Anno was more interested in Hideaki as a hilarious character than as a foil for Miyazawa, haha.
-- Kemono no Souja Erin ep31: Man, that scene with Erin flying on Lilan's back totally gave me chills. This series really knows how to bust out a truly magical scene whenever it wants to. It's amazing. Even Kiriku, the evil new poisons teacher at Erin's school, is impressed with Erin's beast-lord flyin' skillz. Probably not impressed to the point where he will abandon whatever it is the Saigamul want him to do involving Erin, but impressed nonetheless. Right now he is very interested not just in Erin's ability to handle beast-lords but also her experience with Touda, which would obviously be beneficial to the Saigamul ... you know, if Erin were, like, evil or something. Which she isn't. Everyone needs a goal, though. Kiriku's backstory (his sister was poisoned, tortured or worked to death by evil elites) suggests he'll either betray the Saigamul eventually and side with Erin ('cause she reminds him of his dead sister), or he'll earn redemption through death, even though he has been pretty evil so far. I like how he is introduced as a poisons expert, and then he hands out candy to the kids, and the camera focuses on it so much that you cannot help but wonder if the candy is poisoned or something, haha.
-- Le Chevalier D'Eon eps 13-18: This trip to England is just the kick this series needed -- everything is really heating up now. Ep15, especially, is where things start getting really good and tricky. Durand has to question his loyalty after receiving an order from Louis XV to kill anyone who reads the Psalm of the Kings, and to kill D'Eon regardless of whether he has read the Psalm. Even though I don't like it, I think I can see where Louis is coming from with the order. The Psalm is an obscenely dangerous tool, so he wants to get rid of anyone who can use it, and D'Eon himself is a highly unstable force (especially given Lia's quest for vengeance), so I don't think Louis wants to deal with that, either. Don't really agree with him, but I can kind of see the logic. Regardless, it's causing a struggle for Durand. He doesn't want to kill his friends, obviously, but his loyalty to France is what drives him. He might eventually end up in a state similar to Maximilien, where he casts aside his loyalty to the state for something higher (in his case, friendship).
Speaking of Maximilien, his character gets a lot more interesting. Making him more of a Well-Intentioned Extremist type rather than someone who just wants to cultivate a lot of power is a smart move. His ultimate goal is to end the decay of Europe by following through on the Order's plan to unify the continent, but Maximilien does not want to centralize the power in a person who has the potential to act upon greedy desires and keep the status quo in Europe. Maximilien's relationship with Lia is also complicated. He killed her (?), and evidently wants her soul to complete the opening of the Psalm of Kings, but he also seems to have loved her when she was alive, and it is highly likely she returned this love. But seeing as Lia wants to murder the hell out of Maximilien, she does not seem to share that love now.
And, uh, wow, I'm surprised to see Maximilien dead already. I figured he would defeat Dashwood without much trouble, but Dashwood is able to overpower and kill Maximilien, albeit by damn near killing himself. But Maximilien is revived at the end of ep18, so I am not sure what to think there. Maybe he needed to die for some crazy reason? Never can tell with this series.
eps 19-24: Damn, this final arc starts off strong and does not let up until the finale. Once Durand gets his affairs in order with everyone, I could tell he was not long for this world, although it is no less sad when the event actually occurs. Durand chooses the lives of his friends over follow the king's orders to the letter, which is not really shocking because Durand is awesome. He knows, unfortunately, that he does not have long to live because the Psalm within him will compel him to kill D'Eon and the others, so he throws himself into a situation where D'Eon has to kill him. Just a sad situation all around, even more so because it is Durand's loyalty to France that puts him in that situation in the first place. The only disappointing part of Durand's story is that the series does not go into more detail regarding Durand's relationships with Lia and Maximilien. I would have liked more of that.
The next couple of episodes are about as sad. Teillagory betrays D'Eon and Robin due to his loyalty to Louis XIV -- he views Louis XV as a man who disgraces what it means to be a knight by fighting dishonorable battles and wars that simply end up being massacres. It's pretty much implied that Teillagory's son died in one of those battles. Teillagory's story is key to a huge theme in Le Chevalier D'Eon: Loyalty to a dying way of life. The pure, chivalric honor Teillagory fights for barely even exists now. The world sweeps by with change; it happens in Russia with the emergence of Catherine the Great, and it is happening in France, with the final days of Louis XV and the French Revolution on the horizon. Teillagory wishes for the continuance of his way of life, but deep down I am sure he knows there is no way it can stay alive. After all, Teillagory's one wish is to die by the sword. An honorable death for an honorable knight who spent his life defending the honor of his country. But it is terribly appropriate that Teillagory gives his life defending a scumbag who is just trying to secure some power for himself. Teillagory desperately wants the honor of his youth to return, but it is already gone, replaced by something completely unrecognizable to him.
Much of the conflict in the final three episodes involves Lia/D'Eon's desire to defend the ideals of their beloved France vs. Maximilien's thirst for change. So many things are thrown at Lia/D'Eon: The love Maximilien and Lia had for each other when Lia was alive; the secret of Maximilien and Lia's sibling relationship; the secret of the throne, with Louis XV being a fake and Maximilien being the real successor, and the Psalm of Kings laying at the center of the reasoning behind the switch; and Louis' implication as the killer of Lia, Queen Marie and Anna. Despite all this, Lia/D'Eon protects Louis when Robin bursts into the room, gun in hand, ready to kill Louis. Why? "To protect France." Such is the strength of Lia/D'Eon's feeling for the ideals and honor of their country and what it represents to them. They readily dismiss (though I doubt they forgive) everything the king has done, not out of any particular loyalty to the man himself, but because to raise one's sword against the king would mean culpability for the beginning of Maximilien's revolution and the absolute death of the France they love.
But Louis is sickly and rotting for a reason -- the world has moved on. The France Lia/D'Eon loves is almost a relic. Louis himself almost seems to recognize this. He asks Lia to kill him, because the Psalm within him prevents him from killing himself. Lia does not take him up on this offer. The thought of killing Louis does not cross her mind for even a moment after she hears Louis' story. She is not too eager to see vigorous change; Maximilien, however, is, and so is Robin, who has been pounded into the dirt by the deaths of two of his closest friends, and also his master and an attendant he probably knew decently well. Robin aches to see revolution spread throughout France and change the country into a place where people do not need to die needlessly. Robin taking on Maximilien's name is important because they have a similar build-up: Both were betrayed by their kings, and both lost people they loved. Whereas France's protectors want to bury themselves in the past, Robin and Maximilien want to shed it completely and build a new future. It's unfortunate that Robin's journey ends up about as fruitless as his friends' journeys: He helps spark the revolution and ends up dying on the guillotine a few years later.
Despite the fact that he is a ruthless douche at times, I felt sorry for Maximilien by the end. He wanted something very simple: For Lia to be happy and finally rest in peace. It becomes less about attaining revenge for him (although that aspect never goes away) and more about making sure Lia is happy, because, brother or not, Maximilien loves Lia. And he truly believes that the way to make her happy is to initiate change in the world -- to eliminate the elements and feelings that caused the restlessness of her spirit in the first place. Maximilien's backstory makes him appear a bit more angsty than I think the series wants him to be, but regardless, it shows that he cannot support a country that uses people so thoroughly, all in the name of a corrupt kingdom and a set of ideals that will soon cease to matter.
Overall, Le Chevalier D'Eon is a good series. The first half is a bit slow, but once everything picks up in the second half, the show becomes something to really remember. I especially like the harmonious relationship that builds between D'Eon and Lia's soul throughout the series. The subtle physical changes in D'Eon's body are cool to notice, and I always love seeing the different ways both D'Eon and Lia approach various situations.
-- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2 ep13: Totally forgot how huge an asshole Haruhi is in this arc. She goes above and beyond the call of duty in this one, getting Mikuru buzzed so that she'll be more moe for Itsuki's date rape scene, she has Mikuru tossed in the lake and she tortures Mikuru again with another contact lens. All of this is mainly because, really, she's jealous that Mikuru hogs all of Kyon's attention. But Teen Mikuru is too vapid to know any better (you know it's true). Haruhi should be taking her frustration out of Kyon, because dude has his eyes on the wrong girl. Yuki is right there, man. She saves you every chance she gets, she changes due to your influence and she clings to you whenever she can. Yuki has the hots for you, bro. But, yeah, the Kyon vs. Haruhi FACE OFF OF RAGE is the best part of the arc so far (really good and tense, and so weird to see Kyon completely fly off the handle like that), which isn't saying too much because Sighs is boring as hell, albeit a huge improvement over "Endless Eight". (Maybe that's why KyoAni stretched it so long -- to make Sighs actually look good in comparison.)
Kind of disappointed we didn't get more of Tsuruya, Taniguchi and Kunikida's participation in the movie. Seeing more of them acting like zombies, with Tsuruya absolutely unable to contain her laughter, would have been awesome. Oh well. Also a funny moment late in the episode when Haruhi fixes up her hair right before Kyon bursts into the club room; no doubt she is wondering whether ponytails or pigtails would make Kyon hot for her again.
-- Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ eps 21-23: Haha, Big Cal is pretty damn crazy. She's living just to murder the hell out of Reiji and Ellen, and ain't nobody standing in her way! Not even Scythe Master has a handle on her -- she just tosses her wet towel in his face after taking a shower and walks away as if nothing happened, and Scythe Master just sits and takes it. Ellen would have been slapped around as if Jake La Motta were in town. Lizzie sure as hell can't control Cal either. She is pretty much the Danny Glover of Phantom now -- Lizzie is definitely one more flashy Cal assassination away from muttering, "I'm too old for this shit." But before she can do that, she has to act as Cal's drinking buddy. I wonder if that is part of her job description. "Provide backup for Phantom and listen to his or her problems over shots at the dive down the street." Also love Ellen talkin' some deadpan smack to Cal. Nobody's gonna take Ellen's man without a fight. Guess that's the thing about Scythe Master's Rage Training: Cal can dish it out just fine, but she can't take it at all. But Ellen and Cal definitely need to face off again. I demand it.
And hopefully I will get my wish soon after the events of ep23! Not too surprising that Cal went, "Ah, fuck this" and up and betrayed Inferno by snatching Mio so that Reiji and Ellen would no longer have their trump card. Now Ellen is going to go all Terminator on Cal. Hell yes. Should be pretty damn awesome when those two finally throw down for real, although I really hope Ellen does not die. Have a gut feeling she might, however. Love the talk Reiji and Mio have just before Mio is kidnapped, especially the part where Reiji waves Cal's appearance away like, "Ah, you know, she was my crazy girlfriend back in the States; had no idea she'd follow me all the way here ..." and Mio buys it hook, line and sinker. That's how big a pimp Reiji is. She believes immediately that he's the kind of guy who could have a crazy ass girlfriend and still fall for her, too. Saddest part of the episode is definitely Lizzie's death scene. She's done a few dumb things throughout the series, and she got captured way too much in the middle, but she was always a dark horse favorite of mine. Plus, her final actions are pretty powerful -- she is a fairly honorable character, and she has had the guilt of Claudia's death hanging over her head for a couple of years, so she did not want to shoot Cal, whose circumstances reminded her of Claudia (that one event in each of their lives that broke their spirit and caused them to hone their hatred into achieving a single goal). Lizzie just could not bear to kill another person who was pushed into being something that she is not.
-- Shugo Chara! Doki ep48: Haha, I agree with Miki in the next episode preview -- 'bout time the Dumpty Key and Humpty Lock were united! Can't wait to see what comes from that, since it has been hyped up so much throughout the series. Hopefully it's something a bit more than a new Character Transformation. That brief long shot of the Easter leader's office is interesting, too. Unless I am mistaken, a little boy is sitting at the desk, and his voice distinctly changes from the deep voice of a man to the lighter voice of a young boy. Maybe it's a crazy thought, but it could be that mysterious kid who keeps popping up everywhere and who apparently has a connection with Ikuto's stepfather. If it is, perhaps he has some sort of condition, like he cannot physically grow up, or something. He could be much older than he looks. Wouldn't be surprised with this series, and it would fit into Shugo Chara's main themes -- the desire to grow up and have one's wishes come true. The Easter boss cannot grow up by normal means, so maybe he needs the Embryo to make it happen.
Rest of the episode is pretty good. Rima and Nagihiko teaming up to kick ass is fun. I like Yaya stepping up to the plate, although her battle with the X Egg-enhanced wolf is a bit too silly. As much fun as it is to see Yaya be goofy, it would have been nice to see her kick a little ass on her own instead of copping out on the battle with some goofy humor. But Utau comes to save the day, so who am I to complain much? Also raised my eyebrow a bit at the whole, "Maybe Ikuto and Tadase have to fight becuase they're guys!" "But even if I'm a girl, there must be some way for me to fight!" bit. Little bit too stereotype-ish for me, and the thoughts come out of nowhere. Ikuto and Tadase are fighting because Ikuto is being controlled, duh. Has nothing to do with their gender. :P
-- Sora no Manimani ep7: Good episode. At the end of the last episode, I was confused as to why Ooyagi's decision to help out the Literature Club along with the Astronomy Club led to OMG AWKWARD DRAMA, but it turns out he immediately regretted piping up about it and was pressured by Akeno to help out as an ambassador of sorts for the Astronomy Club (and it's pretty much implied that she pushes him into helping out because that is what she believes he wants to do). Most of the rest of the episode is Ooyagi having a taste of things in the Lit Club before getting beat over the head with how much his friends in the Astronomy Club miss him. It's a sweet ending, but I would feel better about it if I enjoyed Ooyagi x Akeno more; I'm a Ooyagi x Kotokuza guy, myself. She gets more sympathetic every time she appears. Instead of just being an uber jerk (which she is admittedly good at), she can see what Ooyagi really wants and is pushing him toward that. But I am probably biased since she is the tall, forceful glasses girl.
-- Spice and Wolf II ep9: Oh, it's on now. Abe has made her move -- she's trying to force Lawrence to give her Horo. I think she knows Horo's true identity. She's been tailing Lawrence long enough to catch a lucky glimpse of Horo's tail, or something. The fact that Abe mentions the church in relation to her troubles (the cancellation of the Northern Expedition has wiped out her customer base, i.e. the church) does not bode well for Lawrence and Horo, who have had problems with the church in the past. Things are going to heat up soon. Speaking of heating up, woo, Horo turns on the fire with her flirting this week! I don't think Lawrence really knows what hit him, haha. Funniest part is when Horo breaks down the exact type of girl Lawrence likes: Girls who are possessive of their men, become easily jealous and hate themselves when this happens. Damn is his face red! This episode also probes a bit deeper into Horo's fears of abandonment and loneliness. Although Lawrence does not seem to realize it, it is obvious Horo's recent happiness is a double-edged sword for her. Her time with Lawrence is among the most wonderful she has known, but at the same time, the reality of Lawrence's mortality is always at the forefront for her. Horo's biggest fear is the day she will have to move on without Lawrence at her side. Also love the heart metaphor at the beginning of the episode (about it being torn apart, tinkered with and put back together) as a precursor to all this.
-- Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 ep9: The question of Yuuki's death is pushed back another week -- although it is appearing more likely that he is truly dead, the show has kept the cover over Yuuki's body and won't let us ID him for at least one more episode (to borrow a metaphor from an excellent poster). But this episode is more about Mari and her family. I would complain about the tease involving Mari not actually seeing the faces of the corpses she thought were her daughter and mother, but ... when Mari does finally reunite with her family, it is a truly emotional moment, and I definitely felt it in my gut. If I believed I was manipulated in any way, I would not have reacted like that, so it isn't too bad. Maybe a bit unlikely, but I'm willing to let some things slide since the series has been damn good thus far. This ride home could potentially be very tough for Mirai, though. How will she react when she finally realizes Yuuki is dead? Is her family still alive? How will they react to Yuuki's death? Even with the hope in this latest episode, there is still more heartbreak to come.
-- Umineko no Naku Koro ni ep11: lol @ trolling!Beatrice. Seems pretty obvious now that the whole arc was just whipped up by Beatrice to test Battler's resolve and pound him into submission. And pound him into submission she does! Beatrice is completely horrible in the beginning, wrinkling her nose at George and Shannon's love, and then cruelly murdering them both before George can give Shannon a last vow of love. The goats ripping apart Battler and Kinzo is pretty gruesome, too. But not nearly as gruesome as Beatrice feeding Rosa bits and pieces of her damn family. Yuck yuck yuck. I don't get grossed out easily, but that is just ... yeah. Damn you, Beatrice, and your awesome evil laughter. I LOL'd at Maria's head rolling on the platter, though. That shit is hilarious. At least Rosa gets to be a bit of a badass by shotgunning the hell out of the evil goats and then purse whacking them. Doesn't completely make up for her being abusive and crazy, but hey, it's a cool scene. Meta-Battler is great, too, when he gets a second wind due to the resolve Rosa shows in fighting the goat people. In true Battler style, he tells Beatrice she has "cow tits" (LOL) and also tells Maria she is about 10 years away from telling people to eat her. Oh, Battler.
As for what we can take from the conclusion of this arc ... I am not really sure, actually. Who knows how much truth is actually revealed during this game of Beatrice's (outside of the red words Beatrice uses). If this whole arc is indeed an impossible game constructed by Beatrice to destroy Battler's will, then I don't know how much we can take from it, really. Everything is pretty much tainted by the knowledge that Beatrice is twisting what is presented to suit her own purposes. One thing I am wondering is if Genji's sudden devotion to Beatrice could be consistent, or if it is just one more thing Beatrice invented to make Battler feel as much despair as possible. I am 50/50 on this. If you think about it, since Beatrice is as involved in all this as anyone, in a way she is like another Ushiromiya, which would explain Genji following her orders and calling her "master". There is just something about Genji that makes me not want to trust him.
-- Valkyria Chronicles ep13: Not a bad set-up episode, although wtf @ Zaka pseudo-raping Rosie to hide her from the soldiers. Do they know what everyone in Welkin and Faldio's brigades looks like? Even if they do, there are probably better ways of hiding a woman than pushing her against a wall and coppin' a feel of some thigh. Maybe that is just me, though. The weirdest part, though, is the soldiers laughing it off like, "Ha ha! Those Darcsens! What'll they do next?" Really, wouldn't Zaka be in more danger in that situation than Rosie? You'd think the racist Imperials would pay more attention to a Darcsen than some random woman. I'll just pretend that scene never happened, which is probably good since the show seems to be pushing Rosie x Zaka, since she is so tsundere for him right now. Good luck making that serious now! Other than that, there is plotting to take down an armored train guarding an important Imperial mining outpost, and Welkin and co. get in town due to the ludicrous sacrifice of approximately OVER 9000 soldiers. That is laughably evil. Like Code Geass-level, almost.
-- Wolf's Rain eps 1-7: I've had this series for nearly a year now, so I figured it was about time to watch it, haha. Not surprisingly, I am loving it so far. Post-apocalyptic stories are a bit overdone, but Wolf's Rain nails some crucial things that really make it work: First, the tone is absolutely perfect, both in setting and the way the story unfolds. Post-apocalyptic settings are something that is tougher to make work than people realize, I think, because a lot of them are going to end up looking the same. You'll have landscapes devoid of life, the occasional urban sprawl and a few people scattered here and there. The point, of course, is to emphasize the destruction mankind (or whomever) has wrought upon the world. But what I like about Wolf's Rain's environments is that nature seems so strong even though men and wolves are struggling to carry on. Just look at the harsh deserts Kiba and the others walk through on their way to Paradise. The snowy plains. Even the endless fields of dirt that stretch on forever, and would probably make Dorothy Gale appreciate Kansas that much more. It's as if nature itself is challenging Kiba to make his way through assloads of danger to find Paradise. This is not a Nature that is dangerous because all the life has been choked out of it; it is a nature that has survived, and will continue to survive, while humans and wolves keep hanging on.
The tone of the story itself is just really good in how it mixes the overall mystery of the plot (what the nature of Paradise is, how it is connected with Cheza, who the other people are who seek Paradise, what is the nature of the wolves and their powers, and so on) with the development of the characters. Each episode always seems to have a solid balance of both. There's never something like, "Oh, we're just going to develop character this week" or "This episode will answer a few of the questions but won't develop the characters much". I really like that even though all four mains have their annoying aspects, they're all really likable and interesting. Kiba is arrogant and prideful (though not always in a bad way), but he also has a strong instinct to protect his fellow wolves, even if they're being total assholes to him (lol Tsume), and I do like his intense drive to find Paradise. Hige likes to portray himself as someone who is easygoing and content to laze around; however, he has just as much desire to find Paradise as the other wolves. Tsume lashes out at people and actively attempts to build a wall between himself and his peers, but he never abandons someone in trouble and rewards loyalty well (such as when he backs Kiba when Zali's pack of wolves are all, "lol Paradise"). Toboe is a bit naive (or maybe innocent is a better description) but is intensely loyal to those who help him. (He is the one who constantly defends Tsume whenever Tsume gets pissy, haha.) These four wolves are all different but mesh quite well.
Now that the wolves have found Cheza, I'm really excited about where the story his heading, at least where the hunt for Paradise is concerned. Don't know whether Cheza has any real clue where Paradise actually is (or whether it really exists), but all of Kiba's instincts have drawn him to her, so that has to be worth something. :P There's an added element of danger there, though, since the humans who were experimenting on Cheza are going to want her back, as will Darcia. (Now there is another interesting character, because he strikes me as a real wild card. Darcia didn't want to lose Cheza, but there's a slight smile on Darcia's face as Cheza makes her way to Kiba and the other wolves. Darcia has someone he wants to revive with the power of Paradise, but who knows what else he could have planned.)
eps 8-18: Man, Blue's story is relatively simple, but it makes me so sad. I've always been struck by the idea of a single innocuous action (in this case Cheza telling Blue she senses Blue is part wolf) irrevocably changing a person's life. Blue learns she is a wolf, and thus she cannot hunt wolves anymore. Just like that, the bond between Blue and Quent is quietly severed. The way Blue just ... accepts it really gets to me, too. Blue can't take part in knowingly contributing to the death of her fellow wolves, but she does not view Quent with any bitterness, either. She is not angry at being used to hunt wolves; instead, she cherishes the owner-pet relationship that gave her the most happiness in life. Kiba and Tsume are apt to look down on that type of relationship, and it probably would not work for either of them, but for Blue, it was not like being a slave to a human. After Quent's family dies, Blue is basically Quent's best -- and only -- friend in the entire world. That is not something to take lightly. The way Blue moves is so strong and mature, but I'm sure a relationship like that is tough to give up. Just that simple development makes this one of the most moving human-pet relationships I've seen.
Another hugely impactful moment is Darcia's reaction to Harmona's death. It really skirts the line between being tragic and over-the-top, but what I think makes it work is that Darcia is so cool and composed before that moment. He lives for one goal -- to see his love live a full life again. And when she is killed, that's it for him. Because he is so calm and detached, it is easy to forget everything that is wearing on him: The supposed curse on him, the half-dead/half-alive state of his love and trying to find Paradise again, just like the wolves. (Harmona's condition is also a confirmation that Paradise, or something like it, actually exists. It is also yet another hint of the dangerous side to Paradise. I'm sure the circumstances behind Harmona's soul being stuck in Paradise will be revealed eventually, but it shows Paradise is not the perfect place Kiba and the others believe it is.)
As for where the plot is right now ... man, it must have been agonizing for the Japanese to watch this series and have to wait a month to get some resolution after that cliffhanger, haha. (Can't have a much better/sadder image to leave off on than the wolves howling for Kiba.) I'm interested to see Lady Jaguara get more of a role in the story. She's mainly been mentioned by name, and she has attacked Orkham and Darcia in the background, but after this latest assault, she'll probably take a stronger role in the plot. Looking forward to what she is planning (no doubt involving Paradise) and how she is connected with everyone else.
-- Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei eps 8-9: lol, should have guessed that the first skit, about being surprised when nothing happens regarding an event one has built up in one's mind, would end with a whimper. I see what you did there, SHAFT. The second skit, about training for making and receiving confessions, starts off slow but gets a lot funnier once Nozomu realizes the unintended consequences of confession training becoming popular. The Death Note and The Empire Strikes Back references are great, as is the Detective Conan reference. Confession training would be pretty inconvenient for fiction, yes. The last skit is one of those random ones where SHAFT decides to completely change the animation style. It's cool to look at, but the skit itself (using a "mystery train" as a metaphor for different decisions people make in their lives) is kind of boring.
As for ep9, there are parts that are funny, and there are parts that really drag. The last skit -- which is about people's "ranges" in various situations -- is a perfect example of this. You can see what the show is going for (poking fun at silly lifestyle choice, dependence on technology, etc.), but the execution is half funny and half boring. First skit, with Nozomu presenting his theories on being prepared for emergencies, also exposes how tired Zetsubou Sensei is getting. I love Chiri, but man, she reacts the same way to everything, and it's not nearly as funny anymore. Chiri going on a murder spree is pretty much the catch-all ending now, although I will give the show credit for putting a funny twist on it and having all the characters actually be alive under the floor. But Zetsubou Sensei needs something to freshen up the show, because the ideas are getting hit and miss, and the characters are less able to carry the show because they have been Flanderized so much. (Will say that I did laugh a lot at the random time travel and the Super Mario Bros.-esque transition to Galileo's time.)
