You know, I want to keep advertising UNMEI KAIHEN posts on here, but I don't want to be obnoxious about it, so I thought of an idea: I'll put an asterisk next to series that have an accompanying blog post and provide the link at the entry in this post, should people be interested in reading them. Easy enough to see, and people won't be greeted by a shower of links. A win-win situation for everyone!
But since I don't write about Monster here, have a link to that post. sry lol
*Denotes UNMEI KAIHEN post
EDIT: lol I completely forgot about Bakemonogatari.
Anime discussed: Aoi Bungaku, Axis Powers Hetalia, Bakemonogatari*, Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini, Eureka Seven, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood*, Kampfer, Kimi ni Todoke*, Letter Bee*, Sasameki Koto*, Shugo Chara! Party, Slayers Try, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Trapeze, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Aoi Bungaku eps 3-4
These episodes conclude the "No Longer Human" arc. In a way, I feel kind of bad for Yozo, mainly because he brings a lot of the pain he feels on himself. To an extent, society forces pain on him -- the newspaper editor begging for comics that tell the story of Yozo's failed double suicide is a constant reminder of Yozo's monstrous side. People talk behind his back about how he killed a woman. And his only "friend" takes advantage of him and hits him for money before seeming repentant at the end, and then insulting Yozo and going off to fight in a horrible war. What happens to the final woman he marries is truly terrible and the final event that causes him to embrace his death.
However, even with all that, Yozo's tragic flaw is that he cannot see an identity beyond that of being a monster slowly losing any semblance of humanity he retains. He seems to do everything so that he can reinforce his own worthlessness: Drawing manga just to make money (and eventually making money by fictionalizing his failed suicide), going drinking to keep people from getting too close to him, and running away from unfortunate situations. Yozo sees that monster in the mirror so much that it infuses his very being; he finds it almost impossible to act in a way that does not fit in with that identity. When Yozo builds a decent relationship with Shizuko, he throws it away by losing himself in drink. (To be fair, though, he never completely fits in with the family, as seen when Shizuko's daughter admits she can never see Yozo as her true father.) And by the time he marries Yoshiko, Yozo is basically obsessed with showing society what he is through his drawings -- a monster. And after Yozo sees the sacrifices Yoshiko has made to make Yozo's art possible, he completely believes there is no hope for someone like him in that society. And, really, maybe there isn't.
Axis Powers Hetalia ep42
Belarus must be pretty damn scary if freaking Russia is scared to death of her. Jeez.
Bakemonogatari ep13
Now we're getting back to the Tsubasa Cat arc. One thing that really stands out to me in this episode is how much more vulnerable Hanekawa is. I thought before that Araragi was a source of stress for her, which would contribute to her cat transformations, and this is more evidence of that for me. She blatantly tries to steer Araragi away from the subject of her health, she acts embarrassed about showing Araragi her cat ears, she actually gets legitimately angry with Araragi at one point and so on. Plus, she is in her freaking pajamas. If that does not scream "vulnerable" I don't know what does. It's so weird to see her like this instead of the composed person she normally is.
Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini ep5
lol I always get so annoyed when things are hidden just out of the camera's range. I'll probably never shout at Misaki as much as I shouted at her to move her damn head so that I could see what is in the damn container, haha. Because this series is so short, however, I don't think the mystery will be dragged out too long, which is good. Looking forward to seeing Madame Oreille finally jump into the picture, and she has some creepy ass twins with her joining the fun. Exciting! My prediction of their contractor powers: They talk at the same time and make people want to kill themselves out of sheer terror. Their remuneration? Standing around in hallways like creepers. Bank on it. The fight between Hei and the contractor (who is the wife of the cross-dresser and the mother of that guy who is in love with Suou) is fun, although it's hilarious how badly she gets owned most of the fight when you consider 1) She has a pretty versatile power (basically all water is under her command) and 2) Hei is without his powers at the moment. I guess Hei is just that badass. Big things should be happening next episode, with Oreille planning something and Hei being stuck in the truck.
Last thing: Definitely interested in seeing where the series is going with Suou keeping her emotions but not really understanding them.
Eureka Seven eps 19-22
The end of this set of episodes marks the beginning of my favorite arc in the series -- the Beams arc. Just pitch perfect storytelling throughout and the point in the series where my viewpoint shifted from, "This is pretty good" to "Holy shit, I am watching something special here!" Definitely wondering if I'll have as strong a reaction to ep26 now as I did before -- at the very least it will look 1,000 times prettier than when I first watched it. I <3 my DVDs.
But before that we have Renton vacillating back and forth between being depressed and wanting to make an honest effort at protecting Eureka. But after Eureka takes the Nirvash in a fit of crazy teen rebellion, Renton realizes what a digital dummy he has been and tries to save her, while Holland yet again acts pissy because he thinks Renton stole the Nirvash. And after Holland specifically told Renton he could not pilot it anymore! What kind of jerk does that! Someone needs a beating! And Holland beats the absolute snot out of Renton after Renton returns with Eureka looking like the biggest piece of Bazooka in history. There's not even an accompanying comic wtf. Ripoff. Holland is completely irrational and blames Renton for all this, although maybe it's not that irrational considering Renton has done some crazy (and unintentional) things with the Nirvash. Whether the thought is irrational is beside the point, however, because the thought it is also wrong. But whatever. Holland is in his raging asshole phase right now, so he acts like a huge prick to Renton, slamming him with the Banhammer so that he cannot see Eureka. He also takes Renton on in a battle to be Eureka's protector, which makes everyone on the ship roll their eyes at Holland and gain a bit of respect for Renton, whose refusal to back down is one of my favorite actions from the little guy.
But I really love how the show turns Holland's douchebaggery on its head by rolling with another running theme in the series: People doing the right thing in completely the wrong way. Holland really cares for Eureka -- the man is obsessed with her to the point where it is seriously affecting his relationship with Talho. (Although she loves the guy so much that she slaps the hell out of Renton when Renton mouths off about Holland getting what he deserves when he takes on a mission "for the money" instead of getting Eureka to the hospital. If you're going to insult Talho's man, then you better do it for a truthful reason instead of making up some bullshit.) Both Holland and Renton want to protect Eureka, but both are so thick-headed that they cannot accept the other trying to horn in on that job. Holland being an enormous prick obscures his devotion to Eureka in Renton's eyes, while Renton being so childish and naive does the same for him in Holland's eyes. And that childishness hurts Renton in a way he cannot imagine -- he enters into a blind rage when he realizes how dumb he has been acting, and he absolutely pulverizes an enemy soldier who had been attacking Holland, which is when he gets the realization that comes to all young mecha pilots: "Holy shit, I'm KILLING PEOPLE. OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG."
It seems like something that should be obvious, but the whole time Renton has been swept up by his view of Gekkostate, his relationship with Eureka and how free-spirited the crew seems to be. The thought that they could be fighting a war never enters Renton's mind for even a second, even though they do battle with the government like every other episode. Renton's talk with Eureka afterward just exasperates things; Renton already feels rejected by the crew, because none of them really has any idea how to deal with someone like Renton, and Eureka tries to forgive Renton, but it comes out like she is condemning him. Renton reacts like the little kid he is -- "This sucks! This is the worst!" -- and runs away to find himself on an epic journey. Even though he is being all emo here, I can't really find it in myself to be annoyed with Renton's actions. He really does care a ton about Eureka, and he really is conflicted about what Gekkostate is doing. Can he really protect Eureka by killing other people? Can he take on that kind of responsibility? Pretty huge questions for a young'un like Renton to take on. Running away like he does isn't so much right as it is understandable.
Plus, if Renton never runs away, then we don't get the Beams for a few episodes. Man, I love the Beams -- Charles and Ray are awesome, despite the heavy villainry they pull out a bit later in the series. They're so free-spirited and caring; in another life they could have been great role models for Renton. It just so happens that Charles has an unfortunate grudge against Holland, as does Ray with Eureka. But putting that aside, Renton is happy as hell to be with the Beams, because they give him exactly what he needs at that moment: Some stability and care. They have food on the table, are not on the run from anyone in particular and they really want Renton to stay with them. Poor Renton just needs some parental figures in his life to let him know he is not some little shithead who cannot even protect the girl he loves. Plus, what other parents would pick you up at a rave and then show you some awesome mecha? The Beams own.
This happiness of course cannot last, but for now, Renton is content as hell. Soon, though, Renton will be challenged to make a choice that determines his path to manhood -- and then I'll break down with manly tears at how awesome ep26 is.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ep31
A couple of other Ishbal flashbacks make their way into this episode, which pleased me. This is mostly set up for the next big arc of the series -- a couple of crazy things will go down next episode, and I can't wait to see the reaction from people who have yet to read the manga, haha. I've been holding my tongue like crazy because I don't want to say anything that will give even the slightest hint of anything away. Nothing much for me to say about this week's episode, because it is one of those that takes one for the team to bridge the gap between arcs, but I do think Scar throwing Marcoh up against the wall is pretty scary, and I also think Hiroyuki Yoshino is doing a splendid job as Kimblee right now. He is perfectly cold, polite and detached without sounding like an emotionless robot. If Yoshino were to ever speak to me in person, I'd probably feel a chill.
Kampfer ep6
So, hey, the mysterious Mikoto finally shows up, and she is pretty funny. I also appreciate that this episode doesn't make it a huge, OMG PLOT TWIST that Mikoto is the new Kampfer. Doesn't take Natsuru long at all to figure that out, which is amusing. Conversations between Natsuru and Mikoto are going to be awkward from now on. Guess who isn't having breakfast at Natsuru's home anymore! Shizuki screwing with poor Natsuru is turning into the funniest part of the series. Tough love, man. Tough love.
Kemono no Souja Erin ep41
Oh snap. I got the feeling the series was foreshadowing the death of the Queen, but I didn't think it would suddenly pull the trigger at the end of the episode. Right now it is ambiguous as to whether the Queen's death is due to her injuries, or if she was poisoned somehow (the tea, maybe?), but either way, everything will be very, very bad very soon. Seimiya is the new Queen; however, she is in no way ready to lead the country, which is exactly what Damiya wants. Not only is Seimiya naive, but there is also next to no way Damiya will allow either Ial or Erin to get close enough to Seimiya to inform her about her ancestors. Any way you look at it, Erin and Ial are screwed right now. Pretty scary situation. It is tough for me to think of a way to resolve this situation without it evolving into a full-blown war -- that is what would happen if Erin and Ial were to go to the Grand Duke for help and explain the situation to him. Bad, bad times all around.
Kimi ni Todoke ep6
Not really too much to say about this episode -- this arc isn't really too bad, but it is at least an episode too long (I was quite surprised that it didn't end last episode, actually). The scene where Sawako reconciles with Yano and Yoshida sums up this arc as a whole, actually: Sweet, somewhat moving and drawn out a bit too long. But I like Yano and Yoshida better at Sawako's friends than as victims of 10 trillion misunderstandings, so hey. Couple of other things: I lol'd at Aya Hirano's character poo-pooing the Jerkass Girl Group and how they blunder forward when accusing Sawako of starting the rumors. "Kazehaya would never like anyone who spread rumors so openly!" Loophole alert! Also, the kids in this school are the most easily swayed people ever. Damn. They'd probably worship Hitler if he hooked them up with some math notes.
Kobato. ep5
A mostly predictable but well-executed episode this week. The show really gets into the heart of the character Kobato is trying to help, a writer whose hardships have sapped him of all inspiration. Nothing much for me to say on that front except that I got into it even though I predicted every beat of the story. There is some more development on the main story, as well -- Sayaka apparently owes some money to the Yakuza. I'm wondering how she got involved with them in the first place, because she does not seem at all like the type of person who would borrow money from mobsters. Someone must have pushed her into it. At any rate, my interest in Kobato. was waning for a bit, and I almost dropped the series, but it seems to be picking up now, so I am happy.
Letter Bee ep6
Don't remember if I mentioned it here, but I totally called the ID system on UNMEI KAIHEN, so booyah. My record of being right one in every 100 times still stands. Respect, yo. After this episode, my one true wish is for Letter Bee to turn into the Jiggy Pepper Show. I would watch that shit in a second. He's got everything: Badass cross-shaped scar (over his eye), badass name, badass motorcycle, badass voice actor (Kazuya Nakai) and he has a badass fist bump. Did I mention his name is Jiggy freaking Pepper?? I've (probably) said it before, and I'll say it again: Man, I love being a turtle You can't have a name like Jiggy Pepper and not be a complete badass. It's imposssible. (THAT'S RIGHT, WITH THREE S'S.) That would be like being named Passion and not being a porn star and/or pole dancer. Certain names just set you up for life. Jiggy Pepper is one of them.
Sasameki Koto ep5
lol Tomoe and Miyako are awesome. They've certainly made the show more entertaining with how they mess with Murasame. Tomoe and Miyako constantly reading Murasame's mind while she is perving in her head about Ushio are the funniest parts of this episode, particularly because of Murasame's reactions. "Stop reading my mind!!" Haha. Second funniest part is Miyako mauling the octopus as if she were a serial killer. Damn, did that poor cephalopod kill her mother or something? Jeez. As goofy as Tomoe and Miyako are, though, hanging around them will help Murasame, if only because she will be able to see more and more that there are people like Tomoe and Miyako who live their lives out in the open, declare their love for everyone to see and don't care what anyone else thinks about it. Having people like that around will build some confidence in Murasame. But for now she'll have to settle for blowing up food.
Shugo Chara! Party ep6
Eh. This feels like a pointless episode. Rikka grows a bit closer to the Charas, and there are some funny moments involving her being totally spastic, but that's about it.
Slayers Try eps 11-14
This bunch of episodes throws out a solid twist -- that huge guy (whose name I am unfortunately forgetting right now) wants to summon Dark Star into the world so that he can destroy him rather than use Dark Star to conquer the world, or some such nonsense. It appears as though the dragons may have understood this plan to an extent, as well, although I am not sure how confident they are in the plan since they want Dark Star as far away from their world as possible, haha. Of course, because Valgaav is a huge douche (and blinded by his desire to seek vengeance against just about every group of people under the sun), this plan is not really going well. There is also an interesting bit of character development regarding Xellos. In ep13, I believe, Xellos offers Valgaav a deal -- join the monsters, and he'll give Valgaav Lina so that he can do whatever he wants with her (i.e. kill her). Valgaav refuses, and although Xellos doesn't say as much, the very fact that he reveals he made the offer at the urging of his master tells me that, deep down, Xellos really did not want to make the offer. Could Xellos actually ... like these people he screws around with so much?? Not that this would ever stop him from messing with them, and I would not want it any other way.
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun ep6
Cute episode, with Mikoto finding out about the not so glamorous aspects of being a Judgment member and how tough it is to deal with so much crap around Academy City. The montage where Mikoto fails at just about everything is particularly funny. Other than Mikoto's struggles there is not much to this episode, although there is an unresolved subplot involving a bomber that will be the focus of the next episode. lol @ the episode preview for completely giving away the identity of the bomber btw. Nice job of leaving people guessing.
Trapeze ep4
I'm really liking how straightforward the stories are versus the bizarre way they are told. This week's episode is about an aging third baseman, Shinichi Bando (played by Daisuke Namikawa), who suddenly cannot make throws because he can feel the pressure of a younger, hotshot player breathing down his neck. Like the other episodes, Bando thinks his problem is with his play and how he cannot fend off this young'un; however, when he helps the player out during a drunken fight, Bando realizes that he and the young guy are not so different -- they share some of the same fears, the same retreats and whatnot. Bando then knows his problem is more with accepting that his time in past, and that he should encourage the younger generation. Bando comes to this conclusion in a cute way: By playing a game of catch with a kid and helping the little guy learn to make a perfect throw. Not as many laughs in this episode as normal (although Irabu leaping head on into baseball and abandoning it almost as quickly is funny), but I enjoyed the episode nonetheless.
Umineko no Naku Koro ni ep19
Oh snap. The introduction of the blue truth is pretty big for Battler. It seems Beatrice will be able to refute Battler's initial blue-tinged claim that Kinzo is actually dead and thus not included in the red truth statement about there being exactly 18 people on Rokkenjima, which would open the door for an unknown killer -- someone outside the Ushiromiya family -- to be the real killer. But Battler is just getting started with that, since Ange/Gretel has given Battler a new strategy: Throw as many statements as possible at Beatrice to explain situations without the use of magic and hope that one of them leads to a clue that will give Battler an advantage. He doesn't need to actually believe the statements he makes are true or be correct with them at all; he just needs to keep the possibility alive that magic did not lead to the murders and trip Beatrice up by forcing her to respond to arguments when she does not want to (and give out clues she does not want to hand out so readily). Now this "game" is finally more of an equal match-up, although admittedly the blue truth is not as obviously beneficial as the red truth.
As for Ange herself ... her connection with Maria is interesting, considering how close Maria was/is to Beatrice. Maybe witches and potential witches have some sort of natural connection to each other. At any rate, Ange has a pretty miserable life in the years following the happenings at Rokkenjima, so it is pretty clear why she would want to erase all of that and be able to have a real family instead of being bitched out by Eva and raised by Kyrie's apparently Jerkass sister.
Basically an opening episode to set up the scenario, but I'm pumped to see where everything goes. Also, I totally lol'd at the beginning with Ronove trolling Beatrice about Battler BSOD'ing about Beatrice's trick in the previous episode. Beatrice being somewhat concerned about Battler's reaction is kind of interesting, considering she has absolutely no reason to act this way since Battler will never trust her again, but Beatrice has shown that she does not really care about going too far with Battler, so I have no idea why she is showing even a tiny semblance of remorse.
Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei ep13
I see this episode as I see Zan as a whole -- some funny bits that show potential, but none of it can gel into a consistently funny whole. I like the pointing out of mistakes in the first skit, the mass marketing of feelings of security and Nozomu's theory on feeling secure in the second skit and the randomness after the credits in the third skit, but all of that is paired with bits that are just really boring and had me yawning much of the time. It's weird to say Zetsubou Sensei needs a shake-up, because it is already such a weird show, but it is starting to fall into the pattern Minami-ke is in, where the show is solid but doesn't really pull anything you haven't seen before from it. (Although, and this might be blasphemy, I must admit to enjoying Minami-ke more than Zetsubou Sensei at this point. Not an entirely fair comparison, however, since they go for different things with their comedy.)
Before the summer season started, I was really excited to get more Zetsubou Sensei (especially since the first two episodes of Goku are gold), but Zan is just a disappointment all around. I'm shocked to see it with such a healthy score on MAL; supposedly, SHAFT's B-team worked on Zan, and the A-team handled Bakemonogatari, and it really shows.
