So, this week I am implementing Alla's valuable suggestion and separating the series I write about here and the ones I write about on UNMEI KAIHEN (with accompanying links). It seems like common sense, which is probably why I went so long without doing this, because I have no common sense. I'll still write short blurbs on the UNMEI KAIHEN series, but they'll mostly be silly entries and/or interesting, random things that don't fit in with whatever angle I choose to follow on the blog posts. (It'll finally give me an excuse to put Monster in these posts!) For anyone interested in whatever series I write about on my site, I encourage you to read my more in-depth posts. (And to comment if you do read! Otherwise, I have no idea who is reading what.)
Anyway, even though I have technically been doing this for more than a year, because computer issues forced me to take a few weeks off during the summer, this is officially the one year anniversary of My Week in Anime! Yay! I never envisioned that I would be doing this for such a length of time, because I almost never follow through on anything. However, I enjoy writing about anime quite a bit, and that love has enabled me to get a lot more out of each series I watch, so I'll keep doing it as long as I can!
Quick note: I'll be watching and writing about Kimi ni Todoke later today, because I spent much of yesterday catching up on other series (the process of watching a show and then writing a blog post about it takes about as much time as it would for me to watch 2-3 episodes of anime). The spot will be blank for now, but I'll update this post later when I am finished with that.
This post has been Kimi ni Todoke'd.
Anime discussed: Axis Powers Hetalia, Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini, Kampfer, Mononoke, Shugo Chara! Party, Slayers Try, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Trapeze, Umineko no Naku Koro ni
UNMEI KAIHEN: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Kimi ni Todoke, Letter Bee, Monster, Sasameki Koto
Axis Powers Hetalia ep43
Ukraine's bouncing boobs noise gives me the fucking creeps.
Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini ep6
So the biggest thing here is that Yin is back (if that is indeed her; can't be completely sure for now), and she is considerably more powerful than before, since she can either manipulate water (which is pretty convenient for killing Michiru) or turn contractors' powers against them. Can't believe I never thought that the informant lady with the crazy connections was the one giving the orders to Hei (would also explain why she is so eager to make Misaki suspicious of her new organization), and she wants Yin dead for reasons that are not apparent yet -- all we know is that something happened in the past between Hei and Yin that led to Hei agreeing to kill Yin. However, he cannot go through with it because he has feelings for her. Knew the old Hei would come back sooner or later. Now he can finally stop being such a dick to Suou, as well. (Suou will be happy because of that, seeing as she appears to be developing feelings for Hei. Stockholm Syndrome in action.)
Also, an interesting note -- according to Omni, there will be four special episodes that bridge the gap between the first and second seasons of Darker than Black, and they will be released on the Blu-Ray volumes of Ryuusei no Gemini coming out in Japan. It'll be a while before we get the entire picture, but at least it is coming.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ep32
And in a cameo appearance, Grumman is temporarily played by Robin Williams circa 1993! I wonder how long he could keep that act up if he needed to do so. Would he go to work like that? Fight on the battlefield? Can anyone imagine him dressed like Mrs. Doubtfire, staring down a Homunculus? What if Envy had to impersonate Grumman for some reason? Just one simple incident of crossdressing leads to a wealth of scenarios. That is why you see so many traps in anime.
Kampfer ep7
This series in a nutshell: The first 10 minutes is spent on a pocky-eating game where Sakura's ultimate goal is to steal a kiss from the female Natsuru. What mainly comes out of it is Shizuku showing Akane who is boss. Then a long stretch is spent with Sakura trying to peek on Natsuru in the shower, and then sneaking into bed with Natsuru. Why, oh why, am I watching this. I barely even know anymore. Even hot-tempered Yui Horie seems to have lost a bit of spark.
Kemono no Souja Erin ep42
Agh, this series is so, so good. This episode does a fantastic job of portraying the complexity of balancing ideals versus reality. Seimiya, the Queen's granddaughter, has suddenly ascended to the throne after her mother's death. Throughout the series she has been shown to be a pampered, yet good-hearted, person, and this shows in her governing style: She wants as much as possible to emulate her grandmother by following a pacifistic path, and she shows her inexperience by relying upon Damiya's advice as much as possible. But she goes through many conflicts with Shunan, the Grand Duke's son and the man Seimiya once loved, who takes a more practical approach to things -- he wants to keep peace by marrying Seimiya and uniting the Queen and the Grand Duke's quarters so that the citizens will see that they can work together on equal terms for the benefit of the kingdom, and thus a new path to stability will open.
However, Seimiya still has a child's heart, and because of that she is pretty offended by the implication that Shunan proposes to her solely because of the kingdom's political situation instead of any love he holds for her (despite the fact that he still loves her quite a bit). It's tough because it is easy to see both sides of the situation; through our lives, the message we get is that it is best to marry for love, and yet love is but one part of a marriage. There are so many things involved in a relationship and so many sacrifices required by both people, which is symbolized by Shunan proposing for the benefit of the kingdom. Even if the union may not be ideal, and they may not be truly happy, Shunan wants to sacrifice their happiness so that the country will not fall apart at the seams. It's the happiness of the individuals versus the well-being of the many -- a huge decision like that can be such a burden. And Erin walks the right path with it, showing how Seimiya is influenced by her romantic heart but not making her look like a total fool, and also making Shunan appear correct from a logical standpoint but also showing just how far he will go to stabilize the kingdom.
One other plot point I really appreciate, as someone who is not fond of war (to say the least), is how this episode -- and the series as a whole -- can show how war has the potential to tear apart nations, and to advocate peaceful solutions, and yet is also mature enough to show respect toward those who give their lives to protect what needs to be protected. I'm anti-war, for the most part, but I'm not dumb enough to believe any nation can go without some form of defense. Shunan understands where Seimiya is coming from, but he absolutely will not allow the reputation of his soldiers to be degraded by those who would falsely accuse them of trying to usurp the throne. They fight hard and sacrifice so much to keep the kingdom safe. Shunan is absolutely right when he says it takes more than a message of peace to keep a kingdom stable. They don't have to go out and conquer other lands and be violent idiots; they simply have to be there to protect the kingdom when it is threatened.
Kimi ni Todoke ep7
I love Ryu. He's so easygoing and chill, and it's hilarious. Also, WTF @ this. Some related posts at the end of my Kimi ni Todoke post ... the first three sort of make sense, since they are from my site, but a Cougar Town episode review?? What the hell??
Kobato. ep6
Look, it's the Ioryogi backstory establishing special. :P I like that he is an outcast of sorts -- he's known for his quick temper, arrogance and demanding nature back home, which is why he was forced into his current form and sent on the mission to help Kobato get to wherever it is she is going. Every time someone from Ioryogi's neck of the woods is introduced, I get more interested in that world. The guy has this whole information network available to him, there are rivalries and this whole hierarchy involved. I'd like to see more of that. This also makes me interested in Kobato's true nature -- she has either lost her memories except for one (a place where she belongs), or perhaps she is like Ioryogi and is a different sort of creature altogether who happens to be assuming a human form. Not really sure which side I am swaying toward right now (or if either of those is even correct).
On the larger plot front, the debt collectors are getting pushier, led by one douchebag voiced by Shinichiro Miki. I can't remember hearing him voice such an evil, slimy prick before, so that will be fun. (No, Miss A, Allen doesn't count. He's just a moron.) And my question from last week was answered -- Sayaka inherited her father's debt instead of plunging into it herself. But the series seems to be painting Sayaka's father as a good guy, so I wonder how he got involved in all that dirty business.
Letter Bee ep7
This week's Gratuitous English name: The Gaichuu is actually named "Glen Keith". A quick Google search reveals no Glen Keiths of significance other than the Glen Keith Scotch Whiskey Distillery in Scotland. Something tells me the author of the Letter Bee manga took a few trips to the Glen Keith before penning the series and naming the characters. Just a hunch.
Mononoke eps 1-5
This series is pretty damn awesome, even for someone like me who knows jack diddly shit about Japanese folk tales and horror stories. The basic idea behind the series is that there is this wanderer, the Medicine Seller, who often ends up in situations where supernatural creatures terrorize the people in the area. He needs three basic things to combat these creatures -- Form (what the creature is), Truth (the background behind the events) and Regret (what ties the creature to our world). It's interesting watching the Medicine Seller weave his way through the complex web of events that lead up to each creature driving people batcrap insane. Helps a lot that the Medicine Seller is totally badass. He's unnaturally calm, a bit aloof and probably enjoys screwing with people just a bit too much, but when it comes down to it, you know he will kick some demon ass in the end. Plus, I don't think the creators could have chosen anyone better than Takahiro Sakurai to voice him. Such a great match.
One of the aspects of Mononoke I love most is how it tells the stories visually. Just enough of the background behind the events is explained so that each episode can play out the rest onscreen and people should be able to get it. For instance, the first arc takes place in a rather shady inn. There's something up with the innkeeper, though it's tough to tell what at first. But as the arc goes on, it becomes apparent that the innkeeper runs a black market abortion clinic under her own roof. Now, nobody outright says she performs abortions in her inn; however, it is pretty obvious that is the case, and that is because of the effective way Mononoke uses the visuals to craft the story. Everything is paced perfectly because of this, and the conclusions to the two arcs I have seen so far have been suitably epic and awesome because of it.
I'm not entirely sure about majority opinion on the visuals, but I love them. First of all, they fit the timeframe perfectly -- each character and setting looks as if it suddenly came to life and sprang out of an Edo-era painting. There are a lot of character designs that are "ugly", visually, but that is really a purposeful tactic to represent the ugliness the Medicine Seller is often confronted with when he goes out to own some demons. What makes the visuals even better is the surreal way they heighten the horror of each story. Mononoke is never really outright scary, but it is often pretty damn creepy because the visuals hit all the right notes with the terrible events portrayed -- being trapped in a room that stretches on into infinity, being swarmed by hordes of ugly ass babies, vomiting up goldfish (I swear this sort of makes sense) and so on. I watch a lot of horror, and while Mononoke is not exactly a horror series, it absolutely nails the horror aspect. The horror also accomplishes what good horror should do: Reveal the ugliness lurking inside all people for the entire world to see. There are very few people in Mononoke who are completely innocent; almost everyone has some secret to hide, some of which are far worse than others. The guilty don't get off easy in this series.
Speaking of guilty people not getting off easy, there is a cool surprise in ep4 with Norio f'n Wakamoto voicing some sort of crazy ass fish creature that plays a shamisen (I think that's what it is called) and reveals people's deepest, darkest fears. If I could pick any voice actor who would scare the living hell out of me enough to get me to reveal my deepest fears, it would definitely be Wakamoto. When a Wakamoto character's voice booms and echoes all around, your heart will skip a beat. It's just going to happen.
Probably the only bad thing about the series is that I always get sleepy when I watch it, for whatever reason. It's obviously not a quality issue; maybe there is just something about the visuals, much as I love them, that makes me tired when I watch the show. Or maybe I have just coincidentally watched each episode when I am really tired. Who knows. But, yes, Mononoke rocks. Wholehearted recommendation to all.
Monster eps 11-12
Dieter >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hartmann. That is all.
Sasameki Koto ep6
Fun tidbit: Murasame's brothers all look like Ryu from Street Fighter. What I want to know is whether this extends to the rest of her family. Does she have cousins who look like Chun-Li? Uncles who look like E. Honda? A grandpa who looks like Dhalsim? An American friend who looks like Guile? This question must be answered by the end of the series.
Shugo Chara! Party ep7
It's episodes like this that make me want the main portion of the series to be longer. There is some absolutely hilarious stuff done with Rima yanking Nagihiko's chain in this episode (I cracked up so hard when Rima is all pissed, and then she turns super sweet while mentioning it is the first time she has met Nadeshiko), and the return of Nadeshiko -- even if it is brief -- is a hell of a lot of fun. However, everything is crammed into one bite-sized chunk that, while awesome, is also not filling enough. (Oh snap, going all metaphorical on you guys.) Even when Shugo Chara! Party is good, it still manages to annoy me. Damn it.
Slayers Try eps 15-23
The story is finally coming to a head, but man, Try has definitely been disappointing compared to the first season and Next. It feels like half the things are happening in this series than in Next, even though Lina's crew spends about as much time randomly wandering around as they do in the other seasons. Maybe it's just that nothing feels quite as substantial as it does in Next -- everything feels huge and epic there, whereas Try is just a retread that doesn't bring much new to the table. There is the interesting wrinkle that the people trying to summon the world-destroying god this time are merely doing so to keep it from destroying their world (which leads to a lot of people acting like complete douches), but groups of people wanting to summon gods are just a bit tired now.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm still enjoying the series overall, because the cast of characters is so damn lovable. I'll never get tired of Lina being greedy, Gourry being a moron, Zelgadis being awesome, Amelia being zealous, Xellos being an asshole (he really steps up his game in Try) and the other random characters the show pulls out of its hat. The silly side adventures are fun, too. The twist at the end of ep15 (where Lina finds herself on an island) cracked me up, Amelia finding her dream village is hilarious and the required cross-dressing episode is fun, too, although it is nowhere near as hilarious as in the first two seasons. And once the sidequests are over, and Lina's posse is able to completely focus on things, the plot picks up quite a bit. But, man, I guess Next really spoiled me -- the balance between awesome adventure plot and hilarious comedy is absolutely perfect in Next.
Ah well. I don't want to whine too much. Again, the show is ending pretty well, the villains are suitably douchey, and I have even enjoyed the drama with the dragons (I feel pretty sorry for Filia now). Hopefully Try can make up for being disappointing by ending on a strong note.
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun ep7
Moral of the story: Don't screw with the Railgun. Damn. I like the episode for Mikoto and, surprisingly, Touma being awesome, but the villain kind of sucks lol. Just a typically bullied guy going over the edge, except he totally reaches beyond his grasp and fails miserably. Mostly he comes off as an excuse to bring up the Level Upper concept, which Saten mentions offhand and appears to be the source of the villain's enhanced abilities. It probably also contributed to the powers of the eyebrow girl from a few episodes back, as well. Lazy scientist lady is probably behind both of those as part of her research, but you never know. Could be someone the show completely pulls out of its ass, haha.
Trapeze ep5
lol This might be the funniest episode in the series so far. Don't know if it's my favorite, but it is the funniest. I think it's because Irabu goes out of his way to make his patient -- a fellow psychologist named Ikeyama -- to act like a complete douche/nutjob as a way to cure him. The moment at the end where Irabu and Ikeyama team up to yoink Ikeyama's stepfather's wig is so silly but also hilarious. Ikeyama's problem is pretty easy to decipher: He spends too much time trying to fit in with other people's image of what she should be instead of being himself, which throws his whole being out of whack. He gets strong urges to act out because he's stuffing his real feelings so far down inside. He doesn't like opera, playing classical music or ballroom dancing. Ikeyama likes watching baseball and acting like a goof. It's a nice moment at the end when Ikeyama sees that his wife isn't a stuck-up priss; she wants to know him better and try what he enjoys. And she thinks her dad's toupee is hilarious.
Umineko no Naku Koro ni ep20
Not an episode that pushes forward the mystery very much -- at least the mystery on the island, anyway. But in the meta-world, Maria is more on Beatrice's side than ever, revealing that she is apprenticed to Beatrice and has the power to create things from nothing. (Maria is God? I fear for the world.) Maria also admonishes Ange for being a pessimist and reminds Ange that she did some witch training of her own, although that apparently amounted to nothing ... until now, that is. Ange is not that strong yet, but whatever power she has will come into play by the end of the season probably. Maria's power will probably come into play during the actual mystery itself as well. Also, and this is probably mean, but I lol'd at Maria being made more sympathetic. Don't ask me to like someone that crazy.
Meanwhile, current!Ange is playing detective and confirming a few things for herself. She's exposed to the existence of Beatrice via messages in a couple of bottles, although I have no idea why Beatrice would write down details of the first couple of matches and then send them off. Maybe for the hell of it? Or maybe she wrote them down for herself, and someone got his or her hands on 'em and sent them off. I don't know how anyone could do that without Beatrice catching on, however lol.
At the end, Lambdadelta fucks with Ange by pointing out that Ange's timeline won't change if she helps Battler defeat Beatrice; instead, a timeline will sprout for the benefit of a different Ange, and meta-Ange will still be stuck in her shitty timeline. With this in mind, Lambdadelta tries to strike a deal with Ange, wherein Ange will rig things so that the game stays in a perpetual tie, which would benefit Ange by allowing her to be with Battler forever, and it would benefit Lambdadelta because she wins her bets with Beatrice and Bernkastel. If I were Ange, I'd tell Lambdadelta to stick that deal up her ass. Ange doesn't know exactly what will happen if she wins, but if she ties, she has to view this miserable shit for eternity. What a crappy existence that would be. It's a no-brainer, I think.
