Had a nice time at my brother's graduation last night, and then I came home to see that the Lakers won game four of the NBA Finals. Great night ftw.
Also, I decided to take a cue from what TC is doing (and what Des did) and split thoughts on longer series into the chunks of episodes I watched. I think that will help me give those series their due and be a bit more specific in my commentary instead of condensing everything into one paragraph at the end of the week. Plus, it might be amusing to see how my thoughts evolve as I run through a series, haha. Claymore and Hatsukoi Limited are the first shows to receive that treatment.
Also, no K-On! this week since CoalGuys hasn't put out ep11 yet. Sadness.
Anime discussed: Axis Powers Hetalia, Basquash!, Claymore, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Hatsukoi Limited, Hayate no Gotoku!, Higashi no Eden, Kanon (2006), Shugo Chara! Doki, Souten Kouro, Vision of Escaflowne
-- Axis Powers Hetalia ep20: Italy is such a goof. It truly is a wonder Germany has not died yet. And, uh, I guess the America cleans out his closet "storyline" is done? The nostalgia really does not do anything for me at all.
-- Basquash! ep10: Hm, I get the idea behind Dan's trauma manifesting itself on the basketball court, but it strikes me as a bit contrived that it appears so obviously just for the purposes of this episode. He does not have any hesitation on the court that I can remember in previous episodes. Yeah, Coco is always on his mind, but he usually uses that to charge forward and play harder. Why did he not show fear when he played Sela and Iceman? When he played Eclipse? Iceman's old team in the desert? Up until now, Dan's weakness has been his wild, inconsistent style of play rather than any sort of fear holding him back; if anything, he is a bit too fearless and reckless. Aside from that, this is a decent enough episode -- I am especially intrigued with the mystery behind Slash, who I think is being set up as the son of the man who introduced Dan and Coco to basketball (or maybe he's just getting younger for lord knows what reason), which would explain why he has a connection with Coco and an interest in Dan.
-- Claymore eps 6-11: Interesting that a lot of the focus is not on Clare during her flashback episodes. Teresa is plenty badass, though, so that does not matter much at all. Really sucks how Teresa dies, though -- after abandoning the organization, she actually stops to do the old duty of her organization (killing Claymores who went too far and became Yoma), and was killed herself because of it. Death by irony wtf. Priscila is likely going to be the Big Bad, and I wonder just how much stronger she has become in the years after all that madness. It saddens me that Minami Takayama's Claymore is killed after a few episodes, but then she is pretty much replaced with a Claymore played by Kikuko Inoue, so it's all good. Hopefully it won't be too long before at least a couple of answers are dug up regarding the exact nature of the organization. It is definitely suspicious from the start, and there is more suspicion thrown its way with the black-and-white nature of its one rule (don't kill humans), its experiments with male Claymores, the roundabout plot to assassinate Miria and so on. It's obvious that this organization is not raising women to kill Yoma out of the goodness of its own heart. Aside from that, the fight with Miria's group against the male Awakened One is pretty cool. Pretty amazing that Clare has forged the ability to sense energy to such an acute degree, although she really needs to focus for it to be effective. Good thing she has Miria to back her up now. They make a good team. :P
eps 12-13: Oh, nice, Irene actually survived the battle against Priscila somehow. It's an unlikely event, so the show just sidesteps it by having Irene say that she faked her death and suppressed her yoki so that the organization would not find her, but really, Minami Takayama is back, so I can let it slide a bit. And, haha, it is quite apparent why Miria told her crew to stay the hell away from Claymores ranked five and above. Ophelia is just a maniac. Irene's flash sword technique will help Clare out, but it will take a hell of a lot more than that for Clare to match the likes of her, especially since Ophelia is now an Awakened One.
eps 14-19: ... And Irene's return does not last very long at all. Ah well lol. Irene's arm is a nice parting gift to Clare, and it ends up helping her quite a bit, although Clare does not fully realize the powers of the arm for a few episodes. There is probably even more she can do; she just has not tapped those powers yet. I am really liking the pacing of these episodes, mainly because they focus almost completely on the fights and Clare's journey to hunt down Priscila instead of having Raki there to dilute things a bit. Don't really have anything major against the guy, but the parts of the show focusing on the relationship between him and Clare are the least exciting by far. I will say, though, that it is interesting that Raki has fallen in with Priscila and Isley, although he obviously does not know who they are. It is not a given that this will last long, but they are treating him decently so far, so it might be a decent conflict between him and Clare later on, because Clare is going to want to kill the fuck out of Priscila no matter who is in her way.
I'm wondering who will be the main villain in all this -- the organization is made to look more evil with each story arc, but Isley and Priscila are also being set up as super powerful. It seems like a lot to handle with just seven episodes remaining. Other than that, the fights are still pretty awesome. Loved Clare teaming up with Galatea and Jean to take on Duff. It shows that the Claymores are not all-powerful (even the insanely strong single-digit fighters) and further establishes that they need to team up to get things done. Good to see more powers popping up as well. Galatea's energy manipulation, Clare's flash sword and Jean's drill sword are a deadly combination. Hell if I know how they will stand a chance against Isley and Priscila, though. If they're powerful enough to make Riful -- someone who takes Jean out with utter ease -- cautious, especially when she had dealt with the three Claymores in such an easygoing manner, then I'm not certain how they can defeat the Big Bads. Kikuko Inoue Miria taking a level in badass certainly helps.
-- eps 20-26: Since the manga is ongoing, the anime would obviously drift from it at some point, but the last three episodes do it in the lamest possible way. (I haven't read the manga, myself, but I know what happens around the point where the anime and manga split.) There is no real resolution to anything except the Raki/Clare storyline (which is the least interesting aspect of the show to me). Clare fights Priscila but pretty much ends that match in a draw since Raki helps her revert back to her human form after she becomes an Awakened One. Isley doesn't even fight, himself -- he just takes Priscila and vanishes. I know a big point of the series is that Clare cannot become a monster to eradicate her demons (lol), but that does not make for a particularly good ending. The conflict between Isley and the other Abyssal Ones isn't even touched after Clare and the others fight Riful. Bits of story with Rafaela are brought up and then never mentioned again after she (I assume) kills Irene. There are probably other examples I am not even thinking of. It's as if Madhouse hoped there would be a second season and stayed faithful to the manga as long as possible, but then the end approached and they were like, "... Fuck, this isn't going to work" and just did their thing. Ah well. Disappointing ending aside, the action is still plenty good, and the fight with Rigaldo is particularly awesome. That might be the best fight in the entire series, actually. Good stuff there.
-- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ep10: Man, sad episode, although I am surprised at the swiftness with which the show moves past Hughes' death. He dies with seven minutes left in the episode, his funeral happens and then the focus is on Roy and his mission to bring down the bastards at the top who are collaborating with the bastards who killed Hughes. I hear the first series handles Hughes' death better, which is probably true. Damn, though, Elicia asking why her daddy is being buried and being worried about whether he will be able to go to work is soooooooooo heartbreaking. Like, I had a lump in my throat the whole time. So sad. At least Hughes is able to put a god damn knife in Lust's head before he goes out. Holy crap that is crazy. Her pulling the knife out and staying alive is just as crazy, but holy shit, he knifed her brain. No wonder he lived through Ishbal. Speaking of Ishbal, Roy's brief flashback makes more obvious the tension between him and King Bradley. (Which has been apparent from the beginning of the series and super obvious since Roy made clear that he is aiming for the top.) Bradley trying to keep all the hullabaloo about the philosopher's stone in house, combined with Hughes refusing to use a military line for his emergency call, just makes him more suspicious. He did seem genuinely shaken up at Hughes' funeral, though, which doesn't really absolve him at all but maybe shows he really is trying to protect people he likes and keep them away from sordid business. I wonder how long Ed and Al will go before learning of Hughes' death? That won't be such a great thing to come home to ...
-- Hatsukoi Limited eps 1-3: Finally decided to watch this series, just because I like the character designs and have been curious about it from random screenshots Des has sprinkled throughout Chat. I should have been watching this from the beginning of the season. The series has not stepped too far outside the normal boundaries of high school love comedies, but Hatsukoi Limited also pulls the genre off well, so that is not such a big problem. The characters seem engaging and funny so far, and there are a ton of them, which I guess makes sense since each episode is apparently supposed to focus on different first loves. I do like that concept because the possible pairings are interesting so far, haha. My favorite of the girls so far is Misaki. Aside from being gorgeous, she is also wont to do random wrestling submission holds on people. If she ever does the Stretch Plum on someone, then I'll pass the point of no return. Ayumi is also amusing (she kicks like a certain other Ayumi in a certain other J.C. Staff series). Of the guys, Kusuda has shown the most personality and is the most consistently funny. He's very pervy, but I guess he's a dependable perv, as Kei has found out, haha. The Zaitsu brothers are OK. Mamoru has not shown too much, and Misao is just the gentle giant (around Ayumi, anyway) at the moment.
eps 4-9: You know, what I am really loving about this show is how different each episode feels in terms of tone. There are episodes that are purely silly and goofy, episodes that are a bit more grounded and dramatic and episodes that mix the two. J.C. Staff really knows when to go after a certain tone and how to totally nail it. I'm liking just about all the girls so far. They are each interesting in their own ways, although some are a bit cooler to me than others. Still like Misaki a lot. Koyoi and her brother complex are friggin' hilarious. I laughed really hard through most of her episode. It is cool with me that she and Ayumi seem to be teaming up a lot lately. They are a great pair. Kei's budding relationship with Kusuda is full of clichés, but it is also sweet in its own way, so I don't really mind too much. Watase is cute and funny, too, even if her episode is a clear example of the creators trying to have their cake and eat it, too, by filling the episode with Watase fanservice but also exploring the embarrassment and pressure of certain developments and the attention they bring. Hatsukoi Limited's biggest weakness is probably its male cast. They're just not as funny or interesting as the women. My favorite now is probably Ayumi's brother, Yuuji, who is pretty much a male version of Kayoi, haha. He tries so hard for Ayumi's approval lol.
-- Hayate no Gotoku! ep37: Entertaining episode, with Nagi hanging out with Ayumu so that she can get a grasp of what it is like to be a "normal" girl, since she believes Hayate likes normal girls. Poor Ayumu being distressed about being considered normal reminds me a lot of Nami from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, haha. I half expected her to shout, "Don't call me normal!!" Some of the funniest parts in this episode involve Nagi trying to do normal things in bizarre ways. There is a short scene where she tries to walk through a ticket turnstile in a subway station, and she just cannot get the timing of the mini doors down, and so she spends about half a minute stuck there, and it cracked me up. I also lol'd at the end when the narrator basically calls Hayate a stalker.
-- Higashi no Eden ep9: Hm, I am feeling a bit weird about the direction this series is going in with the final few episodes. It just does not feel as if it is ending at all, which reinforces my belief that this series is not going to get such a great ending due to the movie. (Hopefully I am wrong about that, though.) That said, there is a lot revealed in this episode -- most notably that No. 10 is the Selecao agent who sent the order for Careless Monday, although he probably did it at the behest of No. 1. The orders at the end suggest that No. 1 and No. 10 intend to use these attacks as a means for Japan to enter into a new era of prosperity, which is a, er, unique way of thinking. Itazu eating it is not too surprising. Once No. 1 and No. 10 showed up at his home, I knew he did not have long to live. What is more surprising, though, is that No. 10 has a weak stomach for this sort of thing. Lends more credence to the idea that No. 1 is using No. 10 through and through (probably so that No. 1 does not use up all his Selecao cash). With Ohsugi at the end, we go back to the "I'll kill you, Akira Takizawa!" graffiti from way earlier in the series. It now strikes me as way more suspicious, though. We really do not know who wrote that, although it's likely one of the NEETs did it. Whatever the case, Ohsugi is getting the wrong idea from it, so I'm just waiting to see how Ohsugi bungles things up. One more thing: Was it ever mentioned earlier in the series that Akira erased his cell phone history along with his memories? I'm not sure if it was mentioned before, or brought up for the first time in this episode, which would kind of be lazy writing. Also, there is still no clear cut reason why Akira erased his memories and the cell phone history; however, I am not counting on an answer to that question until at least the series finale.
-- Kanon (2006) eps 21-22: AGH OMG EP21 WHAT. I am so glad we end on the even episodes instead of the odd ones, because I don't think I could have taken Akiko being hit by the SUV as the weekly cliffhanger. (If I had been writing this when Kanon actually aired, I would not have shut up about that. Akiko would have been my avatar for at least a month afterward.) What makes it worse is that the actual shot of the accident itself is so harsh and simple -- just a bird's eye view of Akiko crossing the street, and then the car tumbles right into her. It's just ... damn, maximum impact (pun not intended), especially since it's someone like Akiko, whom you figure won't figure too prominently in all the drama. I feel so bad for Nayuki, too, especially given the revelations in these two episodes. Can't stop thinking about how tough it must be for her to not only hang out with Yuuichi every day but also live with him after he broke her heart seven years prior and forgot about it afterward. (Although, to be fair to Yuuichi, he was dealing with some horrible trauma, himself.) And now she has to deal with her mom nearly dying (don't think she'll die because that will just be too harsh)? Poor girl. And Ayu ... agh, I guess I was right about her being a spirit. Her death scene is so difficult to watch. The fall, the paralysis, the pinky swear and then the slip into death. Pretty obvious that this is the root of Yuuichi's memory loss; his brain probably called discontinuity immediately after he left the town. The end of ep22 is hinting strongly that Yuuichi is slipping toward death, himself, or at least getting a glimpse of the afterlife, especially with Makoto. I hope he doesn't die, though. :(
-- Shugo Chara! Doki ep35: Good end to the two-part storyline. It is easy to see where the story was going to go, but the execution of it is rather good -- the flashback with Yua and Amu coupled Yua's resolution to sing is a nice, emotional moment. My only real complaint is that I wish Utau were used a bit better. Her appearance in the battle feels a bit superfluous; really, all she does is help Amu a bit and then stand back and let Amu do the rest of the work. Oh well. The comedy is spot on as usual. Kiseki being so enthusiastic about singing, and then actually doing a couple of lines from his own song later in the episode, is probably my favorite moment. Kiseki is such a dork lol. Yaya building up her attack and then getting owned is also really funny.
-- Souten Kouro ep6: Basically a set-up episode for the Yellow Turban Rebellion. War is upon us. Yayz.
-- Vision of Escaflowne eps 5-6: Haha, Dilandau takes another step up in awesome by being obsessive and protective of his wonderful face. His reaction after Van cuts up his face is fantastic. He's even better the next episode, punching out one of his soldiers who dares to question Dilandau poking his wound in a disturbing fashion, and then he sees Van speaking with Folken and attempts to snipe the holy hell out of him, except Hitomi intervenes at the last second. Oh, Dilandau, you crazy bastard. <3 Speaking of Folken, he is really interesting. Again, I like the relationship between him and Dilandau. Folken has his own goals of ending war, and they line up with Emperor Dornkirk (or so we are led to believe right now), but he has no problem screwing with Dilandau, as evidenced by Folken tossing Van the sword just before Dilandau can attack him. Folken is also none too happy when Dilandau tries to use his hax sniping skillz on Van. What Folken says about his arm really sticks in my mind. I am thinking he tried to use Escaflowne himself and ended up not being compatible with it, and thus ... well, obviously things did not turn out so well for him. There is probably something else on top of that that drove him from Fanelia, though. But, yeah, if Escaflowne figures into Folken's plans, then he definitely wants Van on his side, because, you know, Van can pilot the damn thing.
One last thing: Hitomi's long jump is awesome. Perfect 10 imo.
