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Entry tags:
anime update!
Picked up:
Shion no Ou:
This is kinda like Hikaru no Go, only with shogi instead of go, and instead of being a subtle, mature, intelligent story (with just a touch of the supernatural) about becoming an adult, it's a crime drama with cross-dressing and sordid--'scuse me, torrid romance. And Paku Romi! It's kind of sad, but I'm infatuated. Husky altos and gender-bending--I'm a cheap date.
Minami-ke:
With the ending of Lucky Star, I needed something to fill my comedy fix. This is slice-of-life, a school setting with three sisters who are utter cliches (maternal older sister, weird, energetic, dumb middle sister, worldly, cynical, genius-type littlest sister, and nary a parent in sight), unless they're just archetypes. Calling them archetypes will leave me with more dignity when I admit that I snicker all the way through each episode. And I totally ship Kana and that guy she keeps kicking. What this lacks in brilliant parodic Lucky Channel segments, it makes up for by not constantly referencing The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I mean, guys, I liked it too, but give it a rest already, will you?
Bamboo Blade:
I haven't a clue why I put this on my watch-list. Kendo comedy? Since when do I do kendo comedy? But it's really rather funny; it seems to be constructed by people who know what they're doing, and how to tell a joke, and it's somehow hitting all the right notes. So far, we have a clueless, albeit reasonably competent and likable kendo captain, her totally selfish, yet not despicable loser teacher, who only wants put together a winning kendo team so he can win a bet and get a year's worth of free sushi, a generic nice guy, his childhood friend, who looks like Mikoto from Mai-HiME and whose kendo skills are clearly OVER NINE THOUSAND, and some guy with an egg-shaped head, voiced by Akira Ishida.
It just clicks, somehow.
Genshiken 2:
Should this be ongoing, instead of new? I'm a big fan of Genshiken, both from the airing of the original series, and the subsequent American publication of the really excellent manga source material (Del Rey's translation is nothing to turn your nose up at). The plot isn't new to me, since it's based on manga I've already read, but the adaptation is no less enjoyable for that. If you prefer manga to anime, there's probably no need to watch this, but if you prefer anime to manga, there's no reason not to.
Finished:
Seirei no Moribito:
Kinda like Fantastic Children, this ended with such satisfactory elegance that I'm left with nothing more to say than what I've said already. Do you like a thoughtful, well-told story? Watch this. You won't be disappointed.
The latest season of Maria-sama ga Miteru:
Dude, they aren't even pretending to resolve things anymore, are they? Well, as long as they keep on returning for new seasons, I don't care. More grey-palette, pseudo-Catholic, tasteful shoujo-ai, dammit! I am insatiable! I even still secretly ship Sei/Yuri, even though Yuri and Sachiko are so close to being on an emotional equilibrium that they make a darn cute couple these days.
Shion no Ou:
This is kinda like Hikaru no Go, only with shogi instead of go, and instead of being a subtle, mature, intelligent story (with just a touch of the supernatural) about becoming an adult, it's a crime drama with cross-dressing and sordid--'scuse me, torrid romance. And Paku Romi! It's kind of sad, but I'm infatuated. Husky altos and gender-bending--I'm a cheap date.
Minami-ke:
With the ending of Lucky Star, I needed something to fill my comedy fix. This is slice-of-life, a school setting with three sisters who are utter cliches (maternal older sister, weird, energetic, dumb middle sister, worldly, cynical, genius-type littlest sister, and nary a parent in sight), unless they're just archetypes. Calling them archetypes will leave me with more dignity when I admit that I snicker all the way through each episode. And I totally ship Kana and that guy she keeps kicking. What this lacks in brilliant parodic Lucky Channel segments, it makes up for by not constantly referencing The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I mean, guys, I liked it too, but give it a rest already, will you?
Bamboo Blade:
I haven't a clue why I put this on my watch-list. Kendo comedy? Since when do I do kendo comedy? But it's really rather funny; it seems to be constructed by people who know what they're doing, and how to tell a joke, and it's somehow hitting all the right notes. So far, we have a clueless, albeit reasonably competent and likable kendo captain, her totally selfish, yet not despicable loser teacher, who only wants put together a winning kendo team so he can win a bet and get a year's worth of free sushi, a generic nice guy, his childhood friend, who looks like Mikoto from Mai-HiME and whose kendo skills are clearly OVER NINE THOUSAND, and some guy with an egg-shaped head, voiced by Akira Ishida.
It just clicks, somehow.
Genshiken 2:
Should this be ongoing, instead of new? I'm a big fan of Genshiken, both from the airing of the original series, and the subsequent American publication of the really excellent manga source material (Del Rey's translation is nothing to turn your nose up at). The plot isn't new to me, since it's based on manga I've already read, but the adaptation is no less enjoyable for that. If you prefer manga to anime, there's probably no need to watch this, but if you prefer anime to manga, there's no reason not to.
Finished:
Seirei no Moribito:
Kinda like Fantastic Children, this ended with such satisfactory elegance that I'm left with nothing more to say than what I've said already. Do you like a thoughtful, well-told story? Watch this. You won't be disappointed.
The latest season of Maria-sama ga Miteru:
Dude, they aren't even pretending to resolve things anymore, are they? Well, as long as they keep on returning for new seasons, I don't care. More grey-palette, pseudo-Catholic, tasteful shoujo-ai, dammit! I am insatiable! I even still secretly ship Sei/Yuri, even though Yuri and Sachiko are so close to being on an emotional equilibrium that they make a darn cute couple these days.
no subject
However, your posts are favourited in my brain, and I absolutely, absolutely will check out each and every one of these anime the other day, because you have led me to all my favourite series so far. I watched an episode of Planetes the other day and fell in love with it all over again. I actually watched it through with my space-loving boyfriend (who then passed it on to all his space-loving engineer friends, all thanks to you!) so I have a ton of really nice memories that just add to its greatness.
I've also spent the summer defending Fantastic Children to the guy who works at the branch of Bandai distributing it in the UK and Europe, who has seen two episodes and written it off. Much as I love Fantastic Children, I do still resent it for putting off everybody who could be sharing the love and chatting with me about this great series at anime conventions instead of just giving me dubious sideways glances.
In other words: Seirei no Moribito is first on my list. You had me at "Kinda like Fantastic Children" - for which I still haven't seen the last two episodes, incidentally. It's okay though, Mr. Bandai's going to give me the final DVD next time I help him out at a convention. Have you ever noticed how a series takes on an almost mythical feel when you watch the conclusion a long, long time after the start?
I hope all's well in the land of Ceru!
no subject
If only Fantastic Children had clothed itself in the pelt of mindless entertainment! (You know. like Mai-HiME did, to very good and clever effect.) I suppose not everything can hypnotize you into submission before sneaking up on you and whacking you over the head with quality storytelling. Sometimes, a story just has to ask the audience to bear with it while it's setting itself up, and if they can't bear with it long enough to see the structure, well, that's their loss.
Still, slightly better quality character designs and animation probably would have helped.
If you don't like Seirei no Moribito, I will eat my hat. It's just so freakin' good.