Looking at our picks, I realize both of them have pretty sad ends. They aren’t bad endings, but they are melancholy for sure.

Ringo and Shoma (Mawaru Penguindrum)

I won’t say they are the best couple. That is just crazy talk. Everyone in Penguindrum is a crazy messed up person with more baggage than an airport. But Ringo and Shoma are a very fascinating couple and that alone secures their place in my favorite couple spot of 2011. They started off as strangers both obsessed with different goals that happened to be more interconnected then they first assumed. Ringo is an obsessed stalker devoted to seducing the man her sister loved at any cost. Shoma is equally obsessed with trying to find the Penguindrum to save his sister but is amazingly passive in his attempts to accomplish his mission. As the series goes on they both learn from the other as they grow as a couple. Ringo sees the folly in her single-minded devotion and Shoma learns that he must make a stand to get what he wants. Their wildly divergent personalities oddly complement each other. There are several major complications that keep them part when their pasts are revealed but it does not stop them from coming together in the end. Although their time together as an actual couple may be short, it is unforgettable. Their story engaged me and added to the story despite their major dysfunctions.

Jintan & Menma (AnoHana)

From the very beginning we know that the story in AnoHana is going to be a bittersweet one full of the ups and downs of childhood and all the regrets that go along with it. Menma died when everyone was very young and it blew apart the circle of friends, but Menma’s spirit brings them all back together to confront each other and the future. Jintan and Menma’s love is a simple one, afterall it comes from a simpler time, yet because of the tragedy it has distorted everyone’s relationships thereafter. There is a moment between Jintan and Menma that moved me so completely that it is probably why I picked them above all others. They are sitting at the table, like they have so many times before, but now the weight of the past has started to come down and the barrier cracks as Jintan talks about granting Menma’s wish and her disappearing. It was amazingly heartfelt and open. I could literally see Jintan realizing he loved her. Jintan is stuck, but he doesn’t understand why, he has simply put away the past instead of acknowledging it. With Menma’s appearance the wheels start to turn ever so slightly, I find his emotional journey just as compelling as this impossible romance.

When I watched the first episode of Sound of the Sky a while back, I thought it seemed interesting enough to continue a few more episodes in. I don’t know what happened, but re-watching the first episode I couldn’t believe my former self. It was slow and meandering. Perhaps I was mesmerized by the music, which is worth being mesmerized over, but not worth sitting through the rest of the show for. The setting is also interesting, taking place in a post-apocalyptic future with divides and wars, but the town in which everyone is stationed is relatively peaceful. Normally, that would all change when our main character arrives . . . but no, it is still basically peaceful. So it ends up being a show about this somewhat rag-tag team of girls in the military hanging out, meeting townspeople, and occasionally learning music. The main girl is predictably naive and in the last episode I watched pushed that to the limit by overlooking the fact that the military kills people as do guns and tanks. There are traces of underlying story, especially with the extended cast that has been working for a while, but nothing gripping. I am sure this show is doing exactly what it means to do, but that still doesn’t mean I want to watch it.

Sound of the Sky is sort of like dating a shallow supermodel. You meet her and she looks gorgeous and sounds wonderful. Everything about her superficially is impeccable. But after a few deep conversations you realize there is not as much going on inside as you might have first hoped. There is quite a bit to like about this anime. The production values cannot be questioned. The animation is often amazingly fluid, the backgrounds are often breathtaking, and the sound design is outstanding. If you want lesson on how to make an anime that draws you in with the power of animation this is a good example. The problem is the story itself swallowed a bottle of Valium. To say that the show is just post-apocalyptic K-On! is selling it a bit short but it is also sums up all the major problems with the series. It just seems like the slice of life tale of 5 girls not really doing much of anything in a small town while they fix a tank and play instruments. The formula could be good. There is nothing inherently wrong with slowly building this world and getting us involved with the characters before turning on the main plot. The problem is that it is like telling someone to watch 10 episodes of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou to get to the three exciting episodes at the end. The post-apocalyptic setting is unusual and well realized. The cast lives a very provincial lifestyle despite the fact that they are surrounded by the remains of a once great civilization. But the stories they tell are rather sleepy despite the promise of grander tales that could be told in this setting. I am not sure if anyone who is not a fan of slice of life shows could casually make that commitment for the reward at the end. The characters are fine. They are a bit stock and Kureha Suminoya can be grating but they did not annoy me as much as the K-On! cast. There is also a pretty distinct yuri vibe going on. Nothing overt but it is omnipresent and rather unmistakable. I will probably continue to watch just to see the last few episodes. Apparently they start to live up to the promise of the prophecy in the beginning. I will power through the middle episodes to see if the pay off at the end is worth it just in case our readers were curious.

In D.Gray Man vol. 18 something surprising is introduced, a phantom thief story! The gang is visiting a small town for the purpose of getting a few people out of jail, but then they get wrapped up in the story of a thief who controls people’s bodies. Of course it ties into a battle for innocence, but still it was a fun break.

The Holidays threw off my anime viewing schedule as some of the series I watch streaming are on Nico Nico. If you miss a week on Nico Nico you can’t catch up. But then I realized last week that most of the shows I were watching are also on Hulu. So it was time to get back into Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing. As I watched these episodes I realized one thing. Fam Fan Fan and Giselle Collette are harbingers of doom because whenever they leave a location that place gets obliterated. They leave the Kingdom of Turan and it gets wiped off the map by a super weapon. They steal some airships and everyone involved is executed. They join an air pirate raiding party and they are slaughtered out. They leave the Silvius and it gets sunk. They take off from Glacies and it gets hit by the same super weapon as Turan. They are like the Jessica Fletcher of the Last Exile universe. Wherever they go people die. That little observation aside I have been enjoying the show. I think since I remember liking Last Exile but not thinking the original series was that amazing I lets me judge the show a bit fairer than the hardcore fans. I don’t think it will surpass the first show. The story is still a bit too simplistic and it does not have the innovative feel that the first series does. But Luscinia has grown a bit as a more realistic villain although his bad guy laugh in episode 15 is not helping any development of his motives. Fam and Giselle have grown on me but there very simple world view is sure to turn off some viewers when contrasted with the more complex politics of the rest of the cast. Thankfully Millia has calmed down a bit and is much more tolerable than her first appearance. She is much less Princess Princess and more of a leader as the series has progressed which is a welcome bit of character progress. Also like Sound of the Sky there is an unmistakable yuri vibe to this show. Your mileage may vary on how much that appeals to you. I mostly just ignore it. Overall this remains a fun little show that I stream at lunch once a week now that I have caught up. I will complain that the next episode preview fooled me with scenes of Claus and Lavi but it just turned out to be a recap episode for the first series. That was just mean.

If you want to know how fast the Sailor Moon manga moves, Chibi Usa shows up in volume 3. This volume is really a double whammy of stories because we get the conclusion of the first arc against the Dark Moon Kingdom and also the setup for the next part of the series concerning the Black Moon clan. I really enjoy Rei’s part at the beginning with her premonitions. But the best thing of all is that in the manga, Chibi Usa doesn’t generally make you want to strangle her at all times. Her appearance throws a good wrench into things, but at the same time it is another one of those mysteries that seems a little hard for the audience to really see as difficult to figure out. And consequently makes the cast look a bit like idiots.

Since I was catching up the Last Exile I decided to watch Guilty Crown 8-15 as well. Of all the things you can complain about Guilty Crown doing wrong the biggest problem is that it is as subtle as tank bursting through your front window while blaring Ride of the Valkyries. The show cannot image doing anything with a light touch. When people die it is in the most melodramatic way possible. When they are conflicted they writhe with indecision. When villains are evil they eat up the scenery with their ham-fisted evil. I am enjoying the show on a certain level for the fact that it is unapologetic in its bombastic nature. The reason I cannot recommend the show is that there is always something off in its execution. Every turn just comes off a bit too calculated and a bit too false. Gai’s history with Mana and Shu is telegraphed but still comes off as somewhat out of nowhere even if it is not. It does not help that it keeps the charterers rather repugnant before trying to redeem them. I have an odd feeling they are going to try to have Daryl Yan do a Heel Face Turn. The problem is they have spent so much time portraying him has a psychopath that any redemption is going to come off as hollow. At least Yahiro Samukawa had a reason to be such a bastard before they had him change sides. Also Hiroyuki Yoshino apparently hates childhood friends because he sure loves killing them off when he is in charge of an original script. I will finish up this show and probably have a good time with it but it is really going down as a black mark in the history of Noitamina. This show would get a far kinder reaction if it were not in such a treasured spot for more discriminating anime fans.

SPOILERS FOR GUNDAM AGE EPS. 1-15

Now that the next generation of Gundam AGE has started I think Bandai has the ability to really build on what they started in the first third of the series. I know that there are still people complaining about this being baby Gundam and that accusation will never go away. In fact we did a whole article on how much of that statement is true and how much of it is the normal Gundam complaining. But I think they have a golden opportunity to add a little complexity to AGE to bring in otaku who had dismissed the show while not alienating the existing fan base. Here is my list of the top 5 things I would like to see out of the part two of Gundam AGE:

5. A Female Ace:

So far we have not had any notable female pilots in Gundam AGE besides Yurin who basically is a pilot for one episode against her will before getting the “Lalah Sune sendoff.” A good Emma Sheen or Roux Louka styled competent female pilot would probably win some fan to the series by her mere existence. Plus she could make a good romantic rival for Romary Stone.

4. A Broader Scope:

Despite the fact that there was a war going on the first leg of the story it was a fairly personal battle. It all centered around one ship and one crew with some help from some other ships near the end. I think that the second act would benefit from a great number of pieces of the Federation being involved. While that story can revolve around Diva seeing more of the other fleets would give a greater insight into how big this war has become. Gundam has always been about big wars and this series needs to start embracing the entire conflict now that we know the stakes involved.

3. Desil needs to get his comeuppance:

If you make someone as loathsome as Desil and then have them get away in the first part then the karma that hits him in the second part should be equally powerful. If he dies then his death should be grand like a Zabi family member and not something minor like the death of Jerid or Cronicle. If he lives he should have a fitting punishment like Katejina. But he can’t get be ignored, casually forgiven, or given a lazy off handed death. If you keep someone like him around you have to use hims and remove him correctly.

2. The Return of Grodek:

Grodek needs to get out of prison and make an Otcho style reappearance in the series about half way through this arc. The older fans loved Grodeck so seeing the grizzled old captain back in action would get them excited again. Throw him in a grungy old grunt suit and they may finally be happy. Plus Grodek busting heads and taking names would surely be awesome.

1. More Shades of Grey:

One of the constants of the Gundam franchise that any organization named the Federation is always a ponderous and corrupt bureaucracy more concerned with its own preservation than the safety of its people and AGE is no exception.  But the Veigans on the other hand are just bad guys. They were severely wronged by the Earth government but their reaction to this injustice puts them at a level of over the top evil. It does not help that Desil is a psychopath and Yark Dole was a fanatic. They need some Veigans to be a bit more sympathetic and nuanced or this just turns into a battle of white hats vs. black hats. Zeheart Galette is a good start but they need to flesh out the Veigans as a human enemy beyond just him. Also if they muddy up Flit and his obsession with defeating the Veigans while keeping him a likeable character that might add an unexpected depth as well. The attempt to present both sides of the conflict as neither hero or villains has been a hallmark of the series and would certainly help here.

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. These are the last two of the new season:

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Listen – Episode 1 of Black Rock Shooter from Ordet with the opening “Black Rock Shooter” by by Supercell sung by Hatsune Miku and is streaming on Nico Nico Douga.

Listen – Episode 1 of Smile Precure! from Toei Animation with the opening ”Let’s go! Smile PreCure!” by Aya Ikeda.

All good things must come to an end and so I wrapped up Carnival Phantasm season 3. Last week I wrote about Fate/Prototype but it was just an extra added in with the last disc of Carnival Phantasm. Otherwise the last 4 episode stick to the comedic tone of the rest of the series. We start with the best new episode right out of the gate. The Holy Grail Grand Prix is just amazing. The Lion-Go will win your heart with its cuteness, Gilgamesh pops in during the middle to ruin everyone’s day (like he always does), and it is nice to actually see Assassin get to participate in a sketch. A good deal of joke time bombs in this episode. The Akiha story is straight out of Take Moon with Kohaku up to her normal tricks but the Brainwasher Detective skits that end the episode were the star of the show. The third episode is a Final Destination homage all around Lancer and his Kenny like tendencies. The final episode wraps everything up with the conclusion to the dating plan from the first disc and a round-up of all the pieces of the Type-Moon universe. While they were not voice acted they included characters from Fate/Zero, The Garden of Sinners, the Mobile Site, and even Notes. I am sad to finish Carnival Phantasm but maybe one day down the road we will get another season after a few more games come out. Surely Mahou Tsukai no Yoru, Fate/Apocrypha, and maybe even Girls’ Work will warrant revival of the carnival.

Thermae Romae came to an end just after three episodes. But a delightful three episodes they were. In each subsequent adventure Lucias spent more and more time in Japan soaking up the culture. Because he celebrates each new experience in Japan with such enthusiasm, it spills over to the audience (maybe because so many of us non-Japanese fans long to go as well). And each time he returns to Rome things get weirder from smelly bandits to being courted by the emperor to a village of baths. Perhaps a few more episodes wouldn’t get stale but I definitely think they let the series go out while it was still a quirky surprise and that’s a good thing.

And so I finally put another Pretty Cure show under my belt with the conclusion of Suite Precure. Suite Precure distinctly had its ups and downs. It was an enjoyable little series but it has some distinct flaws. It is hardly the low point in the series but it is never be the pinnacle of the series as well. I did not have any problem with Cure Muse like some people did. I would go as far as to say she was one of the most clever parts of the series. The ending was fairly standard but enjoyable. There was a good bit of back and forth between the Cures and Noise. He did not just pummel them until their last second victory. Both sides got some good shots in during the last few episodes. The sooner they got Noise to be in his true form the better it was because as dorky little bird it was hard to take him seriously as the main villain of the series. Some of these scenes with him manically laughing were very silly when he was still P-chan. No matter what anyone tells you Hibiki’s ultimate attack is not Suite Session Ensemble Crescendo Finale but in fact psychoanalysis. Sh goes all Jungian on Noise in the end to finally defeat him. It also looks like she defeats him with the Brofist of Ultimate Friendship™ when the pull back during the climax. I was surprised the last episode was all falling action. While the Pretty Cure shows always have a little finale they don’t usually spend the whole episode on it. Still with all that time the Kanade, Ellen, and Ouji love triangle goes completely unmentioned let alone resolved. Overall I enjoyed the series despite some missteps. If you want to see Pretty Cure at its best watch Heartcatch but if you just want a solid little magical girl show then watch Suite Precure.

I took a look at the Johnnie Walker Keep Walking Studio 4C promotional video. A surreal dreamlike setting unfolds before us where things change and morph before you. It is a beautiful, vibrant piece of work though I can’t really say what is has to do with Whiskey.

After two separate recommendations I decided to check out some iOS games. Patz recommended Tiny Tower while Chaos Theater named dropped Where’s My Water. Both of them do a great job of being little time killers in their own way. I first heard about Tiny Tower due to the Zynga controversy but I only started playing after Patz suggested I try it out. It is much like SimTower but simplified for the hand-held experience. You construct a little building that has housing and shops using their profits to expand your tower. It is perfect for a hand-held device because you can play it for less than a minute if that is all the time you have but you can also sit down just kill some time if you want as well. You can update your shops and then put it down and not look at it again for hours or you can micromanage things if you just want to kill time. I really enjoy naming the little business even if you don’t have to.  It is free to play bu there is also in-game money that can be purchased. I am not sure why you would ever spend money on the game unless you were impatient but I suppose that is what this whole free to play game model is based around. The other game is the Where’s My Water demo from Disney. It is a clever little puzzle game. You try to dig tunnels so that the water can flow to a cartoon alligator so he can take his shower. The same starts of very simple but slowly adds new obstacles and tools as the game goes on in classic puzzle game tradition. Soon there is acid, poison water, locks, and other various complications. The learning curve is gently sloped so you always feel challenged but never overwhelmed. A great little distraction and like Tiny Tower it has the perfect quick burst of entertainment for its given platform.

The 4-6 Magic Kaito Specials aren’t really all that memorable. Episode 5 has a some good Kaito thievery as well as that sweet magic he is able to surprise you with. But 4 and 6 feature a new witch character prominently and it throws me off a little. Kaito’s magic is the world of illusion and sleight of hand, and both he and Conan employ plenty of super science, but actual mystic abilities just seems weird. These were mostly done as a 15th anniversary project so I’m not sure if there will be more of not. If not they didn’t go out on a particularly high note either.

Since we ended S1 with the group debuting, they will now try to navigate the waters of the real idol scene. But since the headmaster is also the president of the talent agency, he will still keep up his crazy games because let’s face it, the show wouldn’t be nearly as good without Norio Wakamoto. We can add a new guy to be the agent/manager of ST☆RISH though. The group would get to travel a lot for appearances causing bonding and drama. The guys would be gaining a fan following that would lead to plenty of trouble, too. Some international traveling would be a lot of fun as well as paying a visit to relax at Haruka’s grandmother’s in the country.

At the top of my list though is a scheming rival boy band. They can all be similar to the main cast but done in a darker coloring of our guys, kind of like the alternate costumes in fighting games. These guys would conspire to steal away Haruka to be their songwriter. For good measure the lead in the rival band can also be a childhood friend of her’s. This will make Haruka naturally torn between new and old. This could even build to Haruka being blackmailed to leave ST☆RISH creating a supremely melodramatic climax! As far as the romances between her and our bevy of suitors goes, again I doubt we will get a conclusive pairing at the end of the season.

Anyone who has played the games have a real idea of what we may have in store for S2?

I have to say this is a brilliant little idea from Narutaki. If you have ever done a year in review article you will find that the while you might remember the last week’s news crystal clear what was licensed and when all tends to blur together after a few months. Hopefully this monthly post will help us, and anyone who needs it, have a clearer picture of what was picked up over the year.

Newly Licensed in the U.S.

• Ano Natsu de Matteru (Waiting in the Summer) – Sentai Filmworks
• Another – Sentai Filmworks
• Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo – S’more Entertainment
• Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai – Funimation
• Brave 10 – NISA
• Captain Commando – Udon Entertainment
• Daily Lives of High School Boys – NISA
  Huzzah!
• Familiar of Zero F – Sentai Filmworks
• Flutter – Digital Manga Publishing
• Galaxy Express 999 TV – S’more Entertainment
  I am very curious to see how well this does for the new company. Such a strange title to pick as one of your first out of the gate.
• Growing Up with Hello Kitty – AnimEigo
• Highschool DxD – Funimation
• Inu x Boku SS – Sentai Filmworks
• Listen to Me Girl, I’m Your Father – Sentai Filmworks
• Locke the Superman – Discotek
• Motto To Love-Ru -Trouble-  – Sentai Filmworks
• Polyphonica Crimson S – Maiden Japan
• Poor Poor Lips – ALC Publishing
• Somedays Dreamers – Sentai Filmworks
• Velvet Kiss – Digital Manga Publishing
• Venus Wars – Discotek
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal – VIZ
• Zettai Karen Children (Psychic Squad) – Sentai Filmworks
  Interesting name change. If nothing else the retitled name gives you a slightly better idea of what the show is about. Maybe they also just wanted to get away from the children part.

Newly Streaming in the U.S.

• Crunchyroll Streaming Recorder and Randsell, Nisemonogatari, Brave 10, Ano Natsu de Matteru, Poyopoyo, Knight in the Area, Inu X Boku SS, Familiar of Zero F, Another, Bodacious Space Pirates, and Listen to Me Girls I’m Your Father
• VIZ Streaming Rinne no Lagrange
• Crackle Streaming Kurozuka
• JManga Adds Hyakushou Kizoku, Poor Poor Lips, Doll the Hotel Detective, Tenka Ichi!!
  
• NicoNico Streaming High School DxD, Senki Zesshou Symphogear, and Detective Opera Milky Holmes S2
• NicoNico Douga Streaming Black Rock Shooter
  

New Anime/Manga Projects in Japan

• Young Magazine Launches 6 New Manga in 7 Weeks
• Coming-of-age Teen Manga From Houzuki-san Chi no Aneki Creator Begins in March
• Renai Distortion Restarts in New Magazine
• Jormungand Manga-ka Starting New Manga in April
• Seigi Keikan Monju Manga-ka Launching New Title This Spring
• History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi Getting OVAs in March and May
• Anime of Rock Lee no Seishun Full-Power Ninden Gag Manga Based on the Naruto Character Coming Soon
• Kouji Kumeta and Yasu’s Collaborative Comedy Manga Joshiraku Getting Animated
• Momo Pro Z Wrestling Manga Based on Idol Group Begins in February
• Well-known Creators Contribute to “Manga of the Dead” Website
• Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume Gaiden Mukashi no Yoshida-kun Anime Started on Jan. 21
• Rising Star Anime About Cricket Being Made For India
• est em Starting New Series Ippo
  est em was one of the first BL manga-ka I read that really drew me in to the stories. Her short manga collections are quirky, tragic, and all manner of things in between.
• Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Movie and Nunnally of the Wonderland OVA Announced
  I can’t help but feel like this took a lot longer to come around than it should have, it has been many years now since the original TV series finished. Still I’m looking forward to the new projects even if I’m a little cautious about them.
• Leiji Matsumoto’s Ozuma Gets 6 Episode Anime
• The Devil Does Exist Manga-ka Starts New Elite High School Series Classroom of Peacocks
  The children of celebrities all attending a school, what mischief!
• BL Manga Tight-rope Getting An OVA
• GTO Spin-off Manga Inohead Gargoyle Starts
  An unusual character from GTO to spin-off into his own manga but it just might work.
• Uta no Prince-sama Maji 1000% Love 2nd Season Announced
  Definitely my favorite piece of news this month!
• BakuTech! Bakugan Series Announced
• Eyeshield 21 Artist Murata Reveals Magical Girl Work
  Man everyone want in on magical girls every since Madoka.
• Shonen Sunday Super Adds Gundam AGE Side Story
• Kickoff to the Galaxy!! A New Soccer Anime Based On the Novel Galactic World Cup
  There is so much soccer anime for 2011! This makes the third anime announced for the year.
• Phi Brain Puzzle of God Is Getting a 2nd Season
• Sora no Otoshimono Coming Back For a 3rd Season
• Yankee-kun to Megane-chan‘s Yoshikawa Starting New Manga in February
  I can’t wait to see what she does next!
• Bunny Drop Manga-ka Launching Digital Manga About The Creative Process
• Romance-Horror Manga Yume Yume Utsutsu Begins in February
• Yuri Manga-ka Milk Morinaga Will Start a New Series in June
• Ultra Jump Announces New Manga Tail Star from Cloth Road Artist
• New Manga Utau! Heian-kyou About Heian Period Aristocrats Starting in March
• Animal Comedy Shirokuma Cafe Gets Animated in Spring
• Ouran‘s Manga-ka Released Detarame Mousouryoku Opera One-Shot
  I love that a bunch of performers in need of help fall out of the girl’s closet. It is too bad it is so difficult to get one-shots in the U.S.
• Kuzu!! a Spin-Off Series to Crows Gangster Manga Will Begin in Young Champion
• Patema Anime Film Due Out This Year Getting Manga Adaption
• Star Driver Movie Coming Soon
  I hope it builds on the ending and it is not just a compilation movie.
• Princess Resurrection‘s Manga-ka Starting New Simultaneous Series
• Sakamichi no Apollon Manga Finishes Up While New Spin-Off Is Announced

SPOILERS FOR GUNDAM AGE EPS. 1-15

Gundam AGE takes a lot of steps to try to combine the old image of Gundam with a more appealing aesthetic to children. While trying to bring kids into the Gundam fold isn’t a totally new approach for the franchise, attempting to grab both young and old audiences at the same time in the same main show can be hard to serve up. This is most difficult because of its ardent fans and long history, as opposed to working on something completely new. Gundam AGE makes great efforts of this balancing act in the first arc of its multi-generational story.

I think it is very important to note that Gundam AGE was originally supposed to be a Gundam video game by Level-5 until Bandai decided to green light the story to be a full anime series. Everything was originally written out to be for a younger video game audience with the pacing, characters, and story structure of said players in mind. I think the main disconnect between the traditional Gundam fan base and the anime is that they kept much of that same scenario in mind when they created Gundam AGE. With a younger audience turning more toward video games for their entertainment it makes sense on a certain level to try to court that audience with the same vibe of storytelling they seem to prefer. How well this is going to work has yet to be seen but there is a method to the madness. It all comes down to how well they adapt this game into an anime now that they have chosen that as their medium.

There is still quite a bit about AGE that feels like a video game. The AGE System is clearly how you were supposed to level-up your suit in the original game. The nature of the upgrades and even the method in which they are implemented seem relatively untouched from original blueprint. The enemy suits even have classes they are beaten with certain upgrades Flit unlocks by fighting enough of a certain type of enemy. A very classic video game structure of progression. Also the whole story on Fardain seems more like a video game plot than an anime plot. Flit befriending Iwark Briar and his daughter and how the crew of the Diva gets involved with the conflict between the Zalam and Euba have the pacing and story mechanics more suited for an RPG. Most people I have talked to seem to think that part of the story drags the most. I think if you were fighting while leveling up none of the section would have been as slow and unwieldy. But as a passive observer the your notice the chinks in the armor of the plot a bit more.

Something basic like the design of the characters immediately makes Gundam AGE feel younger. But as the story proceeds, those aesthetics seem to work as a grounding contrast to the story. Almost as if by creating these colorful characters they can present children with a darker story. The tropes of Gundam, like the price of war on civilians is still there but there is a bit more kiddie wish fulfilment in the earlier parts especially in terms or alliances as well. Flit acts as a an intermediary for people with long-standing feuds and inspires all those he meets. Emily even seems to forget she is a young girl or perhaps it is because of her youthful spirit that she confronts Grodek, on her own, about what she believes to be nefarious plot. The enemies that Grodek and soon all our leads are trying to defeat remain faceless, aliens for a long while which gives emotional distance but as a viewer you can read the writing on the wall. Decil is a very single-note villain who is pure evil vs. Flit the savior; black and white. Decil even cuts down his comrade Yurin without a second or remorseful thought (instead of say, having Flit accidentally do it which we be so Gundam of them). This comes off simplistic without the rest of the story being looked at. That anger that Flit has been fighting against since the beginning boils to the surface. Flit’s reaction pushes him to do attempt something he might have regretted, but he’ll never know since Grodek takes on the burden instead.

There are some parts of the first Gundam AGE that are more like the Gundam we are familiar with. It seemed to me that when Don Boyage died it was major turning point in which the story really started to put away a lot of its childish story telling. There has been deaths among both military personnel and civilians including Hendrick Bruzar but Don Boyage’s death seem to raise the stakes. The deaths seem more personal and more constant. Most importantly Grodek gets absolutely nothing for being totally right and not only discovering the truth behind the Unknown Enemy and dealing them a decisive blow that set back their plans for years. Nothing else sealed the corrupt nature of the Earth Federation Forces like sacrificing a hero for the sake of dirty politics while taking credit for his success. Also Grodek executes Yark Dole with no remorse. When we first meet Grodek he merely knocks out the some Federation officers with a stun gun. But at Ambat he murders Yark Dole so that Flit does not become a murderer.

The story grows, the consequences of war become a vital issue, and the grayness of fighting people each with a point of view and grudge is central. Bringing children in and then aging the characters up as the arcs continue might be a brilliant plan to get them interested in mature characters. One will just have to see how things play out. Onward to more Gundam AGE!

It is a hard line to toe in between appealing to old fans while trying to court new fans. Hardcore fans tend to resist change no matter how much they ask for it and nothing says changes will actually increase your audience. Gundam AGE has been an interesting experiment so far. I can’t say that it has fully succeed. The Gundam fan base just seems angry. But that is their default state. The anime fandom outside of Gundam otaku has not seemed to embrace the show as well. But the show so far has matured. I think they are moving in the right direction with slowly upping the ante and the maturity of the story. The story has a good deal of potential to keep this new-found maturity while making sure they don’t alienate their younger viewers. I wonder if this is a show that will have an audience that slowly warms to its methods or will it only be appreciated for what it is doing years from now like many of the other more experimental Gundam iterations?

We received a copy of Nozomi’s re-release of Gasaraki. The story follows a war between the Americans backed by the Japanese and the fictional nation of Belgistan. Both sides have bi-pedal robots with main pilots possessing odd connections and powers. It is worth noting that I have tried to watch Gasaraki before, many moons ago and didn’t make it very far. I wanted to give it another chance but this time around I was only able to get one episode further. Despite people’s assertions that this show is a realistic depiction of mecha, I just can’t find it anything but slow and uninteresting. Also my thoughts on what is realistic must be different because this show has Noh dancing magic. . . . In any case, a good portions of episodes revolve around people talking, typing, or staring at screens. Talking heads and computer screens can be made interesting (just ask Evangelion) but Gasaraki fails to put passion or facial expressions into its scenes. This also makes the dub doubly painful since at least the Japanese put some inflection in their voices. The battles are compelling in moments but they are too short or interrupted by looking at screens. The show didn’t capture me in any way.

If I have nothing else kindly to say about Gasaraki I will say that it tried to do certain things that most mecha shows don’t often attempt. Ryousuke Takahashi tried for a more realistic version of modern mecha combat and politics while mixing in some magical elements to spice things up. The fact that there are only two types of mecha in the whole show and the commentary on the Gulf War make the show stand out. The only problem is the show is so amazingly and mind numbingly boring. It takes the tedious parts of part of war and magical conspiracy and focuses on the most mundane aspects of each to the to the point where only the most hardcore fans of realism will find the show interesting. Ryousuke Takahashi showed that you can do a more realistic mecha show like Armored Trooper Votoms and make it compelling. But this swings so far toward the nitty-gritty details as so suck away any enjoyment. They even focus on the boring aspects of the shadowy magical conspiracy behind the mecha action in excruciating detail. When the plans of the magical cabal feel like a run down of someone’s tax audit you know something has gone horribly wrong. I will say that this show has a reputation for a completely magical ending that comes out of nowhere but as far as I can tell the freeky deeky occult aspect of the show is apparent from the first episode. I admit that the few actions scenes are the only parts of the anime that are easy to stay awake so that makes them the most memorable pieces but there is unmistakable and unnerving mystical element present in the show from the beginning. Like Narutaki I watched this show years ago and I wondered if I could come back to the show as a more mature fan and gain a greater appreciation for a show I had disliked in my early fandom. But this show still deserves the infamous reputation it gained with me and other fans so many years ago.

Against my saner judgement I started the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. This sprawling fantasy has the well-known features of epic fantasy, a wide and far reaching story, multiple character perspectives, a complex world setting, and much more. But in the first volume the quick pacing really stood out to me and I found out the earlier books in the series have a complete story in one volume. So in this story we’re following a few groups of people as the Empire attempts to bring the city of Darujhistan under its control. The Gods of this world also play in the lives of humans which reminded me of Greek mythology in certain ways which I enjoyed. While the character feel familiar at first, they expand in ways that surprised me, and I would say the same of the story.

I will admit that I have been keeping up with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The reason this come up is because Narutaki asked about the show now that it is fairly far into its second season. She was curious now that it had gained such a visible older male fan base and Lauren Faust had left the show how had the series changed. I think the show has changed. Not obviously. Thankfully the show is still primarily a funny little show for girls that is there to teach them the value of friendship, the power of being yourself, and beauty of having big dreams. But the writers are obviously throwing out more and more obvious nudges and winks to their older fans. The simplest example  is merely that they had John de Lancie playing a character that was unmistakably like Q in the first 2 part episode of the new season. It is not as if the show has become completely for the bronies but there has been a shift toward actively catering to them as opposed to inadvertently appealing to them.  Also since Lauren Faust has left it has lost a certain je ne sais quoi. I can’t say exactly what it is but there is a reason the woman has the reputation she does. She adds a certain magic to anything she works on. It is still an enjoyable show with an earnest vibe to it despite the subtle shifts in the storytelling.

Read Demon Knights issues 2-3 which continues perfectly in the vein of the first. There is a lot of action in these episodes building and building to big and crazier deeds. What I’ve liked so far has been a lot of females taking lead roles in what’s going on both on the hero and villain sides.

I was able to get my hands on the first chapter of the Eureka Seven Ao manga. I decided I would read it to give myself a sneak peek at highly anticipated TV series. Overall it reinforces my opinion that I am looking forward to the TV series with a natural bit of healthy cynicism. Nothing about the first chapter stands out to guarantee this will be amazing but everything points to them nicely building on the first series with the potential to be just as good as the original. A few quick comments. There seems to be the modern nations we know today like the US and Japan despite the fact that it is very clearly set in the world after the ending of the Eureka Seven TV series. I don’t need a super detailed explanation of the revival of the modern nation states but I hope they give some reasonable explanation of how this came about. The second it so far it seems that the main boy, Ao is the only pilot and Naru is just going to be mystical side kick girl. I really enjoyed that Renton and Eureka with both pilots of equal measure in the TV series with Eurkea having more military experience. I hope they don’t sideline Naru to a complete support character as the more equitable protagonist dynamics of the first show was a distinctly appealing part of the show’s composition. Speaking of Eureka they try so hard to pretend that Eurkea is not Ao’s mother and that it could be anyone at all. His mom is so clearly the turquoise haired Coralian. In fact I would be amazed and maybe a little pleased if this is all a red herring but I highly doubt that is the case. There seems to be giant monster one of which Ao fights at the end of the chapter in a robot that looks much like the Nirvash. Also the new mecha seems to be more based around conventional surfing on the water than the air but there are flying cars so who knows how much Trapar waves and lifting is still around. Still there is a good deal of potential in the series so I am curious how many of my first impression are correct. This show has just as much potential to grow as it does to fail at this point so I and eager to see where it goes. April should be fun.

Carnival Phantasm has come to an end. The grand Type-Moon cross over even ended with some little cameos by the cast of Fate/Zero, Kara no Kyoukai, the Mobile Site, and some rather minor Type Moon characters. The they even gave some love to Notes with V/V. But at the very end after the credit a mysterious woman picks up the phone to introduce the bonus movie. This woman is Sajyou Ayaka who is the original protagonist of an early draft of Fate/Stay Night. To celebrate the end of Carnival Phantasm the extra goes back to the origin of the Type-Moon universe with Fate/Prototype. This video is an animated version of some of the notes to the original unfinished story that would be used to make Fate/Stay Night.

There are some major changes that this prototype story went through before it became the game known as Fate/Stay Night. The most famous change is that originally Saber was a man and the young witch known as Ayaka Sajyou was his master. Takeuchi Takashi felt that visual novel fans would not like to play as a female protagonist to the genders were swapped. Ayaka Sajyou seems like a mix of Rin and Shiro with a bit of Enjou Tomoe thrown in for good measure. She is much more powerful and knowledgeable than Shiro but she has his softhearted nature while having the gloomy edge of Enjou. Also the religious theme around the Holy Grail War are much more pronounced. All the Masters have a different choir of angel they are connected to and the Grail itself has far more of a twisted Christian connotation. In fact the final secret Avenger style Servant is the Beast itself. Rider is certainty a new man and his master is equally different (as much as we might have wanted Shinji to be bed ridden.) Phahn Sancraid is definitely a creepy priest like Kotomine but he looks and feels creepy in his own unique way. Also while Saber was involved in a former Grail War this time his Master was Ayaka’s sister and she was not a very nice person.

On the other hand you also see many of the seeds that would go on to make Fate/Stay Night what it is. The basic framework is unmistakable. The structure and cyclic nature of the war is the same. The hidden tainted nature of the grail is still in the background. Ayaka and Saber’s relationship clearly went on to inspire Rin and Archer’s relationship. Also taking Ayaka and combining her with Misaya Reiroukan gets us the Rin we know in Fate/Stay Night. Saber’s tragic participation in a previous iteration of the war with his new’s Master’s family is also the same. Gilgamesh is still the same Gilgamesh. Also Saber’s battle with Gilgamesh was giving me vibes from the Saber and Rider’s battle from the Fate route.  Gilgamesh looks a bit more primitive but he is still spamming swords and wearing golden armor. He is still an arrogant king of nonconsensual relationships only this time he wants Ayaka instead. Lancer also looks different but he is still Cu Chulainn. I am sure being Lancer is still suffering. He even hunts down Saber’s master impaling them through the heart as the catalyst for summoning her servant. That results in a first meeting of Master and Servant that would be reproduced in Fate/Stay Night. And as the Type Moon wiki points out Manaka Sajyou looks like evil baby Arturia Pendragon.

It is fascinating to see how Fate/Stay Night morphed to become the visual novel we see today. While the basic structure might be the same you can see the initial concept went through many changes when it was adapted to another form of media. In the end I am somewhat divided. Part of me would love to see this expanded into its own series. Seeing how everything would have originally played out if it had stayed as a linear novel would be a great insight into how Nasu has changed as an author. There seem to be some very interesting concepts here that never made it into the final product. At the same time I wonder if these changes were not made for very good reasons. It is easy to forget the value of editing that takes a messy raw concept and refines it into a more complete product when done correctly. Maybe many of the ideas and plot that were changed were changed with good reason. Without the adaption we would not have the sexy sex machine that is Rider. Then again that scene of Ayaka getting out her witches’ broom seemed pretty cool as well. Overall while I would buy a full length Fate/Prototype series it would not break my heart if it were never made. This is a good enough sample for now.

Drink #025: The Flying Penguin,
A Revolutionary Girl Utena & Mawaru Penguindrum Discussion

Kunihiko Ikuhara is undoubtedly one of our favorite directors so it seemed only fitting for us to devote a podcast to two of his most recognizable masterworks. For each show we brought on a guest to talk with us a bit about the selected show. We started with Clarissa from the Anime World Order podcast to chat about Revolutionary Girl Utena. As she recently did a paper for grad school on the show she seemed the only logical choice for a guest to talk about pink-haired crossdressers. After that we talk with Patz from Insert-Disc about Ikuhara’s recently concluded work, Mawaru Penguindrum. With both titles we do an in-depth analysis of characters and themes and don’t hold anything back on the spoiler side of things. If you have not finished either series be warned that we give away pretty much anything that could possibly be. If you want a review just know that both shows are 100% recommended so you can just watch them and then come back and listen to the podcast.

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And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drink:

The Flying Penguin

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
  
• 1 1/2 oz white rum
  
• 1 1/2 oz gin
  
• 1 splash Angostura® bitters
• 5 oz pink grapefruit juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz sugar syrup

Preparation:

Pour 1.5 ounces each of Vodka, White Rum and Gin into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Add a good spash (approx .25 ounces) of angora bitters and swirl with a metal stirring rod. Add 5 ounces of Pink Grapefruit Juice. Add 1.5 ounces of sugar syrup. Slice a fresh lime into a slice approximately 1/2 of an inch wide. Cut in half, squeezing one half directly into the drink (then drop the squeezed lime half in). Make a small nick 2/3rds of the way up the second halfof lime and use to rim the glass then as a garnish. Include a metal stirring rod.

I continue my morbid curiosity with the Akiyuki Shinbo and Nisio Isin duo by watching the first two episodes of Nisemonogatari because there is no way Narutaki was going to watch this with me. I know some people have been commenting that for better or for worse Nisemonogatari has a different feel than Bakemonogatari. I think the difference between the two seasons is minor but important. I did not use the word subtle because the difference is the pacing of the fan service in the new arc. Bakemonogatari definitely had fan service in it. Each arc in the original series introduced a girl, her supernatural problem, and the fetish she embodied. And so each arc played up that girl’s brand of fan service to all but the most fan service desensitized.  But this current arc is ostensibly about Koyomi’s two sisters but unlike the previous arcs this one really had the other girls getting a good amount of screen time in another girl’s arc as opposed to their cameos early in the story. This means that they now have to cram in a full cycle of story, reference humor, and fanservice that is particular to that girl in a much shorter amount of time making all three components more obvious. So anyone watching for the titillation will probably not notice the difference or only be delighted to be so nicely catered to. But anyone else will either consciously or unconsciously notice the change in the rhythm of the story. The art is still rather gorgeous and the dialog still has a snappy pace. I am just pointing out the big difference that will determine if you want to continue to delve into Koyomi’s supernatural adventures.

D.Gray Man Volume 17 starts off by throwing us into the middle of a virus outbreak that has occurred while the Black Order is also trying to move to their new location. The first few chapters are really out of control and crazy (and ridiculous overall), especially because everyone has  turned into zombies. As the zombies are infecting everyone, Allen tries to figure out the cause and how to cure it. After that insanity, we then get to actually focus on the Black Order group’s move. Allen and Lenalee go first, allegedly to open portals, but there are ulterior motives. The best part though is the reappearance of Cross Marian, who probably has the most shocking story in the volume. There are some major problems for both Allen and Cross, and so even though it initially seems like a jokey volume, it’s actually quite an important one.

And speaking of shows that Narutaki will never watch I also saw the first episode of Ano Natsu de Matteru because my roommate was curious to see what it was like. Since he was a fan of Yosuke Kuroda’s Please Teacher! back in his early fandom. With both soon agree that this feel like Please Teacher! only this time the main heroine is a upper clansmen rather than a teacher. Both heroines are somewhat quirky and ditzy busty red headed aliens with an unusual bond to the protagonist. Kaito Kirishima has a rag tag bunch of friends with similar romantic entanglements as well. The shows are not carbon copies but the similarities between the shows is strikingly obvious. The show itself is inoffensive shonen romance. While there is some fan service I hardly noticed anything majorly objectionable. Just the normal amount of bounce and occasional shower scene you expect in male focused romance. Nothing like constant crotch shot camera harems of late. If you want a somewhat sweet show you will probably enjoy it but it does have a bit of a cookie cutter feel. So if you want something that pops a little more like Toradora! you might want to avoid burnout by passing this over.

I read the small preview of Little Miss Holmes that came in Otaku USA. It seems fun and she has a GIANT DOG that’s really funny, but the preview wasn’t long enough to get a good impression of it, and it doesn’t showcase her deduction skills or overall abilities as a detective. I’m still looking forward to it, but I don’t think this preview would convince anyone who’s on the fence.

I also decided to check out the first chapter of the new Macross: The First manga. Like Gundam: The Origin it retells the story of the first iteration of a popular mecha franchise with a little twist. This is a retelling of the Super Dimension Fortress Macross by Haruhiko Mikimoto who was the character designer of the original TV series. Right off the bat the biggest change is the immediate focus on Minmay. While is is undeniably prominent in the original TV series they hit the ground running to play her up in this retelling. It is 22 (of 91) pages before we even see the first shot of Hikaru, the main character. After he is introduced the story focuses on him but the covers of later book distinctly have a Minmay focused theme. To be fair we also get a bit more Misa as well but they have undoubtedly realized the popularity of the singer in any Macross iteration and are playing that up. Other than that the story plays out roughly the same with the money shot of a Valkyrie transforming into gerwalk mode being the conclusion of this first chapter. It was a nice way to revisit a classic of anime with a new twist. As I understand they make some major twists to the plot much like Gundam: The Origin that don’t radically alter the story but do give you a new experience. I hope to read more of it if for nothing else we are not getting any more Mobile Suit Gundam École du Ciel anytime soon.

I watched episodes 2 and 3 of Record and Randsell. Episode 2 focuses on the little (actually big) sister and that’s unfortunate because her situations aren’t as funny except when her brother is involved. The scene with the bunny who wouldn’t give him candy was especially good for showing this. Episode 3 has a similar problem (focusing on the sister), but at least her friend has a hilarious daydream about her brother riding on a horse. This show remains funny and good, but I hope they get back to the brother soon

Runaways

Marvel’s attempt to draw in manga readers may have failed, but that didn’t prevent Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona from writing a winner. This story of a group of kids who realize their parents are all part of a criminal ring, has great characters and their relationships to one another resonate. The dynamics of these people who form an unconventional family while making their way in the world as heroes and a safe place for other kids are wonderfully vivid. Also there is a dinosaur. I would want the story to end with the initial arc which Vaughan finished since all the stories there after are quite variable in quality.

The Chronicles of Amber

The Chronicles of Amber is an epic fantasy series by Roger Zelazny. Shifting through dimensions and fantastical monsters can now be done with modern CG but would look fantastic if animated correctly. The plot starts as a simple story of revenge to reclaim a stolen throne and escalates into a multidimensional conflict. But overall there is a good deal of talking between big action scenes which is the narrative style that anime loves the most. Plus all the princes and princes of Amber are amazingly hot, incredibly competent, and scheming against each other. The series consists of two series of 5 book cycles. Most people consider the first pentalogy far superior to the later so you could stop with The Courts of Chaos but you would have room to adapt the Merlin Cycle if there was enough demand.

Yoko Tsuno

This is a well-known Franco-Beligian comic I’ve talked about before. Think of Yoko trained as an engineer but really a jack-of-all-trades fabulous mix between Nancy Drew and Jonny Quest. Her adventures and mysteries take her all over the world as well as into space and SCIENCE often plays a role in the stories. Even though she is on the move, she has a regular cast of characters so construction an overarching storyline could easily fit in.

Isaac Asimov’s Robot Series

A classic of the science fiction genre and far more accessible and personable than Asimov’s Foundation series. The first three books are mystery novels at their core but at the same time are some of the foundations of all robot literature as well. The human Elijah Baley and his robot partner R. Daneel Olivaw have a unique partnership over the course of the series and one of the few times Isaac Asimov makes engaging characters. It has a decent cross cultural to anime fans as Americans love sci-fi anime, the Japanese love mystery anime, and the Robot series is well-respected everywhere. There is also robot sexy time and incest later on so you know it would do OK with otaku.

A Wrinkle in Time

The classic children’s novel involving space and time filled with fantastic worlds, the struggle between good and evil, and saving a universe. It features strong, brainy Meg as the lead as well as her piercingly intelligent little brother Charles who must defeat the disembodied brain with powerful telepathic abilities known as IT. Love, conformity, and truth all playing big roles throughout the story. Science-fiction always finds a good home in anime where the vastness and oddness of the universe can be on full display.

Blake’s 7

While the Robot series is a well-respected classic Blake’s 7 has always been a fervent cult following. Set in a dystopian future which seems to be all the rage now it lends itself to appealing to a western audience. While some of the titles I picked have a slightly dark or cynical feeling this title is downright morose in its worldview.  The original series had an infamously cheap BBC budget so some high quality and imaginative animation could bring the exotic planets and settings of the universe to life. The crew of the Liberator was fairly diverse and had crew members that ranged from the more traditionally heroic Cally, to the grey hero in Blake, to the almost villainous Avon. It is a series that has demanded a remake for some time so a new medium might give it a new life.

Incarceron

This is a British novel about a future, artificially living prison run by Incarceron a brutal AI. The prison is its own world with forests and villages while Incarceron is an all-seeing being which kills the human inmates but also births half-lings from the fiber-optics of its walls. To me, this setting already feels perfect for an anime which could visually bring it to life.

Exalted

Exalted was a table top role-playing game system that was created  around mixing traditional high fantasy with manga to give rise to a hybrid that mixes the two while creating its own mythology and feel. The anime and manga influences on the setting are unmistakable therefore making it easy to adapt. There is an already established set of signature characters that could be used for a story or the animation team could create their own charters if so desired. The Exalted universe is set in a time of chaos with invaders from outside and infernal strife within the world making it a grand setting for epic adventures as well as personal quests. There are leagues of untamed wildness filled with fantastic monsters, ancient and terrible gods, forgotten secrets, stolen destinies, outcast heroes, savage and magical barbarians, majestic cities filled with corrupt nobles, lost technology, and a planet wide empire on the verge of civil war.  You could set a whole TV series in the Ankh-Morpork styled hive of scum and villainy known as Nexus and never leave the city walls.

The Legend of Zelda

Mostly important because there deserves to be an animated version where the most famous line is not “Well, excuuuuse me, Princess!” Though I do agree in order for this series to work the creators must give Link a strong voice, personality, and point of view. I am undecided on whether or not I would want them to take one of the existing games and make it into an anime or whether I want them to create a new story in the continuey, but I’m leaning towards new giving more freedom and less expectation. Plus this also gives them a reason to be creating an anime in the first place. I know most video game adaptions go in the poorly done category, but this list is in a perfect world remember.

Pirates of Dark Water

The Pirates of Dark Water was an old Hanna-Barbera cartoon that had a distinctly anime vibe. It had an ongoing plot with a slightly older feel to its writing. The sort of show that would appeal to the lucrative shonen demographic. Sadly the show was canceled before Ren and his crew could complete their quest. It would be remarkable to see a reboot of the series like they recently did with Thundercats. You could redo the original episodes with a more modern sensibility while finally giving the show the conclusion it deserved. I think the airwaves are big enough for two pirate anime series especially since this would probably be a co-production.

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. These are the next three of the new season:

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Listen – Episode 1 of Inu x Boku SS from David Production with the opening “Nirvana” by MUCC and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Thermae Romae from DLE Inc. with the ending ”Thermae Roman” by Chatmonchy.

Listen – Episode 1 of Deka Kurokawa Suzuki from NTV and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

I thought it appropriate to make Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence (movie 15) my first anime of 2012 and it set the year off right! In this case Conan takes on a bomber looking to destroy a dam but there is a lot more to this mystery in the small snowy town Kitanosawa whose residents have many secrets. The film starts off with a flashback many years in the past of a young boy being chased and falling down the mountain side. We then move to present day where Conan must first stop a threat to the Governor of Tokyo and a train bomb that leads them to Niigata Prefecture. We learn that the town of Kitanosawa was relocated five years prior when the dam building took place and it was not popular with many of the residents. The setting plays a major role in the film as it is small and fairly isolated and we have the added attraction of snow and all the dangers that come with it. We meet a group of childhood friends with a lot of complications between them and that boy on the mountain top, don’t count him out yet. Since there are multiple mysteries going on it keeps you guessing in good form. There isn’t too much romance in this film which is a nice break and I really enjoyed the friendship that The Detective Boys kindred with the injured boy from the mountain. This movie loves to push the limits of Conan’s skateboard from having him go upside down in a tunnel to its transformation into a snowboard which he uses to create an avalanche in the final tense climax. This in a very enjoyable addition to the franchise making me feel as if they are on a roll with the Conan movies!

I finally got to reading Twin Spica six through ten when I borrowed them from Narutaki. As I stated when I made this the manga of the month the story mixes the best of science fictions hopeful dreams of progress with the draw of excellent human drama. And it has not dropped off in the least. Although it is a story about space the main focus is the characters, their interactions, and their growth. We learn that everyone has at least one major secret that they are keeping from everyone. Some are huge, some are bizarre, some are very personal, and one is all three. But no matter how wacky anyone’s secret is Kou Yaginuma makes sure that it has an appropriate emotional gravitas. And so powerful moments are still effective. Marika Ukita’s angry loneliness,  Shu Suzuki’s carefree facade, Kei Oumi’s blitzkrieging energy, and even Asumi Kamogawa’s melancholy earnestness will always carefully play with your heart and mind without ever feeling manipulative. There is at least one story in each book that will make your earnestly well up with emotion while still having a light mood that prevents you from feeling emotionally blogged down. I am glad to see everyone is still growing. Marika Ukita clearly has had the most obvious arc of growth but everyone is moving forward at their own pace. I will say that chapter 10 ended rather unexpectedly for me. I thought something like that might happen but not at that point in the story. With only two books left to go this is a great time to start the series if you have not picked it up.

Seems that since they didn’t throw Heiji into the 15th movie, they decided to have him play prominently in Detective Conan Magic File 5. Sadly this short is rather dull. It concerns a mix-up of souvenirs that Sonoko and the kids brought back from their trip. It pretty much consists of Heiji sitting on the couch and speculating on how it occurred. The end is at least rather amusing as Heiji plays a prank on Conan.

As always I keep reading Zettai Karen Children for while is partially a reprehensible manga it makes up for it by being amazingly entertaining. The latest arc has brought a previously only periphery villain to the forefront and has the death of a major character. While I don’t they are fully dead it explains why they never appear in any flash forwards. Zettai Karen Children has always been moving along but this really feels like a major plot point has occurred even more than the time skip oddly enough. But the worst part is I think I have become a horrible, evil, and somewhat detestable Zettai Karen Children shipper. I have unknowingly begun to ship Shiho Sannomiya and Shuji Sakaki. There is something slightly wrong with the age gap involved but I don’t care. They just work so well together and play off each other in a most entertaining manner. They will probably just end up throwing Shiho together with Tim Toy but I have my dreams as they stand now. (Goodness I feel dirty.)

I happily finished up Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% (eps. 8-13) and truly the second half is spectacular. Since Haruka essential turns the guys into a boy band with her as the song writer things just get more crazy. The headmaster had a few more challenges in store, but don’t worry they literally rock his world with their songs. Haruka has an identity crisis, she works it out in the end, but not before the guys show up on the hillside near her grandmother’s to sing to her. A few things stood out to me after finishing the show. First, there is very little physical intimacy in the series, seriously it ends with everyone giving high-fives to Haruka. On a similar note, despite being filled with pretty boys there isn’t much fan-service/shirts off/etc. even when they going to an island. Finally, it may be one of the only times I’ve seen a cold, stoic guy actually apologize for his behavior and change. This series need a sequel ASAP!

The problem with being caught up with Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is I now have to wait a month for the next chapter of JojoLion. That is far too long. I love Hirohiko Araki’s work. His story and characters are amazing but that man cannot draw a cute girl to save his life. I know that Daiya Higashikata is supposed to be a cutie. Her bear hoodie is very cute. She is a progressive rock fan (specifically Yes) so you know she is super cool. She is blind so she even has moe points but seems very capable to be a bit anti-moe. But when you look at her character design all you can think is, “I know you are trying so hard but just like Yasuho Hirose you just can’t make your heroines physically attractive can you?” Oh well. Shine on your crazy manga-ka. By the way I wrote this while listening to Heart of the Sunrise as was appropriate.

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. These are the next four of the new season:

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Listen – Episode 1 of Rinne no Lagrange from XEBEC with the opening “TRY UNITE!” by Megumi Nakajima and is streaming on Hulu.

Listen – Episode 1 of Another from P.A. Works with the opening ”Nightmare Contagion” by ALI PROJECT and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of The Daily Lives of High School Boys from Sunrise with the ending ”Ohisama” by Amesaki Annainin.

Listen – Episode 1 of Brave 10 from Studio Sakimakura with the opening ”Shōryō Hirai” by Daisuke Ono and Tetsuya Kakihara and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. These are the first four of the new season:

RSS Feed     -     iTunes Feed

Listen – Episode 1 of Bodacious Space Pirates from Satelight with the opening ”Extreme Space Symphony’s Movement VII ‘Infinite Love‘” by Momoiro Clover Z and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Recorder and Randsell from Seven with the opening “Glitter” by Aoi Tada feat. Sister 773 and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Knight in the Area from Shin-Ei with the opening “Higher Ground” by SRS and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Senki Zessho Symphogear from Satelight with the opening “Synchrogazer” by Nana Mizuki.

I am making my way through Twilight of the Golden Witch, the final chapter of Umineko no Naku Koro ni. As I am still not done I will save my final review for the chapter and the series as a whole for a later date but I do think there is one major fact about the game worth mentioning. When this game was first released the reaction was divisive to say the least. Going mostly on spoilers it seems that there was a very vocal community of people who felt that Ryukishi07 shot the pooch with the ending. I may or not be related but it has taken quite awhile for the English patch of the game to come out. Purposefully or not this might be for the best. It has given people (including myself) sometime to distance themselves from that initial reaction and judge the ending on its own merits outside of the initial hype for the ending and then the backlash when the ending was finally revealed. So far I am enjoying it with some time to divorce myself from the initial reactions. A prime example is the Professor Layton style puzzle section is nowhere near as horrible as it first sounded. It has some of the most powerful scenes if you get the puzzles right. It gives a little insight into how everyone in the family was still a human despite the many horrible things they had done. That is thematically important given how I think they are building up this ending. It does not shy away from the terrible things they have done but if you think anyone there is a complete monster than it makes the ending somewhat disingenuous. I look forward to reading the ending and weighing on the series as a whole now. I think I would have been far more brutal if I did not have some time away from the series. This really shows the benefit of some time away from the gut reaction of a community.

After talking about Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% in my year in review, I decided I’d better watch some more! I watched up through episode 7 which is a good half way point before everyone goes to idol summer camp (oh yes!) and decides on their partners for their final exams. Each episode has focused on one of the guys who through Haruka’s positive attitude helps each feel more confident/find his voice/etc. Of course she isn’t able to melt the frozen heart of Tokiya upon first try but we do learn quite a bit about him and a few secrets are revealed. He gets a lot more attention for the obvious reason that he is the “true path” more than likely in the original game. It continues to be a far-fetched fantasy that knows it. Also the headmaster may appear infrequent but remains entertaining as Norio Wakamoto lends his voice to the bizarre antics. I’m hoping that perhaps they will focus on Haruka’s roommate in an episode but that may be unlikely in a show like this.

I enough people praising Chihayafuru has gotten me to go back and try to catch up with this series. It seems like one of those shows that has a small but vocal fanbase. I watched the first 8 episodes in which we finally get back to the present and watch Chihaya build a karuta team at her school. I have to wonder how much of the extremely Japanese nature of Karuta is responsible for this show’s reputation. It is so steeped in a Japanese game that all but the most dedicated anime fan will avoid the show but everyone else will eat it up. It also has to be well done to earn that fanbase but if it is competent it will get a highly devoted following. Plus since it is about such an obscure sport it can use many sports show story tropes without raising so many flags that it is using such techniques. But overall the show lives and dies on Chihaya’s manic energy. The show only shines if you are drawn into her vibrant personality but fortunately for the show she is a hard character to hate.

Twin Spica vol. 10 has a very sobering effect on a story that is full of youthful exuberance despite its melancholy reflections. As the kids reach another summer break and return to Yuigahama, we as well as them are starting to wonder, to question, who will really see this dream of space through to the very end. The realization that only a few can actually make it into the space program has long hung over the entire series, but this is more the internal conflict, doubts, and truths that all of them must face.

After a long hiatus Liar Game recently started up again. It seems to me that the current arc (chs. 139-144) that is starting up seems like filler to me. No new elements added. Mostly just a new game to show how Nao has grown but also needs to keep growing. It is early enough that I might be wrong but I do have to wonder if the series has just gotten popular enough that Shinobu Kaitani need to pad out what was initially planned to be a shorter series. I don’t really mind. As long as the game are exciting and logical then I will stay along for the ride. The break was also helpful because you do not want these games to be made up on the fly. The only way this series works is with a good deal of plotting out of the games in advance. This all does make me wonder one thing. Is the fact that VIZ never licensed Liar Game’s a great folly or a brilliant move. Was not releasing it just after Death  Note ended foolish because everyone would have picked this up when they were hungry for more Death Note? Did they let that audience slip away? Or would everyone have just unfairly compared it to Death Note never letting it gain its own legs. At this point Death Note will probably always come up whenever Liar Game is discussed but at least enough time has passed that it is a casual talking point and not the focus of all discussions about the manga. At this point what is done is done but it is an interesting thought experiment.

I watched the first four episodes of High Score which is based on an energetic shojo 4-koma. It centers around a bunch of strange individuals, many in relationships, at a high school. The main characters are two cruel narcissists who are also in love with each other which causes endless hilarity. They are surrounded by bizarre friends, enemies, and total nonsense. The jokes and incidents fly by in the 3-minute length which I realize may be the way to get to me enjoy 4-koma anime.

Drink #002: Heart of Fire,
Go Nagai VS. Gurren Lagann

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This is THE match-up of manly madness made for men who marvel at mechanical monsters. The battle for the hearts and minds for those who love robot designs. A grudge match started in the land of the rising sun but ends in the home of the stars and stripes. In the red corner we have the dreamer from Wajima and the father of the Super robot, Go Nagai and Mazinger Z. In the white corner we have and the kings of boob bounce that are ready to pounce, Gainax and Gurren Lagann.

Actually this is an examination of why  Gurren Lagann is so popular with anime fans in the U.S. and Shin Mazinger only really has a fandom among Go Nagai fans despite seeming like shows that have almost identical appeal. What are the key factors that earn one show such a broad audience but keep people out of the other even though both show are awesome.

(Listen) (Show Notes)

And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drin

Heart of Fire
* 1 to 2 measures Whiskey
* Tabasco sauce to taste 

Serve whiskey of choice in a shot glass, add a few drops of Tabasco sauce, and down in one swallow. Speedy intoxication may be the intended result for this fiery cocktail, but go easy with it, as not only the whiskey but also the capsaicin in the peppers in the Tabasco sauce can have adverse side effects if taken to excess.

UN-GO is one of the few shows of the season I have finished up. It is a very odd mystery show kind of in the vein of Demon Detective Neuro where the answers come from both deduction and supernatural means making them rather impossible beyond just guessing. It also has a bizarre sense of humor, too. The cases keep getting stranger as the show goes on bringing future technology like AIs into the mix as well further complicating any and all cases. The detective team of Shinjuro and Inga and later Kazamori combine with the tag along Rie make for an eclectic mix of talents and personalities. Shinjuro is a good lead detective that I came to really like, he has the observation skills but does use Inga a bit too much though the reasoning for that is more obvious later on. I like the last two cases a lot but truly they are more about experiencing the atmosphere. In fact, I am incredibly interested in the world surrounding these things like the seemingly militaristic Japan, there is a lot of world to explore but sadly there isn’t much time to do so before the end. Sadly there probably won’t be anymore either with the exception of the 0 episode (which I think will give us Shinjiro’s backstory) since only incredibly popular Noitamina shows get sequels. UN-GO is based on a novel but again sadly I won’t be able to read it either.

I finished UN-GO and I still don’t have a firm grasp on if I liked it or not. I will say that I do not regret watching it. It was unusual enough that it made the experience worthwhile. Sort of like the latest BBC Sherlock the series takes the post WWII mysteries of Ango Sakaguchi and puts them in a future setting. This odd juxtaposition gives the show a unique vibe of old and new. At the same time as I mentioned in my last look at the show it is also a clear example of why Knox wrote his rules of mysteries in the first place. Inga’s powers always make the mysteries feel unusual and sometimes the solutions feel unearned. The episode with the movie set was undoubtedly the most surreal episodes of the series. At times the show felt a bit strange but these episodes take that feeling to an entirely new level. The last three episodes distinctly feel like the end of a season but not the end of a story. There is the movie I have yet to see but that is just a prequel. I have to wonder if they hoped that this would do well enough to get a second season or did they just not want to put a cap on Ango Sakaguchi’s stories even if it is a heavily modified version of those stories. I can’t say everyone will like this show. It can be a very easy show to dislike. But it is worth checking out just to see if you like it as there is little else out there like UN-GO.

I went to see Ocean Waves at the Ghibli Retrospective here in NYC. Seeing these films on the big screen is something special, but this had the added bonus of being one of the lesser seen movies and one of the few I’ve never seen myself. It is more in line with the slow character stories of Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday than the adventurous fare we are more used to seeing from Ghibli. We follow the fairly easygoing Taku who gets wrapped up in the life of new transfer student Rikako after lending her some money. Rikako is self-centered and reeling from family from drama pushing Taku to exasperation at her flippant attitude with him and others. Believe me you’ll want to give her a good smack at some point, but luckily even that gets taken care of. What is best about the path of these characters is that it doesn’t really follow a romanticized ideal or go in any set direction realizing the wide possibilities and mistakes of youth. While it does have a neat ending, you still feel like acceptance is the big part as opposed to changing a person.

The fact that I easily finished Shinryaku!? Ika Musume this season is a testament to how easy it is to watch. Due to me marathoning Mass Effect and been busy with work and other projects I fell behind on several shows I had been watching. But I watched Squid Girl every week because it is so light and charming that I could effortlessly watch an episode a week without breaking a sweat. It is much the same as the first season. The jokes don’t change too much. This means that Squid Girl, Eiko, and Chizuru dynamic stays strong but that Sanae sort of remains a one trick pony that can be somewhat bland. I never found her super annoying but I easily could see how you could find her grating after a while. Unlike the last season they don’t really try to go out with a finale. The last episode is more of the same for better or for worse. If they made a third season I would watch it as the episodes as they go down smoothly but if it ends here I would hardly feel cheated. I would like to know the story of the Octopus Girl but I am hardly dying to know what her deal is.

I started back up on watching Ashita no Nadja with episodes 5-6. I am now not so sure that the phantom thief and the noble knight are the same person! We learn quite a bit more about Nadja’s mother in these episodes as she leaves England and heads of France. The diary talks of an artist in Paris so she beings looking for him in hopes of more answers. I was a little annoyed that somehow Nadja hadn’t asked any of the troupe if the could read the entries until this episode, but it is worth overlooking. It continues to be a fun fantasy adventure.

Today I got a horrible bit of news. Apparently starting next year the manga of Hayate the Combat Butler is going on a two month break. I look forward to a new chapter of Hayate every week so this is a depressing bit of news. But considering the life of a weekly manga-ka an occasional rest from time to time is surely a much-needed balm to an otherwise overworked soul. I am sure it is one of the few ways a manga author is able to travel and just relax when they are not in-between series. I look forward to seeing what Kenjiro Hata does when he comes back hopefully a bit rested and renewed.

This is the first year I participated in the Reverse Thieves’ Secret Santa Project, and unfortunately I can’t say that I loved the show I picked to watch. That isn’t to say that I hated it, or that it was even bad, but it wasn’t really my kind of show and wouldn’t have been something I’d have selected to watch on my own. That being said, I’m glad I participated in the project and look forward to doing it again next year. On to the review!

Uchuu No Stellvia, based on the short description I read on animeinfo, sounded like a somewhat promising sci-fi drama with a bit of school life mixed in. The story begins in the somewhat distant future, after mankind has experienced a catastrophe of a star going super nova and the Earth was bombarded with all kinds of cosmic radiation. Much of mankind perished in the stellar event, but things aren’t over because the “second wave,” basically the shockwave of debris and more cosmic radiation is going to bombard the Earth in another 200 years or so. Mankind has become united due to this revelation, and has worked endlessly to prepare for the coming disaster by building multiple space stations, called foundations, where students are trained to become pilots, engineers, programmers, etc., all to participate in The Great Mission of defending the Earth from the coming second wave. The foundations are basically giant space colleges which also act as pseudo-military bases.

Enter our protagonist, Katase Shima, who at the beginning of the series is boarding a space transport to embark to the Stellvia (the foundation nearest Earth) to begin her training. She’s generally shy, soft spoken, but is also a genius when it comes to programming, but more than anything she wants to be a pilot and wants to see space. On board the transport she meets Arisa Glennorth, who is basically the opposite of Shima. She’s loud, outspoken, energetic, and not particularly skilled at anything. The two of course become best friends, and then naturally are assigned as roommates once on board the Stellvia.

There will be some crying about every other episode.

We’re quickly introduced to the rest of the students/staff, who pretty much fill every cliché role imaginable. On the girl’s side you have Kayama Akira, a tall, somewhat stand offish, serious girl. Fujisawa Yayoi, who’s the smart, well endowed glasses chick. Machida Ayaka, one of the upperclassman who’s a star pilot and is basically driven to be extremely competitive due to some kind of inferiority complex. Later we’re introduced to Kazamatsuri Rinna, a wunderkind who initially views Shima as her rival but quickly becomes another friend. Lastly is Najima Gable, another one of the upperclassmen who’s trait is that she randomly quotes lines of Shakespeare or the Bible and never seems to have any kind of reaction to anything.

They somehow made a show with a space ninja and made it boring.

On the boy’s side we have Pierre Takida, the suave lady’s man who unfortunately always seems to fail in his romantic endeavors. Joey Jones, aka JoJo, the short, fiery tempered comic relief. Masaru Odawara, basically the blandest character in the series, his defining characteristic is that he eats a lot. Otoyama Kouta, a good-natured, but somewhat socially awkward guy who is generally average at everything but turns out to be a phenomenal pilot due to his “sight.” Kent Austin, basically the super hero upperclassman who’s good at everything and handsome. Finishing off with Ritsuo Shojin, another upperclassman who’s a ninja always doing physical training and who rarely speaks.

Everyone meets, everyone likes each other, yay. Shima initially stinks at flying, but then becomes a pro after some tips from Kouta and her reprogramming of the flight software for her ship. There’s a brief point where we learn that Ayaka is a psycho, when she basically tries to kill Shima in a jousting game, but she gets over it and everyone’s friends again.

The first half of the series is basically going through the initial training of the new students, Shima struggling with flying, overcoming her problem, and then making the final preparations for The Great Mission, which goes off without a hitch (though of course with a bit of melodrama thrown in). Overall, I actually liked the first half the series. Again, not really my cup of tea, but it was still enjoyable.

The second half of the series is where, for me, things kind of took a turn for the worse story wise. Initially, it looked at some intriguing ideas, introduced some political aspects to the series, and toyed with the fact that mankind has essentially not known war for almost 200 years because every moment had been spent with mankind working towards a common goal (The Great Mission) and almost immediately after that goal was achieved, mankind started acting like mankind usually acts…for like a few days, then everyone was fine again. It’s around this time that aliens show up and destroy one of the foundations after everyone evacuated. Then there’s a new impending cosmic catastrophe that threatens to destroy the entire solar system and mankind only has a few months to prepare to face it, during which nobody seems to be really concerned (until the last week or so). The fend off the disaster, the aliens were really trying to help us in their own way, and everyone lives happily ever after in a new era of space exploration.

If it seems like I really hated the series, I didn’t. It’s just that I found it rather mediocre. Part of the reason I think it came off that way to me is that it tried to do a bit of everything, but didn’t really excel at any one aspect. I also didn’t really like any of the characters, because for the most part they were all just caricatures. With the exception of Shima, Kouta, and Ayaka none of the characters really “grew” throughout the series. Shima always broke down and started crying whenever something was hard, but then would overcome it. Kouta finally learned how to express himself a bit. Ayaka accepted the fact that she isn’t the best there is.

I know a lot of people really liked Stellvia, though it’s somewhat unknown, but for me it wasn’t really anything exceptional. Again, I wouldn’t say it’s a bad series by any means, just rather forgettable. The art/animation is adequate, and I will say that when CG was used it the series it was done fairly well. The music wasn’t really anything standout, though I really didn’t care for the opening song. The singer does what, to my ears, sounds like the Japanese equivalent of yodeling. The voice acting was fine, nothing bad nor anything great.

On a scale of 5, I’d give Uchuu no Stellvia a 2.5. Not bad, but not great. Right in the middle.

As you unwrap your holiday presents (or go out for Chinese food and a movie) we give you one final surprise. This is the master list of all the participants on the 2011 Secret Santa Project, what they reviewed, and who gave them their recommendations. I know that several people are not going to finish on time because of various mishaps during the holiday season. So I will do my best to update this list at least once a day as reviews come in. Hopefully everyone watched something a bit unexpected and maybe learned something new about the range and scope of anime. Other than that Happy Holidays and I wish you and yours the best of luck in the upcoming year.

• Gerjomarty reviewed Binchou-tan as recommended by Zeroblade
• Shinmaru reviewed Kaiba & One Outs as recommended by Gerjomarty
• Mefloraine reviewed Alien Nine as recommended by Shinmaru
• Bradley Meek reviewed Paprika as recommended by Mefloraine
• Chii reviewed Glass Mask 1984 and 2005 as recommended by Bradley Meek
• Stig reviewed Mushi-Shi as recommended by Chii
• Ink reviewed The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk as recommended by Stig
• Chikorita157 reviewed Kuragehime as recommended by Ink
• Scamp reviewed Pani Poni Dash as recommended by Chikorita157
• Sebz reviewed Kaiba as recommended by Scamp
• Canon reviewed TBA as recommended by Sebz
• Tim reviewed Darker than BLACK as recommended by Canon
• Brian reviewed Cromartie High School as recommended by Tim
• Otou-san reviewed Giant Robo OVA as recommended by Brian
• Emperor J reviewed Bamboo Blade, Dennou Coil, & RahXephon as recommended by Otou-san
• Aiden reviewed Macross Frontier as recommended by Emperor J
• Landon reviewed Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito as recommended by Aiden
• Justin reviewed as Air Master recommended by Landon
• Linda reviewed Summer Wars as recommended by Justin
• Caraniel reviewed Serial Experiments Lain as recommended by Linda
• Kadian1364 reviewed Black Lagoon & Fantastic Children as recommended by Caraniel
• TWWK reviewed Taishou Yakyuu Musume as recommended by Kadian1364
• Sarcotarascus reviewed The Vision of Escaflowne as recommended by TWWK
• Hanners reviewed Night on the Galactic Railroad & NieA under 7 as recommended by Sarcotarascus
• Robert reviewed TBA as recommended by Hanners
• Bryan reviewed Gunbuster as recommended by Robert
• R86 reviewed Summer Wars as recommended by Bryan
• Bitmap reviewed TBA as recommended by R86
• Fang-tan reviewed Tiger and Bunny as recommended by Bitmap
• OGT reviewed Touka Gettan as recommended by Fang-tan
• Sora reviewed Haibane Renmei as recommended by OGT
• Krizzlybear reviewed Dennou Coil as recommended by Sora
• 8C reviewed Excel Saga as recommended by Krizzlybear
• Fnsna reviewed Dennou Coil as recommended by 8C
• Lostty reviewed Maria-sama ga Miteru Season 1 as recommended by Fnsna
• Transistor Glamor reviewed Paranoia Agent as recommended by Lostty
• Chronolynx reviewed TBA as recommended by Transistor Glamor
• Draggle reviewed Kemonozume as recommended by Chronolynx
• Steelbound reviewed Figure 17 & Noein as recommended by Draggle
• Bobbierob reviewed Haibane Renmei as recommended by Steelbound
• The Digital Bug reviewed Xam’d: Lost Memories as recommended by Bobbierob
• Aaron reviewed Uchuu No Stellvia as recommended by The Digital Bug
• Antz reviewed Ergo Proxy as recommended by Aaron
• Traineroflegend reviewed as Kanon (2006) recommended by Antz
• Vinnie reviewed Karas as recommended by Traineroflegend
• Calaggie reviewed Assemble Insert as recommended by Vinnie
• Spring reviewed Jyu Oh Sei as recommended by Calaggie
• Ryan reviewed Escaflowne (film) as recommended by Spring
• Owen reviewed TBA as recommended by Ryan
• Schneider reviewed Bokurano as recommended by Owen
• SDShamshel reviewed Planetes as recommended by Schneider
• Foomafoo reviewed Serial Experiments Lain as recommended by SDShamshel
• Lvlln reviewed Planetes as recommended by Foomafoo
• Executive Otaku reviewed Strike Witches as recommended by Lvlln
• Fightbait reviewed Now and Then, Here and There as recommended by Executive Otaku
• The Reverse Thieves reviewed Metal Fighter Miku as recommended by Fightbait
• Donald Burr reviewed Le Chevalier d’Eon as recommended by The Reverse Thieves
• Daniel reviewed TBA as recommended by Donald Burr
• Kimaguresan reviewed Overman King Gainer as recommended by Daniel
• Zeroblade reviewed Potemayo as recommended by Kimaguresan

It is rather pleasant to not be crying tears of blood as we watch a series for Secret Santa. I can’t say that Metal Fighter Miku was a greatest show ever but thankfully it was not the torture that was Texhnolyze or Dead Leaves. There are a few reasons that people might remember this show. It is the directorial debut of Akiyuki Shinbo. If you are a fan of his work it is an interesting artifact. It is also a cute girls in robot suits anime that only has little accents of fan service. It is not the cyberpunk world of Bubblegum Crisis (although one episode might make you think otherwise) but it is thankfully also not the boobtacular harem world of Infinite Stratos as well. It is a strange little show that mostly seems forgotten by time and fandom. The real question is if Metal Fighter Miku is a hidden gem or a curious footnote.

First, I want to thank our Secret Santa because this is the first year I haven’t wanted to do bodily harm to myself and others having to sit through a show. That being said, Metal Fighter Miku is a pretty average 90′s action/comedy that at times was entertaining, at times perplexing, but overall won’t stand out in the future when I look back at the anime I have watched.

In 2061 professional wrestling has become EXTREME. Neo Pro-Wrestling uses armored suits to take the sport to the next level. In the world of women’s Neo Pro-Wrestling there is a team of four idol singers who are also athletes with amazing potential known as the Pretty Four. The most enthusiastic member is Miku who could be greatest champion Neo Pro-Wrestling has ever seen. Can a burnt out drunkard of a coach train her to beat the mysterious Sapphire and the legendary Aquamarine?

Metal Fighter Miku is primarily a sports comedy. The plot is nothing you have to think very hard about with fairly straightforward stories even when conspiracies are swirling about the players. Villains that are usually laughable and transparent appear thanks to an evil corporation, wrestling matches may or may not consist of rules by which people need to abide, and new special moves are the soup de jour. So on that note, while it is sport-based, it is hard to really feel that intensity that you might associate with a regular sport series.

Of the Pretty Four the only one who really matters is Miku. The other three are mostly there as window dressing and can basically be summed up by their character quirk. Sayaka is the girly girl with the dynamite body, Nana is the spunky cute little girl, and Ginko is the tomboy with the figure in between the other two. They are slightly important in the beginning but become part of the background as the series goes on. None of them really have a character arc and they don’t even participate in the last two major fights. Miku is the your energetic sports hero archetype. She is fanatically obsessed with the sport and is always training as hard so she can be the best. Being the female version of this model it means that she is friendly, cheerful, and kind. She is earnest enough that it is hard to dislike her but stock enough character that she does not really stand out. Kinta is the team mechanic and if this were a harem show he would be the star and all the girls would be in love with him. But since this is a 90s comedy he only has eyes for Miku, she has no idea he exists as a man, and the other girls just rib him for being obvious. There is couple who owns the team. One is the nerdy looking little man that most exists to absorb abuse. His wife used to be a Neo Pro-Wrester and looks exactly like what you think of when you hear female wrestler.

Miku definitely overshadows everyone else on the team, but at the same time despite having a lot of screen time she doesn’t have a big character evolution to really point to. It is simply more about using each characters traits to create funny or intense situations in and out of the wrestling ring. Everything and everyone is so very 90′s which is one of the more endearing qualities, but they also stick pretty close to that protocol when it comes to personalities which doesn’t have much extra spice to speak of. Whether is be love or friendship or that new team of terrifying looking clown women, the girls stick together and believe in one another in true team spirit. Even when doubt comes into play and people try to drive a wedge between them things quickly resolve. Also luckily since the series is so short there isn’t long filler or training arcs to speak of. But the girls do get their butts handed to them by their coach but rarely in the actual matches. It is surprising how much of a beating characters take at times.

As for the antagonists we start with the coach. The plot might try an convince you that he is on the side of the protagonist but I’m not sure the show ever makes me believe that. First of all Eiichi Suo is super creepy. He looks like he is just killing time before his real job as back alley rapist in a hentai. Also they obviously want him to be the super hard shojo sports coach. The one that is merciless to his students but only because he really cares for his students but worries that any leniency will lead to weakness. The thing is when you think that big reveal of of his better nature will come but it never really does. The end makes him seem more like this eternal jerky spirit of pro wrestling. Miku’s main rival is Sapphire who is so very obviously Yoko Shibano.  I and not 100% sure if this is supposed to be a joke or just the most obvious secret in the world. Part of me wants to believe that it is par for the humor of the show but they play it so straight I am left to wonder. She is the equally hard-working and honest fighter that sees Miku as the only worthy opponent in the league. Her father on the other hand is a sneaky old millionaire that sends all sorts of underhanded obstacles at the Pretty Four including ninjas, spies, and assassins all to get back and the owner of the team for the gravest of grudges. (WARNING: The grudge is hardly grave at all.)  And last but no least is Aquamarine who is at the top of her game but has lost the ability to grow as a fighter. She has a past connected to  the old boozer of a coach. She also has major man jaw. She is supposedly to look matronly but she comes off more like a drag queen.

Some of the most entertaining parts of MFM are when the try to wedge in some romantic subplots. Just as so many of the villains in the series fail miserably, Nagoya (brother to Sapphire) somehow captures the hearts of women. This is so impossible to imagine (I was reminded of Kazamatsuri from Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl). He will make you roll your eyes and slap your forehead as he is a major tool. Despite that he succeeds in seducing Miku and Ginko and almost gets them both out of the way which I think makes him the most successful villain in the series period. Nagoya also randomly leaves later in the series as if he sees the company as a sinking ship. One minute he is there, the next he has left on a business trip so let’s just chalk it up to the staff hating him as much as us!

The problem with going to crazy town is it a major commitment. You can’t go half in and expect results. Macross 7 shows us that is you are going to be insane and trashy you must relentless it your pursuit of madness. As Narutaki mentioned the rules of Neo Pro-Wrestling seem to be made up as the story goes along. They are somewhat based on the rules of professional wresting but there is a whole bunch of unexplained extra rules that are just perplexing. The problem is they need to be insanely over the top like it was Kinnikuman. But sadly the additional rules are pedestrian and seemingly arbitrary. The other teams are goofy like the women named after construction equipment and a team of kunoichi all with peculiar methods of entering the ring but they are never crazy enough to sell the show. There is some good attempts like the Moonlight Jewels having a camel as a mascot, a nun with a killer aura, and Miku fighting a shark but those are far to uncommon to push it unto that utterly surreal realm it needs to be in. There is one episode that hits that mark but it is sadly too short.

Ah yes, truly the most surprising moments of MFM occur in episode 10 – Miku Goes to War: Pretty Miku vs. The Old Man. It begins in a worn torn landscape where people are being attacked, the rest of the episode only descends further into weirdness as Miku must take on a mercenary sent to put her and the other girls out of commission. Strangely Sayaka and Nana have to go to the hospital but we witness no injuries. Then Ginko is kidnapped and tied to a crucifix. This is also the only episode when the world hinges on Miku outside the sports arena. And despite the seemingly deadly climate this episode it is never spoken of again. Sadly, this episode is really only awesome to watch if you watch the beginning of the show to know the stark differences. MFM is wacky but would have benefited from pushing the limits much further. As we are writing about it, it comes off more hilarious probably because the abridged version of events.

If you were not informed that this was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo it might never occur to you. He clearly develops his style as his career goes along because this looks like a very generic 90s show. The character designs, plot structure, framing of scenes, and overall feel is about 90s as you can be. Any of Shinbo’s later design flourishes and quirky sense of style can only be noticed in their most nascent form. His unusual composition and directing that he will become know for in shows like Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei, Bakemonogatari, or Puella Magi Madoka Magica has clearly not developed. It is an interesting transformation to see him go from the very generic director you see here to the character that would shape Studio Shaft. Love him or hate him his style is unmistakable.

Metal Fighter Miku is cemented in the 90′s from the clothes and character designs to the humor and the music. I know that had I seen this show in 90′s, I would have loved it and watched it many a time. That isn’t to say something ridiculous about now being more mature or having refined tastes, but more about what is available to watch and the other things surrounding a show. Metal Fighter Miku is a cute, silly show but it isn’t particularly memorable.

Miku herself pretty much sums up my feelings towards this show. It is hard to hate but nothing about it stands out to make me recommend the show. With an all pretty girl team there could easily be an exploitation fest with the camera feeling like a never-ending gynecological exam. They don’t hesitate to put some bounce in the girls or throw them in bikinis but those scene are the exception and not the rule. The problem is the show is too goofy to be an Aim for the Ace! or Attack No. 1 with robot suits but only episode 10 hits the appropriate level of insane to make the show memorable. In fact it might be best to watch the first two episodes to get a feeling of what the show is normally like and then watch episode 10 and call it a day. It is truly just a junk food show. It is something you watch to hold you over to a more substantial meal but at the same time you won’t remember any of it a week later.

The episode marks the end of season 1 of Fate/Zero. The show is going on a planned break for the winter and will not be back until April. I don’t think that the break could have come at a better time as someone who is episode blogging this series alone. If I were just watching this series for fun I could watch the second half right now and not break a sweat. But there is something tiring to me as I try as I do this episodes alone. If I did not absolutely love the material like I did I don’t think I could keep up with the schedule. I appreciate this little break so I can have my Saturdays free again for a bit before going back into the breech.

Caster and Ryuunosuke are clearly the villain characters of the series. Someone like Kayneth or Tokiomi might have unsavory methods and personalities but you can see how they view themselves as the heroes of their own stories.  But up until this point Ryuunosuke seems like someone who should be on the way to the store to pick up moustache wax. Evil moustache wax. But as Caster and Ryuunosuke look over the remain of their hidden base that was cleansed with some righteous fire they get into a bit of a philosophical debate. I think Gen Urobuchi saw that if he did not add a little depth to these two they would come off completely one-dimensional.

We have already seen that Caster believe that god is a cruel puppet master that hates humanity. Therefore any and all blasphemy is a strike again the evil overlord of mankind who cares not for man beyond his suffering. Ryuunosuke on the other hand has come off as quiet on the philosophical front finally lays out his worldview. In his opinion God loves man. But he loves man like an author loves his characters.  Good and evil are unimportant. What matters is the drama and power of your actions to entertain him. The louder and more bombastic your life the better. If you do good it must be legendary and if you do evil it must be as wretched. Everything is beautiful. The grander the action the greater it is regardless of its intent. This little conversation helps these two come off as a little more than just stock villains. They are still a bit cartoonish in their loathsomeness but at least they have a reason for it.

At the same time we tie up another mystery of motivation.  Rider and Waver step out on the town to do a little shopping. After Waver has a dream about the life of Iskandar he seems even more awkward than usual. Rider is a man of endless ambition, gusto, and bravado but lives for simple pleasures as well. Waver on the other hand seems a meek man whom lives for a more pretentious variety of petty and selfish wishes. If the grail summons a Servant that reflects the soul of his Master than why did these two miss-matched fellows come together.

Wow. If people did not think Waver was full of moe his little “Why do you  need pathetic little me?” speech pretty much sealed that title. Waver seems to wonder why someone as pathetic as him would get someone as powerful as Rider. Rider acknowledges that Waver might not be great now but that they both started off as small men. What matters if they both dream of things greater than themselves. They both reach beyond what others might consider in their grasp.  Rider lives for exploration and conquest. In a way so does Waver. Rider knows that if Waver lives through this war he has greater things ahead of him. This is just his first step to being a better man. And as he grows so shall his dreams.

The season ends Caster going all out by summoning what seems to be a star-spawn of Cthulhu to wreak havoc on the city. This abomination is being powered by Caster but as it starts to eat people it will be able to fuel itself. So Rider, Saber, and Lancer all agree to team up and destroy this thing while they can. They need to expose Caster at the center of the evil sea food platter and let Lancer’s magic destroying spear obliterate Caster’ grimoire and hopefully banish this beast before it is too late. Rider will attack from the air, Saber will attack from the water, and Lancer will wait on the shore for his chance to strike. Just as they go in battle we end season 1. I will note that like Jesus it seems that Saber can walk on the water and swim on the land.

Now THAT is a place to end a season. Lovecraftian kaiju, F-16s, and a battle royal with all the Servants and Masters all about to be unveiled. It gets you anticipating the day that season 2 starts with a triumphant return. They tied up a few loose ends with some good character moments but enticed you for the bloodshed that will come next season. April just can’t come soon enough. I will see you all again then. Until then let us just cross our fingers for a Fate/Hollow Ataraxia anime announcement and play some Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code. Cheers!

I had been waiting to watch Hayate the Combat Butler! Heaven is a Place on Earth since it was announced last year. So when it finally come with the latest volume of the manga I was thrilled to watch it. The movie much like the rest of Hayate is a pleasant and warm helping of comfort food. Heaven is a Place on Earth is a nice little story set right after Natsu-comi and the arrival of Kayura Tsurugino but before the beginning of the next semester. It perfectly captures the feeling of being out in the country during summer vacation. The story focuses on the Hayate/Nagi relationship so I am of course totally behind it. But there is a Hinagiku bath scene so all the fans of the pink student council president will be satisfied. The best part of the movie is it feels like a nice minor arc in the manga. While it is a bit surreal at points it feels like it was taken from the source. Too often these little spin-off movies miss any of that spark that make you love the manga but this one captures that je ne sais quoi perfectly. The oddest thing about the movie is it came out BEFORE Kayura was introduced in the manga but the movie makes no real attempt to introduce her. It goes along like she has always been a part of the cast. At this point it is clear who she is but I am sure there were many a Hayate fan trying to figure out who this strange new girl was. Kayura cosplays as Saber in the movie so she is 1000% OK with me though. I will also say that I cannot deny the appeal of Maria with twin tails in a summer dress. This movie is probably not going to win over anyone who is not already a Hayate fan. They don’t make an effort to introduce you to the plot other than showing some newly animated clips from the first episode during the opening song. Oh Ruka does not take part in the main plot but she sings a song and says a few lines of dialog during the movie’s opening. So if she appears in the 3rd season she now officially has a voice actress. I am now just waiting to watch it again when they release the extended cut on the Blu-Ray.

I went to see Arthur Christmas mostly thanks to an article about its production which also alerted me to the fact that Aardman Animations (of Wallace and Gromit fame) made the film with Sony. It really was everything it should have been: a delightful Christmas adventure with plenty of humor and holiday magic plus top-notch animation. It is the story of the one present Santa forgets to deliver on Christmas Eve which causes endless trouble for everyone. Arthur, youngest son of Santa, along with Grand-Santa take up the mission. Arthur isn’t the successor to the Santa mantle. Oh, he has plenty of enthusiasm but he is also absent-minded, clumsy, and afraid of just about everything; still he has a true heart that inspires everyone in true movie fashion. It even gets a little meta at points as Arthur realizes that Santa isn’t a person, it doesn’t matter who delivers the present, Santa is an idea and a feeling. One of the highlights to the animation production is just how Santa does deliveries which is very high-tech nowadays as they attempt to explain the ways in which it is all accomplished using military precision, thousands of highly trained elves, GPS, and a “sleigh” that functions much more as a space ship with the ability to camouflage itself in many ways. But the olden ways must be dusted off and put to use to fix the gift mistake. It has that classic bridging of multiple generations as a key element along with the realization that we each have a place in the world. While the story has some bumps, I didn’t understand how worrying helped Arthur get to the sleigh or why wrapping the burglar alarm did anything at all, it was a holiday film that left me in good spirits!

If it seems I have dropped off the grid recently it was because I have been playing Mass Effect 2. As everyone who has played the game has said Mass Effect 2 is just a clear improvement over the first game. The first game was incredibly awesome but the second game expands and tweaks so much about the first game. It was not that the first game was horribly flawed. It was just that they improved or smartly streamlined on almost every idea from the first game. They improved the combat, skill trees, and inventory system. There were a few less random missions but they went out of their way to give most of the random mission a unique feel via a combination of original maps and/or unusual mission parameters. Too often in the first game the story for the side missions were unique in story but the maps had a very cookie cutter feel. They layout of the hidden bases or spaceships felt the same unless there were main plot related missions. The layout and style of all the missions usually felt every distinct in Mass Effect 2. I never has a serious problem with the inventory in the first game but the upgrade system is just streamlined in such a satisfying way. The powers are also equally tightened to feel like you get to the core of what you wanted without losing anything vital. The story with the suicide mission feels  epic and fun. It is also just so fulfilling to see the choices you made in the first game pay dividends in this game and now that your choices in both games will have both major and minor impacts on the third game.  It is really everything you would want a sequel to be. I can’t pay to see the end of the trilogy in March. I will only be watching my roommate play through it but that will be good enough. (Plus you get all those nifty completion bonuses  when you are the second person playing the game.)

Kekkaishi 29 is the falling action from the major battle in 28 which makes it more of a transitional book in terms of forward motion, but we are flooded with information and characters. There is still much speculation within the pages about what the supreme leader’s final intentions are and how he is carrying them out. Still you get the feeling that Masamori is finally on the right track though I don’t trust everyone that is close to him. And while we do get better explanations about Karasumori the book continues to leave us in a bit of suspense. Yoshimori’s frame of mind swings wildly as he tries to control his new power and feel responsible for something greater. He gets back to cake baking with a lot of faked vigor hoping to negate his fears. The only thing rather unfortunate is that of late Tokine has really taken a major backseat to the proceedings. I don’t think it will stay that way as we make our way into the final arc, but it is a little frustrating.

As I was covering the Haruhi movie so I did not get to see the first Mardock Scramble movie at the NYAF. But for everyone who did not have a chance to watch the movie then you can watch it now on Hulu. I will say for the amount of nudity and violence I was flabbergasted that they did not require me to log in for an age check. I had to log in to watch Spice and Wolf and that ridiculously tame compared to this. On that note this is really a 80s OVA that just happened to come out in 2010. It has all the gritty ultra violence, dark introspection, and nudity that you remember from those old OVAs. They also do the old 80s-tastic by lightly touching on some philosophy but making sure not to go in too deep because there are action scenes to be had.  The Bandersnatch Company alone feels like a group that should have been in Ninja Scroll. Welldone sums it up succinctly. I would explain but his introduction is something you have to see for yourself. Since I saw it on Hulu is was dub only. The dub was decent but some of the Bandersnatch Company comes of as far more silly than creepy because their dub actors were a bit too hammy. Also I know that oeufcoque is just french for a soft-boiled egg but  it really leads to some odd accidental innuendo in the dialog. This is a great little throwback series that really caters to a type of anime fan that does not get as much attention anymore. The movie ends on a big cliffhanger that just dares you not to watch the next one and knows that you won’t be able to refuse.

Batman was one of my favorite relaunches from the New 52 and the second issue only enhances that feeling. We beginning again with Bruce explaining a piece of Gotham, this time the architecture of a tower and it places in the city before he is thrown out of it. There is some good action in these pages, and you get the feeling this version of Batman rather enjoys himself and the theatrics. This book also continues to feel like the detective portion of Bats that balances things as he goes over an autopsy and gets answers that he already knew from Dick. The page layouts sing! The art is spectacular of course, but it also has well placed breaths in the action as well as places with simple text on blank background that sent a little tingle through me. Bruce is cocky in this book but it feels like he is on the edge of having things pulled out from under him.

In the spirit of our giveaway, we though we’d share our own holiday wishes for anime and/or manga!

Narutaki’s Wishes:

• Wider Releases for Animated Films
  Yeah this one goes beyond anime but anime is certainly included! I am lucky enough to have access to many independent theaters as well as GKids and the New York International Children’s Film Festival which bring many foreign animation over for limited viewing. But I know most people aren’t that lucky and even being that lucky there is still a lot we miss out on. Just for anime alone the easiest titles to overlook are the films because of the limited access and let’s face it, by the time a fan-sub group can get their hands on it you may have completely forgotten the movie existed. Anime films that came out this year include the 2nd Mardock Scramble movie, fantasy-based To Aru Hikuushi e no Tsuioku, and a film adaption of Hotarubi no Mori E from manga-ka Yuki Midorikawa of Natsume Yuujinchou fame; titles from elsewhere of interest include music drama Chico and Rita, children’s animal tale Leafie: A Hen Into the Wild, and comedy adventure Un Monstre a Paris. Sure I might not want to see every animated film from across the pond east and west but options are sure nice.
  
• Finishing the Swan Manga in English
  CMX picked up this seminal and beautiful classic 70′s shojo story that has more than a few of the sports tropes we’ve all come to enjoy. It was one of their first releases but still they weren’t able to bring it to completion before closing their doors. Now I beg, plead, and offer money to any company willing to finish the missing five volumes.
• Make More Brave Series Anime
  The Brave series rides high on super robot and combining robot love bringing joy to us all. The last also happens to be the most famous title: The King of Braves GaoGaiGar. This part of the franchise came out way back in 1997 and despite its popularity no new anime iterations in the Brave line have been released.

Hisui’s Wishes

• A Viable Way To License Older Mecha Series
  There are a bunch of really good or at least fun older mecha series that have not been licensed for English-speaking markets. They include but are not limited to Blue Comet SPT Layzner, Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3, Galaxy Cyclone Braiger, Giant Gorg, several shows in the Brave series. The main problem is mecha never sells particularly well in the US and if you add age into the equation you get sales poison. But Vertical has shown with manga that titles that are classically poor sellers can be profitable if correctly chosen and marketed. I wish there was some small anime publisher with enough skill and savvy to get these older mecha titles and find a way to at least make them marginally profitable. This may be crazy talk but that is what holiday wishes are for.
• Some Neglected Type-Moon Characters Get Some Love
  I love Saber. That is no real secret. Equally obvious is that only a handful of characters like Asuka and Rei get more figures a year made of them than Saber. But for all the Saber and Ryougi Shiki figures that exist they could make one or two more pieces of merchandise for other characters. Caster, Bazett, Miyako, and Riesbyfe could get some nice figures that I think would sell well. Also unless your name is Archer there are almost no male Type-Moon characters with figures. Maybe some nice Shiki, Nrvnqsr Chaos, Lancer, Gilgamesh, and Rider figures would be a good start. I know several people would instantly buy a well made Iskandar figure.
• A Little More Diversity in the Anime Line Up Next Year
  I know that the anime industry is getting slightly conservative and insular with its choices because of the bad economy. They want to go with what they feel is sure to sell just enough to make a profit more than take a risk on a show that might bring in a wider audience. But I would love to see a bit more experimentation and diversification of genres next year. I am not asking for a radically different line up of show next year. Just a move towards a more robust selection. It might also help some people from constantly getting on a soap box whenever they can about the death of the industry. It won’t ever stop. Even Holiday wish has so much power. But a little reprieve might be nice. And maybe just maybe it will not just help stop the decline of the industry but help foster some growth.
  

If anyone read this article on Sunday and has come back they will notice I just edited it. ToastCrust thankfully pointed out that Fate/Zero is 13 and not 12 episodes long this season. That explains SO much about the pace of this episode. So I decided that everything in the middle of the post is fine but I had to update the introduction and conclusion if for nothing else so it looks a little nicer in the archives. Hey I can still use the opening next week as it is no less true next week than is today. Otherwise this would have rather anticlimactic for a final episode.  It would be like having your cliff hanger season finale be the infamous soccer episode of Eureka Seven. While important things happen in that episode and revelations are made it would still feel a bit odd to end at that point. What would leave you with this burning desire to finish the next season? Thankfully this is just the penultimate episode and the series will end the season with a major confrontation with Caster.  Until then it is time for Kirei to do some soul-searching (or more exactly an examination of his lack thereof) and Irisviel to be filled with tragic illness.

The first Servant has been eliminated and so the original deception at the beginning of the war has become a reality. This time Assassin truly has died. But that does not mean that the other participants can rest on their laurels. There are still plans to be made and a prize to be won for killing Caster. So Saber and Irisviel relocate to a new base of operations while Kirei learns that his role in the Holy Grail War is not over.

Now that the number of Servants has gone from 7 to 6 the most dangerous players are stepping up their games. Tokiomi seems to think that the war is pretty much wrapped up. With the intelligence he has gathered he seems not to fear anyone but Rider and now that he knows the King of Conquerors powers he assumes it is only a matter of time before he wraps up this little conflict. Kiritsugu on the other hand still see most of the remaining Masters as a threat worth worrying about. But he is most perplexed by Kirei’s acti0ns. If Kirei was just supposed to act as recon with Assassin why did he stick his neck out to fight when they seems like a completely useless tactical decision. Kiritsugu knows there is something more to Kirei but he has no idea what that is.

At the same time there is someone who knows the deal with Kirei even more than Kirei himself. Kirei says that he is glad to be out of the Holy Grail War as now he can be protected by the church. But Gilgamesh sees the truth. Gilgamesh sees a man who says he knows nothing of pleasure but knows exactly what bring joy to this priest. Gilgamesh sees a man who says he has no wishes in his heart but know what he truly longs for in his heart. Gilgamesh knows that Kirei enjoys suffering. That Kirei is happiest when committing sacrilege. But Kirei still considers himself a man of the cloth. He still feels that what makes him happy is a sin. And so at the end of the episode when Kirei regains his command seals Gilgamesh knows exactly why he is back in the fight. Kirei is a twisted man who needs a Servant. Gilgamesh is a twisted Servant who need a more interesting Master. All that is left is for both parties to realize their mutual compatibility. Gilgamesh gives need to give him that little push to betray his mentor.

Now that Einzbern castle has been compromised Saber and Irisviel must relocate themselves. Any fans of Fate/Stay Night will instantly recognize this their new base of operations will eventually become Shiro’s house. It might be a little run down now but is clearly the same place. As they look around Saber notices that Irisviel is not herself and it is revealed that the homunculus is not feeling quite well. She plays it off that she is just feeling ill but being a magical construct she can not run the local doctor. Irisviel seems like she being honest but she is holding back on a vital detail. She is not merely sick. She is falling apart. As the vessel for the Holy Grail as each Servant dies she lowly unravels as a human being and starts to become the Grail. Ilya dealt with this better than her mother but only because they went out of improve on her after her mother’s design. But clearly Irisviel will only get worse as the war goes on slowly becoming less and less herself as the Grail erupts out of her.

Those who played Fate/Stay Night will also remember that Saber is summoned by Shiro in the shed of this house. A neat little nudge and the wink is they show us that while Irisviel was working here it was her who created that magic circle that is later used as the point in which Saber arrives on the scene of the 5th Holy Grail War. That is a bit of retcon. I assume that circle originally was either supposed to be just a visual effect, something Kiritsugu made after the war, or something Shiro made practicing in the shed. Despite that I think it is a clever wink and a nod and therefore I approve of how it ties to two series together.

This episode is a nice little breather between the death of Assassin and the battle royal that will go down around Caster. Oddly enough episode twelve did not really set up that fight but they also had no need to. The previous few episodes have shown that everyone is getting ready to stop Caster’s reign of madness. What these episodes do is set up some of the subtler things going down in the next season. Kirei’s sudden but inevitable betrayal as well as Irisviel’s equally unavoidable demise. I do have to say it was unexpected to see Kirei was actually struggling with his darkness. I had assumed any allegiances he had were all an act. Apparently he did have something approximating a conscience at one point. You learn something new every day. That said the next episode is the last episode we shall see for a while so hopefully they end on a spectacular note.

I’ve started playing Professor Layton and the Last Specter which is the start of the prequel arc featuring the first meeting of Layton and Luke. Since this is the case, the game begins with Layton meeting his new assistant Emmy who quickly became a favorite of mine. She is a new addition with her high energy and physical nature. At times she even acts as the audience to the strange happenings making comments like these villagers are so weird and the like. And it is a good thing I fell in love with her quickly, I just started a new chapter where she has broken off from Layton and Luke to go solo in London. So far the story has been in line with previous games which is a positive; I’ve been able to deduce small mysteries but the Specter remains elusive. The town seems more sprawling complete with canals and boat transportation but like the last two games it tends to box you into a path and only lets you explore at its discretion which I always take issue with. Puzzles are Layton puzzles and nothing has stood out though there does seem to be more real math than before. I’m happy to say the car path mini-game is back, but made way better because it is with trains! I haven’t gotten to London Life yet. If you’ve seen the movie Eternal Diva you know a little more about this game, but I’m looking forward to now go back and watch it with a fuller knowledge.

Mass Effect is a series that has a rich back story and world building aspects that can be totally ignored if you wish to play the game as a straight sci-fi action game. I being a Type-Moon fan of course am the sort of person who will pour over all the in-game encyclopedia entries and journals. So that fact alone won the game major bonus points with me. That aside I think the game lives up to all the praise the fans give to the series. It has a solid plot that you can play through fairly quickly if you skip all the side material. But half the fun is all the side missions you can do. The main plot line maybe be the entrée but the side dishes are equally important to the meal in its entirety although you might not want to do all the silly collect all the tchotchkes missions like I did. But the cool thing is so many of your decisions carry over to the next two games be it huge decisions you make in the main plot line or little choices you make in side quests. It gives you a reason to seek out missions just so you can impact the world as opposed to just collecting more money and experience. Knowing that the people you kill or tasks that you accomplish carry over give every decision you make a satisfying weight and consequence. The dialog and charterers are not War and Peace or Citizen Kane levels but you will get attached to most people and the writing is usually pithy. The morality system is one of the best for a modern video game. There are still some kick the dog ridiculously evil choices but most of the time picking the renegade choice is an acceptably gray moral decision. It makes playing the path other than the white knight choices viable to people who don’t just shoot the scientists in Half-Life because it is cool. As for the two biggest complaints I always hear about the game I agree with one and did not really care about the other. The Mako is sort of annoying as everyone says it is. It’s hardly unbearable but it is clunkier than it needs to be. When you are moving along it is fine but when you spend 10 minutes getting from one location of the map to another when is should have taken 30 seconds because of the terrain you quickly understand why people were glad they removed the tank driving from everything but some optional missions in the second game. The other major complain it’s the inventory system. I thought that about 90% of gear you pick up was just vendor trash but I did not find it that hard to deal with even on the 360. I just wish the shops were not just filled with random inventory as opposed to a fixed stock. I almost always had mediocre to poor armor because of this. Those flaws aside Mass Effect was pretty amazing. I beat it in about a week and missed quite a bit of sleep due to it keeping me up. If you any sort of American RPG fan it is worth trying it out.

The Zelda Skyward Sword comic with just five pages looks gorgeous but is really neither here nor there. It just leaves you wanting it to build upon what was done. Maybe once I play the game I’ll feel like it is a nice little intro.

I may be behind on some of my shows due to playing Mass Effect but I have kept up with Kamen Rider Fourze. It is still the goofy  Jojo’s Part 4 Kamen Rider it has always been. They finally have the team all assembled so they had their first real throw down match with a Boss character. Gentaro Kisaragi is still going along being an entertaining moron with a heart of gold. His character really exemplifies the appeal of the show. This is important because when the show goes into serious drama mode the Japanese acting makes the melodrama feel really odd and amateurishly cheesy. When they concentrate on the action or comedy it is sometimes surreal but always entertaining. I was slightly surprised by the big reveal in episode 13. It was a decently well executed reveal for a show that is normally so goofy. It is a fun little show that always manages to put a smile on my face. Worth checking out even if your are not normally a fan of tokusatsu shows. It has a strong charm that just cannot be denied.

I just discovered the Bad Machinery webcomic (sorry I don’t read many webcomics!) and I’ve fallen in love. I began with the current story Murder She Writes which doesn’t require prior knowledge to make you laugh and try to solve the spoof on the classic setup of a group of people stranded in a snowstorm where murders begin happening. Lottie our young sleuth is wonderfully odd and awkward. The artwork adds quirk to its already humorous trappings. What stands out for me is how well this comic does single pages with a beginning, middle, and end but also connects to the overarching story; it feels very satisfying rather than needing the whole thing at once in order to enjoy it.

And as soon as Carnival Phantasm Ex Season was translated I downloaded and watched it. It is the longest episode of Carnival Phantasm so far. It did make me realize one thing. I don’t really know all that much about Bazett and Caren’s actual personalities. Since Fate/Hollow Ataraxia still has not been translated I actually know them much more for their silly doujinshi personalities than who they actually are in-game. I wonder how odd it will be to play Fate/Hollow and see them how they were actually meant to be portrayed after seeing them as nothing but goofballs for so long. Still every time I see Bazett I have to wonder why she does not have more of a fan following. If it were not for Saber I am fairly certain I would be firmly on team Bazett. I am sort of amazed how much mileage they are getting out of this Phantasmoon joke but I think it needs to end here. Even I who have supported the Phantasmoon joke so far am beginning to wonder if they have any idea of when enough is enough. I wonder if I were a bigger Arcueid fan if I would change my tune or not. But to counter that they have a good deal of Robot Chicken style mini skits which work a bit better. Also the more Aozaki Aoko the better. Miss Blue is always wonderful. Now all that is left is to wait for the third season and the new version of Melty Blood for the PC.

Listen up you lowlives that will never amount to anything! Today is the day that the penultimate episode of Mawaru Penguindrum is released to your undeserving eyes. With so many twists and turns in this series we are curious what your puny minds incorrectly assume will happen in the final episode. Give us your mongrel howling in the comments below and we shall see exactly how incorrect you are next week. And just because some of you are foolish fools who foolishly fool themselves into ignoring how foolish you really are remember that there will most probably be spoilers in the comments below. Now go forth and obtain the answers to the riddle of the Penguindrum!

Looking at the forums thread for the 100th episode of the ANNCast I learned a shocking fact. Apparently there are people in the anime fandom who have never seen Revolutionary Girl Utena. This is a sad state of affairs that must be rectified as soon as possible. With something as unusual as Utena it is clear that not everyone will enjoy the show. Its avant-garde nature, melodramatic style, and odd sexuality can easily turn people away from this show. But all those things make the show at least worth sampling to see if they appeal to you. It is just a show that feels so different that you have to see it just to experience what it brings to the table if you consider yourself any sort of seasoned anime fan. You don’t have to love it and you don’t even have to watch all of it. But is should have at least a passing familiarity with. When the series was out of print this claim was a harder sell but recently Nozomi has re-released the series with remastered audio and video. Plus on they have episodes streaming on their YouTube page. Now is the best time to sample the series legitimately as well as pick it up on disk in a resplendent re-release. But as great as the show is the extras included in the new box sets are just as enticing.

If Nozomi has proven their worth with anything, it is these Revolutionary Girl Utena box sets. Picking up the series with a major remaster of animation and sound is great, but more than anything else is the new life the booklets bring to the show. Many anime titles come with extras but few bring you such knowledge that is packed into these allowing you to walk away with an even better appreciation for Utena (I didn’t know it was possible to love it more).

The booklets are just treasure troves of information. First of all they have the meatiest of all extras in the form of cast interviews. And not just one or two members of the production staff are interviewed. Of course they have conversations with the director, Ikuhara but they also have some amazing conversations with almost every conceivable main staff member who worked on both the original anime and the remastering. They explore what went into the production, how collaborations went down, what was cut and changed as the series was developed, what snags and accident bits of genius they encountered along the way, and the feelings on the show after it was over. Any topic you would love to hear about in an interviews and more. It is remarkable to see how much the show changed from its initial concept to the end result. At points in the creation there were a team of magical swordswomen at the center of the show, Anthy and Utena were the same character, and even the name of the show itself went through various iterations. It is fascinating to see all the different tweaks they made to arrive where they did and what inspired them to do each of them. Everyone is fairly straight forward in their comments except Ikuhara. He sometimes tells you straight out what he is thinking but other times (especially with the individual episode commentaries) he hides his thoughts in metaphor much like the show does. But if you can grok his odd way of thinking there are some amazing insights into the themes of the anime. Also the books  are invaluable for fans of Mawaru Penguindrum as he goes into things like his fascination with the theme of the “Wanted and Unwanted” that gets an even deeper examination in his latest work. If you ever desired a better understanding of this somewhat surreal show these books are the prefect guide through the labyrinth of metaphor. And then there is the artwork included in the books.

The production sketches, character art, and gallery of the many locations was enough to still my heart. The concept work shown for Ohtori Academy and the dueling arena are especially amazing. Utena’s limited budget made still shots important and you could see how much thought went into the architecture of the series, but this collection of pencil sketches shows it in minute detail. And the library of the many scene shots makes you appreciate the background that is, well in the background, and easily glossed over as you watch. All of this is ratcheted up in the movie with dizzying results. There are pages dedicated to the production of these intricate parts of the movie, layering pieces on top of each other and moving them in a way that seems unlikely any other production. Equally striking are the ideas for character options, always fun to see; it looks like they were thinking of making Utena blond for a while; and I can’t possibly image Touga with short-hair. In the character studies, you even see one of Anthy after she’s been slapped, guess they needed to get that right since it happens so often! Since Utena is from an age where many things were still done by hand, you end up with a greater appreciation for all the effort.

The disks themselves are also loaded with extras. Some of them are the interviews, sketches, and trailers that came with the original Central Park Media release of the anime. You know those interviews are old because they are from the Big Apple Anime Fest but they are still just as relevant and interesting ever. They also have trailers for the US and Japanese releases and some music videos that are so 90s it hurts.  The real prizes are the commentary with Ikuhara and Chiho Saito on the last episode as well as Ikuhara’s commentary track on the movie. Truly an amazing set of extras. Also the ring you got for ordering all three box sets was something I begged Central Park Media for way back when they were first releasing the sets. It is the prefect little bonus for the series.

As a designer I’m pretty much in love with the packaging of these releases. The boxes play up the theatrical elements, the clean lines, and the architecture that is so present in the show. The silhouettes have a mysterious quality that is enhanced by the striking colors and patterns. Each booklet is vibrant and glossy and as we just mentioned, jam-packed with information. And if you don’t want a duelist ring after watching Revolutionary Girl Utena, then I just don’t know what to say.

Utena is my all time favorite anime series so I am so glad to see that it get such wonderful treatment with its re-release. It is a mind-blowing series and it has been given an equally eye-popping release. If nothing else I hope it does well enough that Nozomi looks into picking up Mawaru Penguindrum as well. Given their track record I feel they have proven themselves the best company to release the show in English. If you have not already watched it then go and sample it today!

Think of this as a thank you letter to Nozomi for bringing us something truly special.