Since the 7th game of Umineko is so game changing I am going to try to just discuss the essence of the episode without giving away major spoilers especially for people who read the blog but are a few games behind. The two new characters seen in the portrait above are Willard H Wright and Lion Ushiromiya. Lion is a fascinating character that is essentially several huge reveals just by existing. Will is the Battler stand in for this chapter and I thought his big entrance was fairly entertaining and cool. Lion and Will’s interaction is playful although all the butt pinching going on has solidified that they will be shipped forever. When we get into the meat of the story we learn Kinzo’s back story, the identity of Beatrice, Battler’s sin, get some hits as to the solutions to some of the locked room mysteries, and the probable confirmation of one of the mostly hotly debated theories in the series. We also get some powerful scenes that I thought were quite moving. Also unless we are being misled there is some seriously twisted relationships in Umineko and the people involved do not realize are as twisted as they are.  It probably makes me a weenie but I found parts of the end of Requiem of the Golden Witch really hard to read. If you have come to love these characters the last chapter is brutal. Although how authentic how authentic that ending is has yet to be seen.  When the last game comes out I will probably do a total spoiler filled review of the series a whole but until then I just have to wait to see what answers 2011 finally gives us with Twilight of the Golden Witch.

I picked up How to Train Your Dragon in a Black Friday sale but didn’t get around to watching it till the Christmas holidays. The animation of the film really stands out, especially from some of the other Dreamworks properties, it was lush and gorgeous; the dragons were very animated and their designs were quirky; plus the flying scenes were breath-taking. The story is a simple one of trying to fit in to your dragon-killing village of vikings (we’ve all been there, right?) but Hiccup is much happier inventing things which often gets him into trouble. After one of his inventions actually works and takes down a rare dragon, their fates become intertwined when he realizes he can’t bring himself to hurt the creature. This story has a classic feel of acceptance, growing up, and having the bravery to do what is right. While I did find the relationships between Hiccup and the other kids a little too easier resolved, it was enough. I found it a very enjoyable ride! After seeing it, I do imagine it will be an Oscar contender this year.

The next chapter in Higurashi is Tsumihoroboshi-hen or the Atonement Chapter. Like the previous Eye Opening Chapter this chapter got cut in the anime and is much more effective in the visual novel. As always we are able to get to know the characters and see their mental break downs much clearer in the visual novel than in any other form. This chapter is a departure from the chapter it is answering but it still gives resolution and explanations to what happened in the Spirited Away by the Demon Chapter. In fact this chapter gives much more answers than the anime ever did. This chapter is downright mean because it throws out a lot of information that is actually vital for understand the greater story and then makes you think they were merely red herrings when Rena’s theories go into a layer of total insane paranoia. But as always the biggest trick is this chapter seems to have a somewhat happy ending until you read the afterward and find out despite the hard-won ending it turns out everyone dies anyway because the underlying causes of the tragedy of Showa 58 has still not been discovered. This was another chapter that was distinctly worth the money for anyone who is a fan of the series for the greater insights it gives you. I will say that the author’s afterward is this bizarre public service announcement that seems to come out of nowhere. So very odd.

I finished up Yumeiro Patissiere Professional TV. After the gang returns from their stint in New York City, they feel ready to take on the task of opening their own store. But before things can really start, alliances are changed and (new, new) Team Ichigo must revise their tactics. To make the stakes higher, Miya and Johnny make bets about dating Kashino and Ichigo respectively. Henri is notably absent in importance through these last episodes as well. Once again we aren’t privy to as much baking and creative endeavor with more of a concentration on business. As one would suspect things turn out for the best, sort of, but without any resolve to the love relationships going. This sequel really didn’t hold a candle to its predecessor.

After seeing a few intriguing ads for 999: 9 Hours, 9 People, 9 Doors I decided to pick it up because I am always interested in translated visual novels. 999 is the story of 9 people who were kidnapped and placed on an ocean liner as part of a mysterious revenge plot by a masked villain know only a Zero.  They have bombs in their bodies that can be triggered in a variety of ways so they are forced to solve puzzles in groups to survive. As they try to escape they also discover a murderer among them that is taking them out one by one. The game itself is hybrid visual novel puzzle game. You solve puzzles in an Myst style fashion to get to the next block of visual novel text and decision. Overall the game is entertaining but there are some really annoying things that way it down. First of all there are multiple endings depending on paths you take. To get the best ending you have to get a particular bad ending that unlocks the best ending. When you replay the game to get a new ending you can fast forward through text you have already read but that a still takes a bit of time. You have to replay all the puzzles you figured out which is really annoying since they are major time sinks. The puzzles are not that hard but the 5th time you have to do the puzzles in the first room are 3 times too many. If you don’t have a guide to do everything effectively it could be even a bigger pain. It is a fun game and the story is interesting but that repetition can be brutal enough to make some people walk away.

I was surprised to see the first live-action Nodame Cantabile movie available with English subtitles on my flight back from Europe. This is the first of two movies that will conclude the fairly lengthy romance story of aspiring conductor and accomplished pianist Chiaki and eccentric pianist Nodame plus the merry band of misfits they call friends. I have read a good portion of the manga so I had a decent understanding of what was going on, but this isn’t the place to start if you are new to the franchise; nothing is explained and this is the (beginning of the) final stunning conclusion to it all. However, this is the first time I’ve seen any of the live-action adaption. I was surprised by the cartoony additions like people getting bonked on the head and animated little things, which work fine in manga form but have potential to throw you out in live-action. But what I found most jarring was Chiaki’s personality portrayed as much more tame which only made Nodame seem annoying and petulant. I mean, Nodame is petulant, but when Chiaki is a crazy, controlling, ego-maniac it all balances out; that balance wasn’t happening. The music was quite a highlight though, as it should be, and was played in full for most sequences. I’m curious how the story ends but I’ll be picking up the manga to find that out rather than the films.

Two Birds. One Stone.

Bihada Ichizoku is, sadly, a show that most people never watched. I remedied my ignorance over the Christmas holiday. These 12 8-minute episodes follow the two Bihada sisters, a family that “battles for beauty,” as they become rivals for the most beautiful skin in the world. Yes, I swear that is the premise, and I also swear it is perfectly executed and hysterical. The show was created to promote skin care products. The show is a near-perfect riff on all things shojo from the 70s; from the character designs to the expressions to the desperate seriousness of it all. Sara acquires a mysterious benefactor, who leaves her a random assortment of objects such as purple sweet potatoes, and teaches her the ways of skin care in order to defeat her sister in the final battle! There is hardship, death, doomed love, and so much more; Bihada Ichizoku plays it straight and entertains amazingly well. And at this length you can shoot through the whole show in less than 2 hours!

I decided to delve back into the work of Kill em’ all Tomino with the first 15 episodes of Aura Battler Dunbine. This story does not start with much foreplay in the regular world before throwing the protagonists, Shou Zama, in the magical world of Byston Well. Byston Well is a medieval fantasy land with insect like mecha called Aura Battlers. Shou finds himself pressed into the army of Duke Drake who plans to rule the world with an elite fighting force of pilots from Earth. Apparently people from Earth have massive amounts of spiritual power in Byston Well and can power up any device they control exponentially. After a few battles Shou find himself fighting on the side of the rebels. The fact that he is keen of the red-headed Marvel Frozen who is also part of the resistance is no small part of his decision. This feels very much like a Tomino work despite its fantasy setting.  You will notice a very standard Tomino style of pacing and characterization for better and for worse. So far Shou is a solid lead with a good mixture of knowing when to be aggressive and when to be passive in his personality as opposed to other Tomino leads. Neal Given has really only gotten on my nerves so far and I am still undecided on Marvel. All the villains so far are pretty despicable and we don’t really have a gray Char like character so far. So far Garalia is the most over manipulative and the top insanely evil character but Shot Weapon looks like he is saving his full crazy for a later date. I am curious to see how the Tomino does his version of Escaflowne over a decade before Escaflowne.

Finally had a chance to watch Gundam Unicorn ep. 2 and following in the footsteps of the first installment, it didn’t disappoint. As hotly anticipated, a familiar face (or should I say mask) appears and it is unclear whether he is the real thing or not. He has the attitude, the fighting capability, and the mindset of Char. My opinion is to believe he is indeed the true Char, but I truly don’t think it will ever be revealed one way or the other (unless he decides to tell a story about how awesome Char is); it stays more exciting and interesting not knowing. Seeing him back in action was fun (gotta get me a Sinanju model kit!) and of course he shows these kids a thing or two. Another series of great battles in this episode with stunning visuals as Banagher gets more acclimated to the Unicorn. The conflict is really starting to boil so I’m looking forward to more in the, regrettably short, series.

Since they were on sale I decided to finally buy the 4 chapters that make up Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. I started with Meakashi-hen or the Eye Opening Chapter. It is a retelling of the second story if Higurashi now from Shion’s perspective where we learn what actually happened during the Cotton Drifting Chapter. So far while all the visual novels have proved to be more in-depth than the anime or manga they have spun off this is the first chapter that is hands down infinitely better. Shion is just a deeper and more engaging character in original. We spend much longer with her in the beginning of the story so she is far more sympathetic than she was in the anime.  We also get a clearer sense of the whole Shion/Mion relationship dynamic which helps with the end of the chapter. Her relationship with Satoshi is expanded upon so when things start to go wrong we get a clearer sense of how and why she slowly goes mad and that she had been in a downward spiral for some time before the whole doll incident. When when everything falls parts we empathize with Shion but still realize she is still quite evil. I also found it interesting that we got our first solid mention of Hanyuu even if the audience at the time would have missed it. Just a huge improvement on every level. I do miss the little comedy cast ensemble pieces where the characters discuss the chapter and give you hints for dissecting the mystery. They were always very amusing. Instead Ryukishi07 gives his thoughts on chapter which are insights into the story but I would have liked some crazy antics on the side as well. This was a real treat and is making me look forward to the other solution chapters.

Finished up Legend of Legendary Heroes, a show that I held out hope for but was let down. The entire show teeters on the edge of good but never makes it over the hump. The mishmash of characters and relationships swings the gamut from engaging to utterly annoying. Ryner and Feris’s interactions get better as the series progresses; though Shion remains the most dynamic character of the bunch, they drop the ball with him nearing the end. As Ryner’s past is revealed more it starts to get a bit contrived. Not only does he have a bevy of childhood friends, everyone in the show has super tragic pasts with the meanest people in the lands. Also for a guy who can copy magic, Ryner’s repertoire is sadly bland as he only uses a handful of spells the entire show. The plot has many pitfalls including a completely nonsense ending and few explanations to go along with any of it. Legend of Legendary Heroes was a fantasy show with potential that never comes through.

I knew that Mirai Nikki OVA was going to be a test for how people would react to a full length Mirai Nikki TV series but I did not expect it to be nothing more substantial than a really long trailer. It introduces you to the bare-bones plot and quickly rattles off all the key players and then teases you for a  real first episode. Despite an introduction to many key points there is never the weight or feel of a full episode. It reminds me of X: An Omen in that respect. If you are curious about the series it is worth watching but it is nothing to go out of your way to import. Your better off just waiting for the actual TV series and then watching the first episode.

Sorry, not too much Bihada Ichizoku fan-art out there, so I’m going with Gundam Unicorn!

I rewatched the beginning of the Raoh Gaiden TV series and then finished it off. It stays pretty much insane and hilarious all the way through as we learn the story of Raoh before the beginning of Fist of the North Star’s main plot. We follow him through his first upheaval and declaration as king as he builds an army, meets Kokuoh-go, imprisons Toki, and bests many foes. Though it doesn’t have as much fighting as you might imagine since Raoh pretty much wins every time within 5 seconds. The exception to this is the last fight between Raoh and Souther but clearly that can’t end with either one’s death! There are new characters for Raoh’s story including some love interests, yes for real, not that Raoh every engages in such romantic actions. This becomes doubly funny with the ending animation seemingly implying this series has a really romantic slant. Reina as one of the ladies is hard to swallow as never being talked about in earlier works considering she is both Raoh’s childhood friend and a general in his army. The series is about Raoh so of course it is entertaining and of course I enjoyed every minute, but I don’t think it will appeal to anyone who doesn’t already have this feeling in their heart!

I decided watch one of the cornerstones of shojo history by taking on the 115 episode beast that is Candy Candy. After 25 episodes it is obvious why this is such an influential and celebrated work. Candy Candy is the story of the spirited tomboy Candice White who starts life as an orphan with nothing but her good nature to her name. She tries to keep in contact with her best friend Anne and find the Prince of the Hill who won her heart. She is thrown into adversity after adversity including the various machinations of the family that adopts her. Whenever it seems like the plot is going to drop into a predicable formula they will shake things up by doing something like sending Candy to Mexico. I have to say the end of this arc is quite surprising. If this is any sign of things to come I will say Candy Candy is anything but predictable. I feel a little bad for Archibald and Stear because they are really cool gentlemen who are obviously in love with Candy but everyone including them know they are always just going to be in the friend zone. I am very curious to see what the next 25 episodes have to offer.

With much eagerness I watched the Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated pilot episode. In case you were unaware, I am and have been a big Scooby fan since childhood. This new series has a really promising start with a mixture of the familiar but some new feeling as well. You can already see in this pilot that there will be more character and relationship focus. Both Daphne and Velma are showing their interests in Fred and Shaggy respectively plain as day. The traits of each character have been magnetized but not to complete parody bringing some great humor from Velma’s sarcasm to Fred’s oblivious-nature to the sheriff who can’t stand the gang. The mystery is very much in line with previous shows being a case that seems supernatural really has a logical explanation. However, the biggest surprise was that a clue Daphne picked up didn’t have to do with the current case, as the episode was coming to a close the gang received a mysterious phone call pertaining to the item. The implication that there may be arcs of story is a really exciting one! I am really anxious for this series to start in July.

I finally finished the last two episodes in the Higurashi sound novel. I have been dragging my feet for two reasons. First, Satoko is the star of the third episode but she is also my least favorite character. And second, I wanted to space out some time before I had to pony up cash for the next set of games especially since MangaGamer is releasing the last 4 chapters individually at a higher price point. Tatarigoroshi-hen continues the tradition of giving you a good amount of red herrings, misleading clues, but also important facts to help you try a figure out what is actually going 0n. The sound novel was a better at getting me to sympathize with Satoko although it did not make me like her any more than I did before. Having watched the anime and now how the world works I think I have a better understanding of what exactly happened in this chapter. Also the most important events in all of Higurashi occurred, Chie-sensei finally got a sprite (cool kids in the know will understand why this is important). Himatsubushi-hen is very short but they make it clear that this was originally just a bonus chapter however an important bonus chapter. Even if it is expensive I really look forward to buying the rest of the series. The original sound novel is strong enough to make it worth reading even if you watched the anime or read the manga. As a side note does anyone know where I can get a summary of extras that were cut between the Japanese and English versions of the game?

I started watching Robin Hood no Daibouken (eps. 1-3) from 1990, it has Robin Hood in it so I am 100% likely to take a look and, if isn’t painful to watch, also finish. It is a mixture of the many Robin Hood legends with some original characters and stories that center around Robin and friends as youngsters. The series starts with Robert Huntington and his siblings being attacked by the baron of Alwine’s retinue in their family home, they flee seeking refuge in the woods but not before Robin wounds the head of Alwine’s group. While there he runs into Little John and his band of thieves along with Frair Tuck and even Maid Marian so we are getting an origin story as Robin hasn’t become Hood yet. Robin has great skill with his bow but it may have magical properties and we’ve seen glimpses of his father who may have been Robin Hood, too. It has plenty of silly kid friendly moments, but things continue to grow intense and it will be interesting to see how Robin fares once he becomes a leader.

I decided to indulge in one of my favorite guilty pleasures by reading Maria+Holic 3. There is something just sort of pleasant about its upbeat mean-spirited humor that appeals to my inner craving for schadenfreude. We learn the reason for the rift between Mariya and Ayari, we met a strange priest, and Nanami gets a stalker. Overall, Kanae the strange priest was amusing if for nothing else his use of archaic proverbs is quite delightful to me. Kanako is still silly and sort of the most horrible depiction of a lesbian ever. Mariya is still a horrible human being. But I still think that Minari Endou writes snappy dialog and amusing situations. Also the Ghost in the Shell joke had great build up for a priceless delivery.

How could it be anyone else when I was talking about Raoh?

Ah, Tachikoma, how I longed to have you for my own for so long. Okay, so he is a little far from having the real deal, but I’ll take what I can get. He is die-cast metal, I was a bit worried there would be a balance issue what with that huge back end, but no problem! The articulation in his legs is good and his feet and hands are fully poseable. As you can see his crouching position is quite nice. However, his arms don’t fair as well. If I try to give him a sort of excited yatta Tachi pose, they don’t really reach high enough and tend to pop off. But overall he is a good size and detailed making him one of the best I’ve seen avaliable. He also comes with software that allows his to say phrases and light-up and move a little. Though the CD is for Japanese PC only (which of course you can get around).

I recently got a copy of Stolen Hearts by Miku Sakamoto from CMX. Shinobu Okuma is a super short girl who accidentally spills milk all over an expensive kimono that the frightening Koguma brought to school with him. He shames her into working at his grandmother’s kimono shop where she slowly sees that he’s a sensitive guy and not the wannabe Yakuza everyone thinks he is. It is a cute story. I was a bit surprised that by the end of the first chapter Shinobu and Koguma are a couple. Part of me wonders if this was supposed to just be a one shot story that was popular enough to get turned into a series. The first chapter could so easily be self-contained. The characters are solid and entertaining. Everything works really well when Shinobu and Koguma are interacting. My main problem is the story tends to lean on shojo tropes too much and whenever it does so it is at its weakest. The story really shines when its characters are doing something a little outside the mold. It’s a fun read but it is not going to win over any new fans to the genre. I did find the teen rating on the back quite curious. This manga is super chaste. Maybe it gets racier down the line but so far the most anyone does is some hand holding. The only fan service is traditional Japanese clothing service.

I finally got around to reading Yotsuba&! after an interesting debate sprang up on Twitter about the innocent or not so nature of the series as a seinen title. So after making my way through five volumes I am here to tell you: If anything in Yotsuba&! strikes you as pervy, YOU are the pervert. The series is quite funny and amusing with that quirky nature that made Azumanga Daioh so enjoyable. The exact humor is what saves if from it’s slice-of-life roots that everyone should be aware I can’t stand. I even made myself a Yotsuba&! wallpaper featuring the noir revenge chapter from book 2!

For some reason I cannot easily explain, I had forgotten to review the last Garden of Sinners movie. It is particularly bizarre because I really liked A Study in Murder Part 2, it was an excellent conclusion to the series that brought everything to a proper crescendo. Chronologically movie number five is the story line conclusion to Garden of Sinners. It ties together all the events and explains why the various support characters did what they did. The final movie is the conclusion of the main characters’ story. It is the climax of Shiki Ryougi and Mikiya Kokuto’s relationship as well. Part 2 ties the events that occurred just before Shiki falls into a coma together and gives us the final bit of insight into both main characters’ motivations. It also finally finishes up the mystery of all the murders from Part 1. The action pieces were as good as any previous part of the series. That one scene in the warehouse was a little over the top in it’s odd sexuality but overall it was emotionally satisfying. This story is the emotional climax of the heart of the film and therefore a good place to end on. As I understand, they will release an additional piece soon that acts as a falling action to everything based on the series epilogue but the exact details are not yet known to me. I still hold out hope that someone will release the novel so I can compare the two.

I received a copy of The World I Create from CMX this week. I wasn’t crazy about the cover (the Japanese one is cute though!), but the interior art looked cute enough though kind of a hybrid style mostly shojo but a little shonen feel mixed in. And once I started reading, the stories proved themselves to be a cute as the art. The World I Create is a collection of sweet relationship tales that all take place at this magic school where the students learn how to create illusions using unique lanterns for a profession called “Projectionist.” All of the stories involve this talent in someway, some it is central to the tale while for others it’s just a piece of the characters lives. As the series goes on you’ll see all the characters are linked (if only a little bit) but each couple has a different story and nature. Everything is done up in a mostly humorous style, and so nothing in emotionally moving, but it’s a cute and chaste set of love growth. The good-natured quality of the series has also made me curious about Ayami Kazama’s other works. As a side note, CMX confirmed on their Twitter account that this is a one book series despite the confusing #1 on the spine.

I have finished the first two chapters of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni visual novel. I have been taking my time with series mostly because I have already watched the anime and a good deal of the manga. But there is still a lot to get out of the original. Plus it makes it much less of a wait for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. The first thing I noticed is since this is a visual novel the story takes its time more. This lets everything build slowly and more delicately. In the first two chapters the paranoia builds at a slower pace than anything else in the franchise. We are grounded longer in Keiichi’s normal life so when things start to go south they are more of a shock. In Watanagashi-hen we get much more insight into Shion and Mion before we learn they are twins. Also the descent into madness is more gradual as well. In Onikakushi-hen, distrust of Mion and Rena happens at a more realistic pace. The biggest difference I have seen is the original Higurashi visual novel is a mystery with horror elements in it. The anime is horror that reveals that there is a mystery underneath. Being that this is a blog called the Reverse Thieves you can tell which sort of story I prefer. With the all-cast review section we see Ryukishi07 pushing the reader to try to figure out the mystery of Hinamizawa and the endlessly repeating summer of June 1983. As always I have to point out that Ryukishi07 is clearly not an artist as his main talent because the character designs leave a lot to be desired. Still the story is strong enough that it carries the weak art. Just image the characters you see in fan art and you will be good to go.

I had trouble putting into words how I felt about Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms. It was powerful yet quiet; whimsical yet jarring. This story involves people who lived through the atomic bombings of WWII and the generations that come after them. But instead of being about the bombings proper, it’s really about their lasting meaning and effects. These are personal anecdotes the first of which is a poignant and sad, while the second is about understanding and the future which is a nice way of contrasting them. It would almost seem patronizing to see the first story play out happily. However much these bombings bring a string of emotions to the surface, the stories are kept even by the drawing style which is charming. A beautiful and just a little thought provoking read.

I picked up Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms entirely on a whim while entering a raffle for a trip to Japan at Kinokuniya. This is definitely a prestige release that will win awards and praise from critics but will be avoid by mainstream readers. The manga is about two interconnected stories about how two generations deal with the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A powerful story that deals not only with how the Japanese people had to rebuild but the stigma of the bombing as well. The first story is very melancholy while the second story is lighter but does not break the mood. Both stories go quickly. It only took me about half my train ride to finish the whole book. It was a solid mature story that looks at an important but ugly time in modern history without being preachy or depressing. This is first and foremost the story of the charters whose lives are touched by the bombing more than the bombing itself. But this is the best way to talk about such events. The art is very light and vibrant which helps keep the story refreshing despite the weighty material. A great read for anyone who wants something with a deeper message than your average manga.

I finally saw The Princess and the Frog this week and much as everyone told me, it was amazing. I’m not going to bother recounting the plot here, but I want to mention some stand out moments I noted about the film. First and foremost is the attention to the setting and how much life it had. From the clothing to the characters to the backgrounds to the music, especially the music, the whole of New Orleans was poured into this movie. And it really culminated in the soundtrack which lifts from the swinging jazz beats and ragtime music that found their life throughout the southern U.S. in the late 19th century. It was a Disney soundtrack, a Disney musical, and it was like fresh air. Tiana, our heroine, breaths just as much freshness into this fairy tale. The way she handles hardship seems very purposeful. Disney princess movies almost all have a moment where the heroine throws herself down somewhere sobbing, but this is absent from The Princess and the Frog. Tiana only sheds tears once in the film and it is over someone else’s circumstance, not her own. That isn’t to say she isn’t feeling heartache, she just chooses to handle it with a deep breath and a shake. Along with this is that Tiana’s struggles (and the Prince’s) are not fairytale ones minus the whole being turned into a frog thing, she is working hard, trying to make a living, and dreaming of opening her own restaurant in memory of her father. And the fairytale problems, well, Tiana tackles the villain on her own in the end while the prince is captured! Equally impressive was the chosen ending where both Tiana and Naveen make the decision to carve their own place in the world. Disney chose well a story they could play with and really create a heroine who was active with a modernity about her. I believe this movie can usher in a new age of Disney films, filled with the old magic and music, but with an eye on the future.

With the upcoming release of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni sound novels by MangaGamer I decided to dig out my copy of the first Higurashi live action movie. Overall it is a decent adaptation I really have yet to like any of the adaptations as much as I have liked the anime but I have still have hope that sound novel will impress me. The movie is an adaption of the first chapter of the game series otherwise know as the Onikakushi-hen chapter. The plot is basically the same as we see Keiichi slowly get more paranoid and distrustful of his friends when he learns about the murders that have taken place in Hinamizawa. They make Keiichi more angst filled in the movie which I found an odd choice but made sense in the context of the film. They thankfully bumped up the ages of Satoko and Rika because if they were the ages they were in the game I am sure their performances would have been painful. I had a good time watching despite the lack of impact that earlier iterations had. If you really like the series it might be worth a watch but most other people are better off starting the franchise with either the anime or the manga.

Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s is the story of Yusei whose best friend Jack betrays him, steals his duel-runner and best card, then heads off to New Domino City where he promptly becomes the champion card dueler! Then when Yusei confronts Jack . . . wait . . . who the hell cares? Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s is as silly, or more, than you might imagine it is and yet I can’t stop watching it. I’m in the middle of the first tournament right now (about episode 20) and Yusei has pretty much made friends with everyone he has come in contact with up to this point. Unless of course they are pure evil. The dialogue is hilariously dramatic and this is made even better by Jack’s strange Aussie accent. I think they highlight so far has been when Yusei was in prison, but I’m sure it can still deliver. It is so terribly, terribly entertaining.

I was fortune enough to win the brand spanking new release of the 5 Deadly Venoms by Dragon Dynasty through a contest on R5 Central. When the master of the Poison Clan is about to die he gives his youngest student a dying request: he must track down the five senior students and see if they are using their training for good or evil. If they are using their martial arts for evil he must stop them. But he has not being given enough training to defeat any of the students by himself so he must try to find at least one good student to help him. The main problem is that all the students of the Poison Clan wear masks during training. All he knows is the details of their styles and that they are all in one city looking for the treasure of the Poison clan. This leads to the movie being half detective movie on top of being martial arts movie. I think this richer but still simple plot plot separates it from some of the great but very simplistic martial arts classics. I really enjoyed the mix of intrigue and kung fu. I admit I did find it funny that once the big fight scene ends the remaining cast  basically ties up all the lose ends with a few quick lines of dialog. But the movie knows once the climax is over you don’t need much more than reassure that everything will soon be wrapped up. By the way there is an excellent review of the 5 Deadly Venoms on the Greatest Moive EVER! podcast. It is filled with spoilers for those who care about such things but it is a great insight into what makes this a good film and some good overall discussion of martial arts films.

Because basically since I saw it I can’t stop talking about the movie:

I went to the Boom Boom Satellites show at the Santos Party House. It was a free show and I was interested in them after they did two different openings for Xam’d. There were two bands before them. The first was ultimately forgettable except for the fact that the bassist had the most inappropriate Tom Selleck mustache. The second guy seemed to be trying to accidentally invent hip hop except for the fact that will all know that Councilman 8 already did that. The show itself was about 4 songs with an encore which was a good sized set for a multi-band show. They did not play any of their anime songs as far as I could tell but it was not that sort of show. They have a heavy aggressive beat with heavy drums and Masayuki Nakano was playing with electron devices for music almost as much as he was playing the base. Their lyrics can be sort of repetitive but overall there songs were high energy, catchy, and enjoyable. Apparently my roommate and several other people were at the show but I never ran into anyone else.

Finally got around to watching the Detective Conan VS. Lupin III special which was (as I had heard) more of a team-up than an actually head-to-head. This certainly makes it not nearly as exciting. The story is told in dual forming flipping back and forth between the two groups of characters till they meet. A princess (who looks almost exactly like Ran) losses both her brother and mother in a hunting “accident” placing her squarely in line for a throne she doesn’t want. The coronation crown of said princess is the latest prize Lupin and gang have their sights set on. So everything gets all crossed up as Conan tries to figure out just what happened in the hunting party, Lupin and crew are moving in a roundabout way to get the crown, and the princess has just up and left leaving Ran in her place! The show seemed too long and felt like it didn’t connect quickly enough. While a certain amount of spirit from each show is kept in tact, what sounds like a great combo comes off as pretty forgettable.

I finished off Higurashi no Naku Koro ni by watching the Rei series of OAVs. They are made up of two comedy episodes and one minor arc set after the main series that were originally on a bonus disk for the original game. The meat of the OAVs are in the three middle episodes called the Dice Killing Chapter. After Rika possibly dies in a car accident she is transported to a world where nothing bad has ever happened to any of the cast from Higurashi. Everyone’s favorite invisible friend tells Rika she can get back to her old world she just has to commit a horrible unforgivable slight in a seemingly sinless world. We mostly learn that Rika can be stone cold when she needs to be. How much this ties into the existence of the witch known as Bernkastel in Umineko has yet to be seen. The last episode is based on the Higurashi fighting game Daybreak and is just as silly as the game it is based on. I liked the first episode which I reviewed a while back a little more but overall it was amusing. The mahjong match was sort of the highlight of the episode. Overall, much like the fan-disk it was based on, Rei is a great treat for anyone who wanted a little more Higurashi without breaking the flow of the original series which wrapped up pretty tightly.

I have been playing Donkey Kong Country (originally for SNES) on the Wii Virtual Console. I must say that nostalgia in this case was not wrong, the game is still damn fun. The concept is simple, a platformer but with Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong collecting bananas, jumping through barrels, and  tackling it all through various weather conditions and environments. It is just as I remembered it, in fact, I was surprised just how many secrets and tricks I was able to recall as the game went on. The crux of the game is about jumping so it’s all good fun, and frustration from time to time, as the game isn’t especially hard but not quite easy either. Also playing with a GameCube controller is not ideal as you have to hold Y to run which is rather uncomfortable. I will surely beat it in the next week and then probably download the second. Virutal Console is both a blessing and a curse!

We were both recently guests on the Ani-Gamers podcast in an episode were we talked about shojo anime that men can enjoy as much as women. It was a pretty fun episode. Narutaki talked about playing Professor Layton, I talked about Kimi ni Todoke, and Evan talked about Baccano! before the main part of the show started. We had a huge list of shows but Evan had us cut the list down so we did not turn his podcast into a two hour plus epic much like any given episode of Anime World Order. I love podcasts like that but I also don’t have to edit them. The show notes for the podcast come with some supplemental viewing from our extended list. If you have not already done so I hope you check out the show if for nothing else to hear Narutaki and I ramble on about Utena. Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku.

Pichu is speading some holiday cheer!

A good deal of us put a lot of love into the characters that we like and there is no denying that sometimes it can go over the top. But that is neither here nor there in this case. There are grand ideas abound! Specifically, I am constantly wondering just how much the characters people like actually say about them. And I move in wide circles from thinking it is the window to someone’s soul to convincing myself it means absolutely nothing, and then back again. It would be egregious not to mention that I am thinking about the personalities of characters rather than looks. Frankly, looks tell me nothing about anyone, sure I may be able to pick out another character they enjoy on the surface but it doesn’t delve very deep.  Now who a character is, there there might just be something to be learned about someone. To further matters along in a fun way, we will be giving you a glimpse at some of the characters that are near and dear to us. Happy analyzing!

The first character type I tend to like is the strong but kind women like Kyoko from Maison Ikkoku. I like female characters that don’t take gruff are supportive at the same time. They may practice tough love at times but they are always looking out for the people they care for. They also tend to be a bit devious when needed but not maliciously so. Other examples would include Maria from Hayate the Combat Butler and Forte from Galaxy Angel. The second type of character I tend to like is spunky tomboys like Allenby from Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Fiery go getters that are as good as the guys if not better. They are not just boys in girl suits however. They should have a strong feminine aspect to them but they are just not fragile flowers that need to be protected. Paula Cis is another great example from After War Gundam X, as is Mion from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and certain green-eyed monsters also fall into this category as well. Girls who use swords or guns are super extra bonus points. I also tend to like goofy and relaxed male characters that will fight for those they care about like Hayate from Hayate the Combat Butler. They are characters that are laid back and gentle but can be fierce when needed to be. They also tend to be the types that never give up on their dreams no matter what happens. Justy Ueki Tylor from The Irresponsible Captain Tylor and Loran from Turn A Gundam are other great examples.

Where to begin (and who to pick) was a little more of challenge in some cases because this isn’t just about my favorite characters, it is about characters that sort of epitomize traits that draw me in. Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Hey, now wait a minute, I see a tall, blond first thing.” However, while you are right that Tamaki (from Ouran High School Host Club) does indeed fall into a looks category that I hold in high regard, it is everything else about him that puts him on this list. I have waxed poetic about Tamaki before so I will try to keep it focused here. Above all else Tamaki is a positive and optimistic spirit who the more you learn about the more you realize has an attitude not born by having an easy life but rather from a conscious decision to not let circumstances define him. He is not embittered by life, he wants life to be lively and fun and he makes it so, he wants people to be happy and so helps them be just that. Shining darkly in the middle is Arashi (from X/1999) who has remained a fixture in my fandom for many, many years. Since everything about her is wonderful, it is hard to pinpoint the best piece. But I suppose I would say she is committed to her duty and fiercely powerful but she has a woman’s heart. It’s very beautiful the way love sort of worms its way into her heart and changes her. If you know anything about X, then you know it is full to the brim with cruel fate and Arashi’s (though still in limbo in the manga) is no exception but she faces it with wisdom beyond her years. And sitting gruffly on the end is Manji (from Blade of the Immortal). What is most powerful about his character is the things he has done are not honorable but he did them because he thought he should. He is a man who knows regret but he doesn’t apologize. Manji is a killer and he makes no bones about, nor does he ever pretend he is a good guy, but even so he is seeking a bit of redemption without really expecting to get it. There are certainly other types of characters I like, but not necessarily with as much depth.

An atypical character that I like is Mihoshi Kuramitsu from Tenchi Muyo!. She tends to be way more ditzy and fragile then I like my women. She is sort of the stereotypical dumb blonde. She is hardly take charge or any sort of powerhouse except for being extremely lucky. But for some reason I really think she is a fun character. I feel like I have to like her for some reason deeper than her character design. Am I just shallow but refuse to admit it or is there some deeper significance to why I like her? I personally think she goes against my standard character preferences but maybe I am just missing something.

A character I have trouble understanding my affection for is Allelujah (from Gundam 00). He is shy, reserved, and soft-spoken but he is also technically psychotic. He has a traumatic past and really has rollercoaster ride of hashing it out. And still none of these traits really seem to scream, “this is Narutaki’s type of character!” As with Hisui, I feel like there is some reason beyond the shallow that I like him, but I just can’t pinpoint it.

Normally on Reverse Thieves we tend to talk among ourselves and then share with you our conclusion. This time we are going to let the readers do the talking. What do you think the characters we like say about Narutaki and I? Do you think that our character choices say anything at all about us? We would love to see what you think. Also feel free to write what types of characters you like and get us and your fellow readers to try out some pop psychology. Also we will try this again next week with the flip side: What do characters we hate say about us?

I feel like just writing this helped me learn a bit about myself!

So I sort of did the Gurren Lagann suggestion made by our friends in their review, which was to watch the last 7 episodes and not worry about the rest. Well, I had already watched the first 9 but I did skip the next 12 and watched the end. I was entertained by its ridiculousness and was also able to grow fond of a couple of characters in that short span at the end. It goes full-throttle giant robot as robots start hurling entire universes. As for why I decided to skip so much, that would be a major spoiler. However, I can say that there is a missing piece of the puzzle and the show for me was incomplete without it. My overall feeling was the show was good, whereas the first 8 episodes were great. It was hilarity to the max.

I enjoyed Gurren Lagann for what is was, an over the top giant robot show about believing in courage and guts. I enjoyed it more than Boxingoctopus and Lothos because that is all the expectations I went into the show with. Therefore I never felt let down. I for one enjoyed the middle part of the series although not as much as the beginning or the end. Certain parts of Gurren Lagann seem like Gainax’s response to Evangelion. Simon is like Shinji Ikari in both of them spiral into the abyss but Simon is able to rise out of it where as one of the major points of Evangelion is Shinji’s inability to connect to others and find a way out. I can’t say for sure if it’s partially reactionary to their older work or it is less intentional and more the natural comparison by viewers despite any active agenda. I also really liked the very Japanese concept of circular belief. Circular belief being the idea that there is someone who you believe in that believes in you when you can’t do that yourself. I suppose I have always wanted someone like that myself. I also think the fact that Simon and Nia grew on me helped a considerable bit. They would never ever be as cool as Kamina or Yoko but then again who could be that cool.

Read Nightmare Inspector volumes 2 and 3, I am glad to see this series establishing little bit of a running narrative along with giving Hiruko and Mizuki some backstory. Though I just makes me want to know more since we’ve only gotten crumbs. They have also introduced a humorous tenant who moves into one of the rooms on the upper floor of the tea house. He isn’t in it too much so the somber and melancholic feel of the series stays in tact but he does throw a little spice in the mix now and then. This manga-ka always puts in some funny bonus stuff including a song written by Hiruko about how much he loves soda.

I have been playing Chrono Trigger for the DS. It stands up well in retrospect. The game play is solid, the story is still fresh, the amount of little changes you can make on the plot are still well done. Playing this reminded me of a conversation with my brother about Final Fantasy 7. We were discussing how flat characters in RPGs are today but they were even flatter back in the day. You were more willing to fill in the blanks in your mind back then. I remember the characters of Chrono Trigger being much deeper than they actually are. They aren’t bad characters if they were I would have never remembered them so well. It’s just the amount I had to fill in from what was implied had become actual fact. Still it’s great to be able to go back and play this again now only it’s portable. If I had a PSP I would be sorely tempted to play an emulated Chrono Cross on it like David Riley is going to do. Even though the prevailing logic is Chrono Cross is the devil’s spawn by most fans.

Finished the xxxHOLiC novel AnotherHOLiC. I have to say putting the first story in FAUST was a good move, not only did it make me interested in the novel but it was also the better story of the three and it doesn’t require me to know about the manga. The second story seemed too similar to the first, but also easier to figure out. And since those stories were back to back it made me wonder where Watanuki’s brain was. As for the third and final story, since I haven’t read the manga it didn’t help establish anything about Watanuki for me. I didn’t really understand his reasoning. Oh and the other guy in the story was super annoying.

I assumed this story happens early in the xxxHOLiC storyline but I can’t say for sure. Although it is never outright stated, one of the reasons Watanuki works at the store is Yuko is training him either as a her student or her outright successor. So it seems like the part of the story where she is no longer by his side on jobs but he has still not learned enough that she has taken of his training wheels. I thought that the first two stories bookend each other well enough so that they made a point when the third story came along. I just hated hated hated the eye theory guy in the last story. NISIOISIN is talented at making original characters that are annoying jackasses. This is not a compliment. He a good writer but he has to start cutting back on shrill, nasty characters in his work.

I made an entry for the Anime News Network 2008 Holiday Logo Contest. This is my first year entering. I had some extra time before my vacation so I thought, why not?

The best way to cap off Reverse Thieves completion of Gurren Lagann is with a piece of Gurren Lagann fan art:

Read One Piece volume 18 and as usual always fun, always funny, sometimes even laugh out loud funny which becomes a problem when riding the train. This book is mostly lead-up to the big showdown. They finally get the land of Alabasta so they don new desert outfits, we see Baroque works together, and we learn a little about Vivi’s childhood. Finally get to see Ace in action which was great! Certainly has the potential to be a favorite of mine, but I’ll wait till he shows up again to make my final judgment call. Smoker makes another appearance and will be in the next one according to the preview. Otherwise not a lot of action in this book.

I’m curious how much Narutaki will enjoy Alabasta. I know that it’s most people’s favorite part of One Piece so far. And since book 19 is next I am curious about Narutaki’s reaction to it. Those in the know know his love of Zoro and general dislike of Sanji. If one is ever going to tolerate Sanji it’s after the events of book 19. I myself have been enjoying the current arc of One Piece although I have to wonder what Eiichiro Oda has against Zoro because he sure has been beating him up recently. We were discussing it and I wonder if he is trying to give the newer crew members some more screen time by taking Zoro out of the picture for awhile.

Happy to find Chocolate Underground 5 and 6 up! Huntley and Smudger have now found the secret store of chocolate so the real story begins. This show remains fun and keeps me wanting to see the next one. Really anxious to finish this short series. And not really sure how it is going to play out or if it will even have an ending. I am wondering this because the involvement of changing the political climate, maybe there will be a rebellion? I am planning to pick up the novel it is based on as soon as possible.

I watched the first disk of Shakugan no Shana. It’s enjoyable but I think Kohaku is crazy when she tells me she thinks Shana is not tsundere. She has reasons for being tsundere but she is very clearly tsundere. Your enjoyment of Shakugan no Shana mainly comes down to how much you like Shana. I suppose you could be a Yuji Sakai fan but most people are not watching the show for him. They are watching to see Shana fight, watch Shana be bad ass, watch Shana be odd, and watch Shana be cute. I have to admit I was amused when she casually takes over the existence of a dead girl in Yuji’s class. This show also made me realize I’m becoming an old fogey who blogs too much. I keep deconstructing characters into archetypes whenever I watch shows now. I am not so jaded as to dismiss shows for using archetypes yet but is it only a matter of time before I am one of the bitter old farts of the Internet. Only time will tell.

Watched Macross Frontier 20. You win this round Sheryl fans.

Oh, you forgot to mention that apparently we were the only two monsters with unfeeling hearts that were not crying at the end of this episode. I think we were both a little disappointed with how they wrote Ranka. I know why they did it this way but it does not mean I have to like it. I hope this is not a trend because it might make me stop being a Ranka fan. I will never be a Sheryl fan but I might have to give up my Ranka love.

I was truly disappointed, I didn’t believe it would ever go down like that. And what is so funny is that it was probably the only thing they could do to make me dislike Ranka. I will give Ranka a couple of episodes to convince me that I shouldn’t turn my back. Everyone has their moments, it is about recovering from them for me.

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Back at New York Comic Con 2008, Yen Press announced that they would start releasing an anthology manga magazine to compete with Shonen Jump U.S.A. I was excited to see how this venture would turn out. They have the solid backing of Square Enix comics but they had no mega U.S. hits like Naruto, Bleach, or Yu-Gi-Oh in their line up. Essentially I feel this is an experiment in whether or not a anthology of B-list titles with a good amount of diversity can work as opposed to anthology of A-list shonen with some non A-list shonen to pad the anthology.

Any increase in manga distribution, especially of anthology work, is always welcomed but not always profitable. I think titles in here have an easy in with manga fans, things like Soul Eater and Nabari no Ou. I know they were giving out early copies of this at San Diego and I was so jealous! This is certainly something to keep your eyes on.

Yen Plus premiered with five Japanese titles from Square Enix’s Gangan line. The manga titles are Nabari No Ou, Sumomomo-Momomo, Bamboo Blade, Higurashi When They Cry, and Soul Eater. They also have four manhwa including Jack Frost, One Fine Day, Sarasah, and Pig Bride. Finally, to round it out there are two OEL titles, Maximum Ride and Nightschool. The book is divided into two sections. The front reads left to right and has the American comics and then the manhwa. The back reads right to left and has the manga.

Yen Plus’s look is leaps and bounds better looking (designed better) than something like Shonen Jump. It has an uncluttered feel and makes it about what it should be, the art and stories. Though some of the ads are easy to confuse as being the beginning of a chapter. There are only color pages for Maximum Ride, not sure if this is going to rotate every month or not. All the other series with color pages that were reproduced in grayscale were almost indecipherable, very poorly printed which is a shame. There isn’t much content outside of the stories, but they do have a nice feature of what is coming out this month and also a staff pick. The staff pick for the month certainly seemed to get Hisui interested.

Yen Plus did sell me on S.S. Astro. It seems like it could be very funny. Sounds like if Yukari and Nyamo were the focus of Azumanga Daioh. I know Narutaki is not a big fan of 4 panel comics but I have been know to enjoy them. Onto the actual titles in the anthology, the translation notes for the manga are a welcome change. I am curious why the manhwa didn’t get translation notes. I would have liked learning about Korean references just as much as Japanese ones. I also enjoyed the translated sound effects next to the original sound effects. I know that annoys some people but I find it the best solution. Yen Press was fairly good at making the translations for the sound effects readable but unobtrusive.

Maximum Ride

Maximum Ride continues to prove itself to be incredibly average no matter what format it is in. Average characters, meet average villains, with average plot. However the art is pretty good and I’m sure it will garner a decent audience considering James Patterson’s popularity. It was a good choice for Yen Press to adapt such a series, though I will never understand its following. However, I have always wondered how many young people actually read the Maximum Ride series, which is a best-selling line of books, and how much of its success was just Patterson’s adult audience.

Parents tend to buy their children a majority of their books, so I am sure you are correct in assuming that a bunch of parents bought Maximum Ride because they like his adult fiction. Maximum Ride is the story of children who have bird wings and other mysterious abilities and they seem to be hiding from a shadowy group called the “Erasers.” I can’t say I disliked Maximum Ride as much as Narutaki did but I can’t say it really hooked me either. Max is supposedly a strong female character and good fighter but they have her easily get her bum handed to her before the end of the first chapter. Unless the story changes, I can’t see me rushing out to buy the graphic novels but I would not skip reading the chapters. This would be a definite treat for fans of the original book series. And if nothing else, I also found the artwork very nice. Having never read the books I can’t say how well the character are adapted. I am hoping that it acts as a bridge for people to check out manga and manwha. Come for the Maximum Ride stay for the rest of the magazine.

Nightschool

I liked DramaCon so I was looking forward to Svetlana Chmakova’s newest work and I don’t feel I was disappointed. Nightschool is the story of the mysterious secret of PS 13W. At night there is a secret class of magical students. Sara Treveney is a new teacher and guardian for it. She seems to have her work cut out for her because there is a local group of hunters in the area as well. There is an amusing mixture of comedy and supernatural elements. I assume there will be action in the form of hunters and a horrible prophesy later on. I am also curious how well she can do fight scenes because she hasn’t done them in her previous work. It mostly seems like a set up chapter so I can’t say if I love it but I think it has potential. I am curious who are the students. They seem to keep the students deliberately obscured for mystery but as a reviewer and a reader I what to know NOW.

Nightschool combines humor with a dark atmosphere and it so far is succeeding. There is a little bit of confusion about who the exact main character will be of this series. My bets are on the girl, Alex, but Hisu is hoping for Sara, the teacher. I found the relationship between Sara and Alex hilarious and also believably familial. Alex’s weird looking familiar was super cool, too! I was also super curious about the students since I tend to latch onto fun and minor characters. Though I wouldn’t say the overall premise is my cup of tea it has potential and could certainly change my opinion of OEL titles.

Pig Bride

Si-Joon is the son of a wealthy politician who, as a child, was wandering through the wilderness and ends up engaged to girl who must always wear a pig mask. Thinking the whole incident was a dream he writes off the encounter despite having nightmares about the incident. Years later on his birthday she shows up again in her pig mask and wants to consummate their marriage. Did I mention the pig bride has a kunoichi (female ninja)? Because kunoichi are always a selling point. I thought it was a silly story that has potential to be very funny. Si-Joon seems like a jerk but a likable jerk. The rival love interest, Doe-Doe, seems neutral but I hope they don’t make her into a one dimensional villain. In my opinion, how much the manga will work is how much I will like Si-Joon and the pig bride’s interactions.

Pig Bride is a funny romance and has some of the typical trappings of the genre. Si-Joon is hysterically inept in the beginning and seems to be a pretty clueless high schooler. My enjoyment of this will stem from how much Mu-hwa, the ninja, appears in this series. Her connection with the pig bride is mysterious and I want to know more about their relationship. She will probably end up being a third love rival. I will also enjoy the series more if Doe-Doe is actually the leader of a gang. All great manhwa have gang members in them, this is like a rule.

Sarasah

This is a romantic comedy that goes horribly, horribly wrong. It started out typically and the girl was a little weird but I felt we were supposed to accept her eccentricity as a comedy element and nothing to really dwell on. I was wrong. I honestly am not sure where this story is going, it really hinges on the next chapter. From the opening quotations I assume Ji-Hae will continue to be our heroine but other than that I’m not sure what the actual plot is going to be. I’m not even sure if this is supposed to be a comedy after all. Our romantic lead hasn’t turned out to be a very likable character either. The only person I really liked was Ji-Hae’s friend but as I said, I have give this one more to really understand it. And I have no idea yet what Sarasah means.

Ji-Hae is in love Seung-Hyu but he wants nothing to do with her. Even after Ji-Hae constantly tries to win his affections with gifts and romantic gestures he keeps ingonring her. On Seung-Hyu’s birthday she makes a grand event of her confession which embarrasses him enough for him to brutally tell her off and then accidentally push her down the stairs. The chapter ends with her bleeding from a potentially fatal wound in the stairway. I don’t think they are going to kill off our heroine in the first chapter so she obviously gets some sort of second chance. Obviously how that second chance plays out will determine how much I like this series. Ji-Hae is rather cute in her affections and you want her to be happy but I have no idea what the heck she sees in Seung-Hyu. They better introduce a more sympathetic love interest or make me like Seung-Hyu because right now he just comes off as a horrible human being.

One Fine Day

One Fine Day is the story of a man who owns a cat, a dog, and a mouse and their cute adventures. Oh, they also anthropomorphise his pets as cute little kids. They make cookies and try to take care of their master when he gets sick. I just could not get into this manga. I know you are supposed to be amused by their antics but I just found it plain and boring. You don’t come to One Fine Day for the plot. You come to see cute animals do cute things. I did find the art quirky and amusing especially the owner’s funky hair style. But some unconventional artwork does not an entertaining manga make.

I loved this title and found it absolutely endearing. The stories are very quick without attention to any overlying plot. The idea is to read it as a break from everything else going on. The combination of her purposefully simplistic art style with her timing for the cute and funny made me smile and wish to hang pieces of it on my wall. I have to agree that they artwork is a selling point and would be happy to pick up the collected volumes as well as any artbook.

Jack Frost: The Amityville

Jack Frost is just plain weird. Noh-A Joo transfers to Amityville High School where she meets a creepy classroom of zombie-like students. A fight breaks out and Noh-A is decapitated as one of her classmates with swords in his arms fights a gun wielding maniac. Her classmate defeats him but not after they look at the panties on her corpse like five times. Hilarious. If you are an ero guro fan I suppose. It is like some bizarre take on Hellsing with the perversion turned up to 11. Oh and you set it in a high school so you could get more under 18 fan service. It is all done in tongue in cheek manner but what the heck. I was more disturbed than amused.

What in the world? First off, who the heck thought this was a great name for a series? In any case it then goes from weird to disturbing in under ten seconds. Jack Frost has a creepy smile and earns his nickname of the same title, he seems like an inconsiderate jerk. While I totally appreciated the bad-ass fight scenes (and the buckets of blood), the dialogue was lame and I couldn’t have seen more shots of this girl’s bottom half if they tried. And since this girl is obviously not dead, she will probably end up following this jerk (albeit an awesome fighter) around for no good reason.

Soul Eater

We reviewed Soul Eater for our Spring Falls Out article. Soul is a living weapon that can transform between being a boy and a scythe. Maka and Soul are shinigami assigned with the task of killing 99 evil humans and one witch. If they do they can transform Soul into the ultimate shinigami weapon, Death Scythe. The manga has not warmed me any to the whole Soul Eater franchise. Maka is still bland on all levels (heck the Wii game for this series has the subtitle Monotone Princess. That might not be about Maka but I would like to think it is). Titty witch is still annoying and it looks like she is not going anywhere. If anything the fights were a little shorter and less intense then they were in the anime.

I didn’t think it possible for me to dislike the manga more than the anime, but indeed I do. The art is worse, while I found the anime’s simplicity well done and graphic, the manga just looks poorly drawn most of the time. It doesn’t seem to be done with any purpose in mind as it swings between detailed (Titty witch) and not (Maka). I also found Maka’s outcry to be forced melodrama, premature to us really understanding the character relationships. Funnily enough, I liked Soul a little better in the manga and didn’t find him nearly as jerky. But nothing about this shonen formula hooked me before and I am still not interested.

Nabari no Ou

The unwilling and uninterested protagonist is becoming fairly popular, this version of him seems slightly average here at the beginning. I loved the teacher and his stealthy appearances, I hope he is in it more. There are some quick fights mixed with some mysterious powers and a surprising end to the chapter. The ninja action wasn’t turned up all the way and that will be a major selling point as the series continues. I would be willing to see where this series leads.

The Nabari no Oh anime was also reviewed in our Spring Falls Out article. Rokujo Miharu is a detached young man who is asked to join the ninja club at his school by one of his fellow students and the club adviser. It turns out they want him to join so they can protect him from rival ninja that wish to gain the secret techniques hidden in his body. If you liked the anime of Nabari no Oh you will like the manga just as much. The art is just as detailed as it was in the anime and all of the humor and action was faithfully translated.

Sumomomo-Momomo

Sumomomo-momomo is a odd duck. I found some of the comedy and characters amusing but the fact that Momoko looks like she is ten and gets quite a few panty shots is sort of disturbing. In fact, all of the sexual talk from Momoko is creepy. Koshi Inuzuka is such a repellent dirtbag pretending to be an upstanding human being that I found it amusing. Almost as if they made Light from Death Note a romantic comedy lead. I not sure how long that will stay funny or if it will quickly wear out its welcome. Momoko seems fun with her over the top martial arts action but I can’t get over the fact that she radiates this loli vibe.

Damn you Sumomomo! You are so hilarious yet so full of loli service that I just can’t abide you. The dads, hilarious. Koshi’s desperate need to fight bad guys by reciting laws, twice as hilarious. Momoko’s martial arts, triple hilarious. But I was just as disturbed as Hisu about Momoko talking loudly about how to impregnate her. It is so disappointing and just not fair.

Bamboo Blade

I watched a few episodes of Bamboo Blade when it started airing earlier in the year. I thought it was fun and funny but I wasn’t totally taken in by it. I love the captain and her hyper love of the Kendo club as well as her often volatile relationship with their teacher sponsor who’s desire for the club’s success is motivated by a bet. As they try to recruit new members the fun begins and there are some great moments including the mysterious launching of a baseball, a tennis ball, a rugby ball, and the vice principal at Tamaki who then extricates them with her mad Kendo skills. The Kendo fights are also well done.

Bamboo Blade was surprisingly slapstick. I thought it was all moe girls doing moe things with some kendo in the background. So far it has focused more on the teacher than any of the students. Toraji Ishida is an amusing, dirt poor, teacher and Kendo instructor who lives paycheck to paycheck. After making a bet with a former sempai from his old kendo club he vows to take the girls team at his school into champions to win a year’s worth of sushi dinners. I liked the interaction between the teacher and the Kendo club captain the most. The introduction of the first student they are trying to recruit, Tamaki Kawazoe, might be their segue into a more serious story line. I hope they can keep up this same level of comedy while still telling a compelling sports story the way that Princess Nine was able to.

Higurashi: When They Cry

Higurashi: When They Cry was the one manga I was most looking forward to but not without reservations. I picked Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni as my anime of the month in the past. The problem is that manga based on a video game and/or anime has a tendency to be rather horrible. Keiichi has just moved to the isolated village of Hinamizawa. He has quickly made friends with several of the girls in his class and life seems perfect. But he soon learns that there were a horrific series of murders involving the local dam project. All of his friends refuse to comment on the murders but Keiichi is determined to discover what happen all those years ago. I just don’t feel the same sense of tension and dread as I did watching the anime but that could be because I know the entire story and manga doesn’t have the added use of motion and sound. I also don’t remember such an emphasis on Mion’s breasts but that might have to do with the overall ecchi feel of the Gangan anthologies. So far it has been a decent adaptation and I think I will keep reading the graphic novels.

So I had heard about this series, obviously heard Hisu talk about it too. I knew it was based on a dating game, but I guess I expected more of an emphasis on plot than on the supreme harem aspects of it. So far that is not the case. I mean he is like the only dude in the school as far as I can tell. I also found the use of his internal monologue kind of strange. Especially since I feel like I can tell when you had to pick what you wanted to do in the game (I will help her or I won’t) from this. I have a strong interest in mysteries (I know you are all surprised) but I won’t overlook moe harem for it so if the emphasis switches I may be interested.

Yen Plus is a nice addition to the sea of manga, you get a good look at a lot at once and it easily has a variety of titles. The format is good, the price is right and hopefully it will stick around to see the titles evolve and change. It certainly has a shonen lean, but that is just inevitable since girls tend to read both shonen and shojo. I appreciate Yen Press’s quality of work and am glad to see them growing in an already crowded market.

Top 5 Gangan titles I would like to see in Yen Plus
1. Violinist of Hameln (and/or Violinist of Hameln Shchelkunchik)
2. Guardian of the Spirit
3. The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok
4. Umineko no Naku Koro ni
5. Haré+Guu

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