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.

Honestly, I find it fun to speculate what would make a good license and why going beyond my own personal desire for a series. There are about a million shows and books that I’d like to own for myself in English but a lot of that is wishful thinking (Legend of the Galactic Heroes will surely be picked up, right? RIGHT?) but with this post it is more about a business stand point or atleast the thinking that these series would do well enough to earn a little bit for the companies releasing them. That being said, I don’t work in the anime and manga business and I only have a vague knowledge of certain aspects of it.

Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga has the highbrow appeal of historical drama, like something you’d see on PBS, and the lowbrow appeal of over the top medieval combat on par with parts of Berserk. It’s not uncommon to have scenes of political backstabbing bookended by well-choreographed bloodshed on the battlefield. Which is to say that is why this series rocks. Written by Makoto Yukimura of Planetes fame insures rich characters and meticulous research but unlike Planetes you can sell it to a broader audience. It is that perfect blend of shonen and seinen that has had success with manga and comic fans in the the U.S. Perhaps if it had an anime adaption it would be a more appealing property but as it stands on its own quite nicely Dark Horse seems like the perfect company for this title.

Yankee-kun to Megane-chan

We stumbled upon Yankee-kun to Megane-chan purely by name alone. Which seems odd because Miki Yoshikawa was a well known assistant of Hiro Mashima and frankly the series is hysterical, why aren’t more people talking about it? Miki Yoshikawa has comedic timing and wonderful exaggerated character reactions infused in an energetic romantic comedy. Daichi Shinagawa and Hana Adachi have great chemistry and the supporting cast provide great comedic interaction. The plot pacing is energetic and you never feel like the characters are trapped in an endless loop until the manga is canceled. This has the appeal of School Rumble and similarly if it had a anime it surely would have been licensed long ago.

Liar Game

After Death Note ended in the U.S. is seemed like a no-brainer for VIZ to license Liar Game meeting the demand of all the fans who wanted more physiological battles of wits. This manga screams out to be read by people who want to know what to read next after Death Note. It has all the suspense and intellectual cat and mouse but none of the supernatural twists. Plus its main characters are much more likable than Light. Nao Kanzaki is a female character who grows considerably as the series progresses becoming an equal partner to Shinichi Akiyama in the deadly game. The live action drama of Liar Game is huge in Japan so popular in fact maybe that’s the reason the series hasn’t hit U.S. shores.

Pretty Cure

One of the most successful franchises in Japan for Toei right alongside monsters like Dragonball and One Piece is Pretty Cure and its many iterations. It blends the girl friendly narrative of Sailor Moon with the fight choreography of Dragonball without going into the pervert territory of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Nagisa Misumi and Honoka Yukishiro feel both fresh and familiar at the same time, in fact the whole series manages to do an old genre justice. If it could be fortunate enough to get a dub and be on TV it has an chance of being the next Sailor Moon and all the merchandise that would come along with it. And if the original seems too dated, someone could pick up any of the other series including the currently running Heartcatch Precur! At one point 4Kids had the license and it ran in Canada, bring it to the states!

Kara no Kyoukai (Garden of Sinners)

Despite the bias of certain people on this blog, who shall remain nameless, there is a strong potential for a U.S. release of Kara no Kyoukai. With a mixture of action and philosophy that casual U.S. audiences tend to eat up plus its dark, claustrophobic, noir storytelling, and a minimum of one spectacular fight scene per movie this series seems like a shoe in. It has the shortness of a 7-episode OVA but the animation quality and budget of 7 movies. While the first movie ties into the overall story it can easily be licensed as a stand alone title to test the waters. Aniplex is obviously trying to sell it in the U.S. so it might be more a matter of when not if it gets licensed.

The latest Detective Conan Movie, the 13th one to be exact, titled The Raven Chaser was a really enjoyable addition to the Conan library. This one involves a rather clever serial killer who leaves Mahjong tiles at the scenes of his victims and that is only the beginning of the string of clues our boy detective must unravel! This movie did plenty of things right while keeping it just grounded enough. You can follow Conan’s logic even if you can’t figure things out a head of time, which is a plus. Also this story throws in a lot of favorite characters including Heiji and Kazuha, plus the addition of the Black Organization makes the movie a well plotted trip. The final confrontation is a high adrenaline sequence involving Tokyo Tower that isn’t to be missed. Also no surprise but the movie looks great. Highly recommended!

Liar Game: The Roots of A is a collection of short stories from the creator of Liar Game that headlines with a bit of back story on Shinichi Akiyama. Only the first story is a Lair Game story. The others are a collection of short works by Shinobu Kaitani one that seems like a rejected series proposal. The first shows Akiyama as a student in college in a profiling class when the professor gives them an assignment to write up a profile of the writer of a message attached to a balloon that he found. We get to see Akiyama’s thought processes as he works on the assignment and uses some unique methodology as compared to the rest of the class. It does not provide any stunning revelations but it is a chance to see Akiyama in a less stressful situation where he still has to apply his unique mental and social skills. The next story is two chapters about a fortune-teller who goes around helping people trying to find someone with a strong enough destiny to overturn his own grizzly death that he predicted. This is obviously a pitch for a longer series that never got made. The last two stories are about the author and his dog and a one shot love story. Overall hardly an essential addition to the Liar Game Story but entertaining.

I have been faithfully watching Yumeiro Pastiere (through episode 7 now) and it does indeed involve fairies. However, so far while they do appear they are rarely more than little mascots for their pastry chef-in-training counterparts. Vanilla, Ichigo’s fairy, does on occasion give her words of encouragement and also randomly makes some of the successful desserts into cards which the queen of the fairies collects (can we say marketing ploy?).  Each of the three boys in Ichigo’s group has their own little fairies all of which reflect their personalities taken to the next level. The series remains cute and optimistic often the challenges of the episode involve a better understanding of people and how sweets can help others. While the series isn’t riveting, I did still find myself excited to see what would happen after the cliffhanger in episode 6. Yumeiro is a blessing these days with how few young shojo series get adapted into anime.

I found a copy of a translation of Angel Notes. It is a fascinating oddity as one of the first works of Kinoko Nasu in an anthology about angels. In fact the company name Type-Moon comes from this short story. It is a sad love story about a sniper and an angel who fall in love on a dying Earth. It has all the classic signs of what we would go on to know as Nasu’s writing. It has almost as many background notes on the world as it does pages of story. I enjoyed the story but I am not sure how much I would have wanted to read a full length series is such a depressing world. Still it’s a good read for anyone who wants to see the progressive writing style of Type-Moon or was curious where some of the more obscure characters from the Character Materials book came from.

Someone started fan-subbing Kaidan Restaurant a show which I wanted to check out for the fall preview. So now I finally had a chance to sit down with the first episode. The format is 3 little scary stories all mashed up together involving some of the middle school students. There is also a ghost narrator who starts off as well as closes out the episode. We start in very typical fashion as Ako stares out the school room window wishing something interesting would happen and in walks a new transfer student Sho. They then proceed to explore the strange seemingly abandoned restaurant on the hill where the bizarre happens. Ghosts, possession, and soul taking occur among other supernatural elements in this show. However, remember this a children’s series so don’t expect to be scared out of your wits, but it may supply a little laughter at the expense of the main characters.

Mikuru Beam!

Picked up Key to the Kingdom a while back but just started reading it. So far books one and two have impressed me, it is a wonderfully put together shojo fantasy. We start with Asta, the youngest prince, who has no desire to rule nor to hold a sword. So when the country’s rule lies in the hands of whoever can find the “key to the kingdom” it seems he will be free of such troubles. However, fate has other things in store as Badd, a retainer, drags him into looking for clues to its whereabouts. When a Dragon Man appears on their path it becomes clear that everything is not as it seems. A diverse cast emerges along the road as Asta resists but gets caught up in the complexity of the country’s history. There are many things going in this story including action, politics, mystery, and love. I was surprised that the series is only six years old because the art certainly has a late-80′s or mid-90′s feel to it. A great start to the series, highly recommended!

I bought the hard cover of the Haruhi light novel so I figured I would throw in my 2 cents on the book. Reading though it left me with one major feeling: Wow! Kyoto Animation did a really good job at perfectly adapting the novel. If you have watched the TV series you have read the first book. Unfortunately this means there is not much to gain by reading the novel. It was fun and I enjoyed it but if you are looking forward to some deeper insight into the franchise you’re out of luck. I was hoping to get more out of Kyon‘s monologues but they too were perfectly adapted. I certainly see why they jumbled up the episode order for the original TV broadcast. It gave the fans of the original novels a new take on what would have been otherwise a straightforward adaption. So if you like collecting every piece of the Haruhi franchise, it is a well done book, but if you are looking for a new piece, it adds nothing that you have not already seen. I am personally curious how well it does among non-anime fans as a piece of teen literature from Little Brown Books.

Started watching Glass Mask (2005 version) since it is on Crunchyroll. I’ve seen three episodes so far and I gotta say, for the life of me I don’t understand why so many people are the biggest jerks in the world to this girl! Sure Maya is kinda weird and always wandering off into her own little world, but she is generally a hard-working, nice person. As she starts to move towards her goal with a passion for acting, she encounters many obstacles. However she catches the eye of an eccentric retired actress who sees her potential. The animation is very good and the style is the hybrid 70′s and new that we have seen lately (To Terra uses it for example). I am definitely going to continue on and I recommend diving right in to everyone else.

Out of curiosity I decided to check out the Hayate The Combat Butler Character Cover Album. I am really glad I did because it was pretty awesome. All the song choices are little in jokes to fans of the manga so they are utterly appropriate. A exemplary pair of examples are the first and third songs on the album. When Nagi (Rie Kugimiya) is having a karaoke battle with Nishizawa (Mikako Takahashi) she sings a Megumi Hayashibara song. So of course the first song is Nagi singing the Megumi Hayashibara single, Niji iro no Sneaker. The third song is Hinagiku (Shizuka Itou) singing Cruel Angel Thesis just like she did at the school festival in the manga. Special props have to go to Wataru (Marina Inoue) and Saki’s (Saki Nakajima) version of STEP. STEP is the opening to Mashin Hero Wataru, I thought that was clever. I liked all the songs although I wish I was high enough level otaku to catch all the references. Maria’s (Rie Tanaka) song was by far my favorite song on the album. Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa is one of my favorite anime opening songs. Having Rie Tanaka sing it just sends it to the realm of the gods. I am not sure that everyone else will get that same synergy that I did from the song. Tama and Klaus did not get character songs. How odd.

Read the first of the two book series The Lapis Lazuli Crown. The story revolves around Miel whose family is known for their magical abilities and which she isn’t very apt at. She is, for some reason, very strong though and is rather a klutz about it. One day after one of her accidents of strength, she meets Radi. Radi is a laid back and quirky guy who takes a shine to her and encourages her to pursue her magical abilities. Oh, it is mentioned that Radi looks kind of like the prince of the kingdom. I know you will all be shocked to learn that, of course, he is the prince. Thus begins their somewhat silly love story. Miel is strong-willed but kind of an idiot, however in the last chapter she is able to stand on her own giving hope that she will not need to be constantly rescued. The artwork was very cute and the manga-ka worked for Arina Tanemura so the potential seems there. I liked that Radi is upfront about his feelings for Miel (though she constantly seems to think he is lying, which got annoying) and Miel has made it clear she wants to get to the palace with her magic for Radi. However, the flow of the story doesn’t feel right. It tries to cram too many things and characters into such a short series. Why insert school into the story starting in the third chapter? The bonus story is about a girl and a phantom thief. This story was a little better with its flow. Unfortunately, this work comes off as just okay. Though with only one other book in the mix, it might be worth seeing if Natsuna Kawase can change my mind.

Because sometimes I throw Narutaki a bone as long as our tastes agree, this is the pic of the week:

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Liar Game by Shinobu Kaitani

Liar Game starts with Nao Kanzaki dropping of a 100 yen bill that she finds to the police to show us that she is stupidly honest. So when she gets involved in a game about being a great con-artist she is without a doubt up a creek without a paddle. She comes home to a package that reveals she has been chosen to take part in the Liar Game tournament. The briefcase contains 100 million yen and a set of rules. When the round is over she must give back the 100 million yen. Any money she takes from other players is hers to keep. Any money she loses she must pay back. Soon enough she winds up loosing all her money to a fellow player. Out of despair she teams up with a brilliant con-artist named Shinichi Akiyama,who has recently been released from prison. The Liar Game tournament is much bigger than they might have guessed. Also learn the organization behind the tournament seems to have some greater but unknown designs behind their games.

Whenever Liar Game comes up in conversation it is almost always compared to Death Note. This is not an unfair comparison since the core appeal to both series is the psychological games of cat and mouse. In each stage of the tournament, it is Nao and Shinichi trying to figure out the underlying strategy needed to win the game while deducing their opponents strategy. Shinobu Kaitani has been good at building up the tension until the end of each round of the game. There was also a 11 episode live action version made and was rather well received.

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On a side note: Bravo Bandai. I really approve of Bandai’s plan of releasing nine episode sets sub only with minimum extras and then releasing deluxe sets with dub and additional extras later on.  I love getting nine episodes for 20 dollars at Best Buy. If you release Hayate or Gundam 00 like this Bandai you have my money. I will slap you with the twenty like I was Mask the Money.

Gurren Lagaan is one of those shows that I knew would probably be good, but just never got around to seeing. Now I have and now I know what the fuss is all about, finished the first five episodes. This show is so good and hilarious! GAINAX you shock me! It has been much too long since I enjoyed one of their new shows. Everything about it is over the top, from the way the robots look to Kamina’s hilarious names for the different attacks (Combustion of Manly Souls Cannonball Attack!). And Kamina’s dealings with Yoko are a laugh a minute! But on a more serious note I really enjoy the sibling closeness and protectiveness between Simon and Kamina, it feels right. Looking forward to watching more!

I normally don’t like slice of life, but I am always looking for the next Azumanga Daioh. So I tried out Hidamari Sketch. I thought the premise had potential, it is about four girls who are going to art school. Upon viewing, can’t say I found anything special about this show. It was rather boring, not very funny, and the animation is really weird. These types of shows live and die on whether or not you connect with one or more of the characters because there is no plot to speak of. I didn’t and so I found nothing to warrant continuing on.

Liar Game just pissed me off. Nao finally has the chance to grow as a character and do something without Kazuo and she utterly fails as life so Kazuo has to come bail her out. I thought since the revival round was all losers from other rounds she would finally have opponents that were weak enough that she could handle them on her own. She could finally stand on her own two feet and win a round without her guardian angel. But as far as I can tell her purpose is to be useless and a liability. I know sometimes it is asking too much Japan but could we turn the misogyny down to a manageable 6 or 7 as opposed to the 11 where you normally have it.

Picked up Dragon Eye volume 5 as soon as I could. This book is mostly transitional, we just came off an intense battle and a lot of plot from the last couple of books. We are moving toward a tournament, but the end of the book boasts an awesome confrontation in the coming chapters. My only qualm about it is Issa is currently injured so I’m not sure how the fight will play out or if even if it will get a good momentum before it is over. In any case, I am certainly looking forward to it.

Banana Fish is like baby’s first BL. It has all the homosexual tension of your favorite BL work but none of the graphic nature of anything but the tamest works. I can definitely see why this did so well in Japan. It has a good mixture of action, political intrigue, and melodrama. It’s BL romance mixed with a seinen thriller. I do have two criticisms though. The first is that the author certainly researched New York City but never lived here. I am sure the average Japanese person did not notice anything but I know people like to complain about it here in the States. It was amusing but nothing that made me not want to read anymore. Also Ash Lynx is a huge Mary Sue at times. He is super beautiful, genius IQ smart, and good at EVERYTHING that counts. Ash got a score of 171 when I put him into the Universal Mary Sue Litmus test.

Continuing to play Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2 and atleast a real plot has now appeared. We moved on from the “The book wants you to fill it up and then you can go home” plot. Still not bonded with my main character though. But I’m willing to still keep going besides more characters will be appearing as well. The game play continues to be awesome and I can’t stop playing! I get very obsessive about mastering new abilities and getting new jobs! I do have to complain that it is endlessly annoying to have people want to join your clan but they have not learned any abilities or skills. They are level 27 but know nothing? Interesting.

That’s it for this week’s investigations! Look for a new case file every Friday!

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