Month: December 2008

Ongoing Investigations: Case #023

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Has anyone played the original Higurashi sound novel? I am curious what the fan-service levels are in the games. I ask this because I don’t remember the Higurashi anime being the fan service bonanza that the manga or the art books are. They really like the semi to fully lesbian fan-service shots in the artbooks. It’s like they were drawn by male fujoshi. Despite the abundance of fan-service in the Higurashi manga it is a pretty faithful adaptation. Yen Press went all out with color pages in the front and middle. The manga has yet to even give me close to the chill that anime did but it is still enjoyable. However, I don’t think it’s going to win any new fans to the franchise.

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:

Le Chevalier D’Eon, Who knew Robespierre was drop dead gorgeous?

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Having a historical setting with a cast of mostly real people is always tempting for me. This series also happens to be during one of my favorite periods and in a country with a fascinating, rich history. Now mix in a great studio, Production I.G., and a cast of complex characters and by my standards you have a winner. So I went into this series with a lot of expectations.

I tend to give any show that tries something different a chance to impress me. Also historical anime, even when it throws in wacky magical conspiracy theory, tends to be very good. After playing enough Mage: Sorcerers Crusade I might have been sold harder by the wacky magical conspiracy theory. I admit the Japanese have been obsessed with pre-revolutionary France since Rose of Versailles if not earlier. We also get to revisit the evilest man who was ever evil (or at least according to select anime), the Duke du Orléans. Maybe one day we will get an American Revolution anime. I think that could be hysterical and quite possibly really good.

Can we just talk about the packaging for this series a minute? From the slipcases to the box art to the booklets chockful of information, it seems like no stone went unturned with this (though the boxes change a bit as the series goes on). The booklets certainly being a highlight. I always like seeing conceptual art and the last book has some cute chibi art (which is rather far from the feeling of this series) just for fun. Each one also had an interview with someone working on the production such as the director and voice actors. All of these treats were really a welcome surprise to see on a series that seems to still go unnoticed here in the U.S.

I had a good laugh when they referenced Wikipedia as a source in the liner notes but they also have good references as well. I have no solid evidence but I think ADV had a feeling this was going to be the next big thing. I would go as far as to say they where think it was going to be the next Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. It was an anime from Production I.G. that had a very western setting, a dark tone with intrigue, good animation and fight sequences, and a healthy amount of cool. Le Chevalier D’Eon is one of those shows where if you argue certain points it seems like a guaranteed success and if you argue other points it seems doomed for failure. Alas it never really caught on. It seems to have good reviews from people who saw it but it never got that broader appeal outside of critics. It is a shame too because this is a really well made anime.

Like many a good mystery we start with a murder. Lia de Beaumont’s body floats down the river in a coffin with the words Psalms scrawled on it. Her brother D’Eon de Beaumont vows to find out who killed her and is soon entangled in a continent spanning conspiracy involving a magical book called the Royal Psalms and a cabal of sorcerers called the Poets. King Louis XV has D’Eon along with three other royal agents investigate these revolutionaries and how they are tied into Lia’s murder. There investigation gets them involved with the royalty of Russia and England as well. D’Eon soon finds that as he investigates his sister’s murder that Lia has the ability to posses his body in order to enact her revenge against those who killed her. Lia’s ability to posses her brother is useful but D’Eon worries if he is losing himself and going down the wrong path.

The complexity of court politics is well portrayed here. While we do spend the most time with bigger names, it becomes clear that everything that is going on involves multitudes of people and planning. Just as in history, it takes a lot of people to form alliances and conspiracies. Trust and betrayal go hand in hand as we are taken through this story. Le Chavelier does a great job of creating a mist around everything. There is plenty of mystery to be unraveled because once one part is solved it opens the door to another and the secrets just get deeper and deeper. No one is as they seem and even those that appear the most straightforward will surprise you by the end.

Le Chevalier D’Eon draws us in on a seemingly simple murder mystery and slowly builds the complexity of the conspiracy that surrounds it. The problem with many series with mysteries and conspiracies is that they dole out answers painfully slow. This can lead to frustration especially when we only get answers at the very end. Le Chevalier is constantly giving us answers it is just that those answers lead us to new questions and greater questions as we slowly see the greater picture unfold. The mysteries are set up like a Matryoshka doll inside each other. The best part is that any twists and betrayals are clearly set up before hand. There are no surprises that come out of nowhere. There are some red herrings to keep things from being too easy to figure out. Oh and the Duke du Orléans being a bad guy is no surprise. Japan cannot and will not allow anything else.  

The real D’Eon du Beaumont is a fascinating historical spy. His life and the many secrets involved it in make him a prime candidate to make some great stories around. In our story here he is already a knight and informant of Louis the XV’s court. His loyalty and sense of duty certainly define him but they also blind him. With the addition of his sister’s spirit he seems to age a little as he realizes the world is anything but simple. Even his own sister had many secrets. While we are supposed to reconcile these two souls as one by the end, throughout the beginning D’Eon is sometimes quite incompetent in his abilities to spy and fight. Lia awakens often to make up for it. However, D’Eon continues to move forward in the series after misstep and betrayal at every turn. In the end he loses just about everything he believed in but he is able to make a life for himself despite it.

D’Eon is a real life cross-dressing spy so he is a good choice for a historically set anime. All of the places that the fictional D’Eon goes are actually places that the real life D’Eon served as a spy. Our fictional D’Eon starts off as a naive but determined young solider who wishes to solve his sister’s murder and work the betterment of his beloved France. Although D’Eon is a very skilled soldier his lack of experience in a world of intrigue holds him back. As the series goes on D’Eon becomes more skillful in his espionage but slowly finds that his fervent patriotism is often tested.

I love this little group of the “Four Musketeers.” Besides D’Eon, the members are all fictional but they contribute big things to this story. The camaraderie along with the varying degrees of knowledge about the world make it a great mix and keeps the relationships spry and intriguing. Everyone is learning, for better or for worse, from each other. Since the alliance is based on trust it is also a great way to throw mysteries and secrets at us and keep us guessing who is loyal. Robin was my favorite (he got an extra 10 points just for being named Robin) I found him fascinating to watch as his youth was chipped away at. He also has three grown men with very different ideas around him which makes things confusing for him.

The Four Musketeers cater to any sort of fan girl fantasy you might have. We have the soft and pretty D’Eon, they we have the charming rouge Durant, then the spunky boy Robin, and the distinguished gentleman Teillagory. Although each of the Musketeers is working together for the betterment of France each of them has their own agendas, alliances, and secrets that are constantly pulling them together and apart. Robin without a doubt grows the most out of all the characters. I guess that is understandable being that he is the youngest character. He has the most room to grow but it’s still an interesting and well-plotted transformation. Durant and Teillagory don’t change, instead we learn who they truly are over the course of the series.

Since we mentioned him in the title I suppose we should devote a little time to one of the more interesting characters. Maximilien Robespierre appears a little out of his actual historical context to good effect as one of the more enigmatic characters in the series. When he first appears he seems like an oh-so-evil villain but as we get to see him more we find he is certainly not strictly on the side of the devil. He has much more complex motivations and plans than it would first appear. And he does play the role of morally ambiguous pretty boy to fan-girl squealing perfection. Where is all the Robespierre yaoi doujinshi Japan?

Oh Robespierre, only Japan could take a historically blood-thirsty, devious revolutionary and make you root for him. He is handsome, look at that face and blond locks! He is also magical which is a nice way of side-stepping anyone’s analysis of historical fact. I also liked the way the characters was animated and directed, because he really speaks very little throughout the show. This also keeps him in a thick cloud of mystery. But indeed for a character that starts off as our seemingly baddie of the bad he becomes very gray and full of surprises by the end. I also like how he shapes and influences events yet to come at the end of the series.

We have an interesting mix of villains. The Poets range from well fleshed out antagonists to evil spell-caster of the week. Most of the antagonists are just as historical as the heroes with villains like Madame de Pompadour and the Comte de Saint-Germain. Come on what other anime is going to have the inventor of the sandwich, one of the leaders of the French Revolution, and the Count of Cagliostro (sans his castle) as antagonists. I enjoyed the fact that when they go to England they encounter Sir Francis Dashwood’s Hellfire Club as an antagonist but they never mention it by name.

The supernatural aspects of this series is what kept me on the fence in the beginning and to be truthful I never fully liked it. It wasn’t quite interwoven enough. The bulk of the story, the major mysteries, and the relationships could have been told using the superstitions of the time without making them real. However, as the story unfolds I came to accept this as part of this director’s vision. It keeps the series from being true historical fiction and perhaps that is what he wanted to prevent. If you push something this far no one can really cry foul at historical inaccuracies that they might otherwise. And was it just me who got a few good chuckles out of women coming out of the woodwork branded with the letters HO?

I actually liked the supernatural elements but I suppose that comes from my fascination with historical magical beliefs. I feel many of the elements of the story could have been told without them but it gives the series a certain flavor as if it were an alternate history or a secret shadow history. It’s mostly a matter of taste. I though it was reasonably well integrated with many of people’s powers and mysteries being based on rumors, conspiracy theories, and actual facts of their real life historical counterparts. It’s more than French historical fiction with mercury zombies and spell casting historical characters but you are going to have to accept those things if your going to get any enjoyment out of Le Chevalier D’Eon.

Production I.G. did a wonderful job of bringing this story to life. From the sword fights, to the outfits, to the backgrounds, the animation was well done and was able to capture the period. I would also be remiss to not mention how much I loved the opening and the song that came along with it. At the beginning I was often saying, “Wait, wait! Don’t skip it.” By the end Hisui didn’t even bother asking.

As you know, here at Reverse Thieves, we love a good mystery. Le Chevalier served us one gourmet batch of it that was thoroughly filling. I have to admit that it has been a long time since an ending genuinely surprised me in almost every revelation. This series was engrossing from beginning to end. And while you might not be able to grab up these beautiful DVDs very easily, a complete collection was just released at a very reasonable price!

Top 5 Anime Endings
5. Revolutionary Girl Utena
4. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
3. Irresponsible Captain Tylor
2. Cowboy Bebop
1. Maison Ikkoku

Ongoing Investigations: Case #022

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For the 40th anniversary of Shonen Jump they released three new special anime episodes on their website subtitled in English. Romance Dawn was the One Piece addition to the line up. Romance Dawn is the name of one of several prototype manga that would influence One Piece. This anime take the version with Silk instead and modifies it to be a part of the current One Piece continuum. Luffy gets separated from the rest of the crew and has to save a village from the pirate Crescent-Moon Galley. It was an enjoyable little filler story. While not amazing, it is an effective little wink to any big fans of the series which I think all of these special episodes are supposed to be. If you already knew that Eiichiro Oda made three separate prototype manga named Romance Dawn then you should have already watched this if you already haven’t.

Read Monkey High! volumes 2 and 3 and it continues to be a sweet romantic comedy that doesn’t dwell on minor miscommunications. The second book has an epically long chapter that the manga-ka talks about at the end, apparently it was for a special issue. The kids participate in a quiz show to much laughter and antics but we also saw a little more of Haruna’s home life and her strained relationship with her father. Also in the second volume there is some hilarious commentary at the end by the manga-ka depicting her reactions to the many postcards she receives. She also goes on to say that she can’t believe girls think Masaru (the main love interest) is cute. Volume 3 deals with the ever popular Valentine’s Day and as usual with this series it results in minor drama and much laughter. Both these volumes have Haruna attempting to communicate that she likes Masaru as much as he likes her amidst their ever meddling classmates. I am looking forward to the next volume, it always puts me in a good mood!

Cobra The Animation: The Psychogun is over the top, pulp, science fiction fun. Cobra is one of those so-silly-it-is-good shows that thankfully never takes itself seriously. Cobra is part bounty hunter, part space Lupin, and part Inspector Gadget. After Cobra wastes three space pirates in the intro he decides to dress as a priest to steal some diamonds. During his flawless heist, pirates attack the museum he is robbing and that means it’s Psychogun time. He eventually saves the sexy archaeologist the pirates are after. He follows her to Mars partially to hit on her and partially to kill more space pirates. Seems fine enough but it’s all the details that are crazy. The archaeologist Dr. Utopia More I like to call Dr. Space Thong. Every woman in the series is dressed in either a bikini or skin tight spandex. That is height of women’s fashion in the future. There is also the pirate commander who is a sarcophagus with arms and legs, flying skeleton robots, and a super stereotypical Mexican space pirate with mustache, sombrero, and bandoleer. Cobra himself has a sexy female android, about a dozen gimmick cigars, and his uberhax Psychogun that puts Megaman’s blaster to shame. Oh and Cobra not only tosses women around he uses Newton’s law of universal gravitation as a pick up line. Good times. I can’t wait for the next one.

I always wait anxiously for the next book of Kekkaishi, so I was very happy to finally get volume 15. At the end of the last volume we saw a small girl and were unsure of her powers. In this book she proves to have a totally cool ability to make friends with inanimate objects and specifically rope in the story. She is then able to have it do things for her and even use it as a weapon. She totally needs to take the place of lame Sen. Along with her, enter some cool villains with the power to paint boxes and make them into walls, portals, etc. We also meet the librarian for the Urukai, lots of interesting characters showing up recently. We also see characters fight that we hadn’t had a chance to yet. In addition to all of that, Yoshimori starts to pull more power into his zekkai and Tokine starts developing more of her ability to manipulate space. They are growing and the questions about Karasumori are coming to surface as well.

The Bleach: SOULs Character Book is a very pretty book. The first part is some very nice colored art and stickers. The second part is detailed character write-ups of just about everyone, locations, items, and concepts in Bleach up to the end of the Soul Society arc with a preview of the Hecto Mundo Arc. There is also an interview with Tite Kubo and Masakazu Morita who plays Ichigo. We then have an original prelude comic and the prototype comic for Bleach. I was amused that Ichigo and Orhime had crushes on each other in the original draft of Bleach. It also has palm sized Rukia for most of the story which is either super silly or super awesome depending on who you ask.

My recent obsession with the Vocaloid phenomenon has sent me to many a great fan artist. I like this person’s overall style and they happened to do a few pictures of the series as well. So this is the pic of the week: