Please update your links etc. Let’s get fabulous in here.
MOVED.
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Blood-C 04 – The Cake is a Lie!
I’m not even going to waste my time criticizing Blood-C and I can’t compare it to Blood+ because I never watched it.
I did see the original Blood: The Last Vampire though. It was an excellent film with all the technical prowess required to make it visually outstanding. But it isn’t without it’s flaws, I found that this film lacked the substance to make it memorable enough for me. In it’s defense though, substance was probably not the primary concern for Blood. It’s proven itself successful enough to generate several spin-offs.
Blood-C has begun with 4 episodes whose fights have become the most praised aspect and it’s ‘slice-of-life’ parts are considered banal at best. With four episodes in, there’s little exposition happening. If this were a 2 cour series, the slow development can be overlooked. But people can’t be as patient when dealing with a 1 cour series. Yes, it has a movie slated for 2012 but no one’s going to see it if they all hate the anime series, guys. I love CLAMP and Production I.G is a solid company, and yet I can’t get this nagging feeling that these guys are trolling.
Natsume Yuujinchou San 04 – The Passage of Time
The fourth episode of Natsume Yuujinchou San cements the fact that time has indeed passed in Natsume’s world. Things have changed. It’s been two years since the last season, Zoku Natsume it’Yuujinchou and this episode did well in reminding us that while the changes in our protagonist are subtly portrayed, they’re there.
Ao no Exorcist 15 – True Blue Shounen
This was an excellent week for Ao no Exorcist. They really stirred things up this time, and the last half had one of the best fights yet. A-1 Pictures really knows to animate when they want to, I’ve watched the fight two times now. Rin’s blue flames really add to the viewing experience. I was starting to think A1-Pictures was only into animating dance choreography. They sure love ’em dancing, don’t they?
This show really knows execution well. It may not be the most original or thought provoking, but it’s a polished piece of work. I love how the soundtrack is like, ‘We’re going to have a dramatic moment now, so listen to amazing piece right here.’ I love the music for this show.
Tiger & Bunny 17 – Speculations on Kaede’s Role
No dad.
“Hey, hey! Remember when you were feeling really bad about last week’s episode? Well, there’s always hope you know? Things might turn out for the better. Don’t cry! Here, have a typhoon that will conveniently mend Kotetsu’s relationship with his daughter, Kaede!”
That typhoon was pretty convenient all right. It’s still a good episode though, Kotetsu reuniting with his family and reflecting on his past was something he really needed. What interests me though, is the revelation that Kaede is becoming a NEXT.
I’ve been watching the OP now that I’ve gotten a hang of it and whoa, I just noticed something interesting regarding the touchscreen phone (argh, I’m so tempted to call it an iPhone) where the pictures are swapped around.
The hands on the phone are really small, obviously. No one else in the cast aside from Dragon Kid and Kaede would have the same set of hands.
Stop staring at Barnaby.
Now, judging by the pictures, the phone is Kotetsu’s. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but if you think about it the scene also plays as though they’re driving through the city. Also note how the faceless person stops at Barnaby’s picture. So my speculation is, Kaede is going to become a hero and pair up with Kotetsu. The question is, how?
BARNABY DIES AND KOTETSU DOESN’T LOSE HIS POWERS.
Chances are that Barnaby will become so popular, he’ll have to go solo (This happens!) and that Kotetsu was just experiencing symptoms of gaining a new NEXT power. In the end, they save the day! I’m okay with this but at the same time, I can imagine Sunrise depriving me of all my happy endings. Now let’s see how long until I’m proven wrong!
Thoughts on Summer 2011 – Fun things are fun
It’s hard to say with three episodes alone what shows are worth blogging. Whether this shows my inability to measure potential or my lack of experience in blogging anime, I don’t know. All I know is that fun things are fun.
Priority list:
1. Natsume Yuujinchou San
– Natsume has the natural advantage of any show entering its third season. How can I not watch this? I’ve seen the two seasons and they’ve been absolutely wonderful. Natsume Yuujinchou San has been consistent with the feel of the series but at the same time, it also displays the subtle changes in Natsume and people around him. It’s a nice, calm series that hasn’t failed to gain an emotional response from me. It also gives the impression that the director – Takahiro Omori enjoys doing Natsume Yuujinchou and Yuki Midorikawa’s works. I’m looking forward to the movie adaptation of Hotarubi no Mori E, Takahiro Omori’s grasp on the overall feeling of the works he’s directed is impressive. Being episodic in nature, there’s a high possibility of me blogging this regularly.
2. No.6
-Even before it aired, I had my eyes on No.6. There is something about No.6’s universe and atmosphere that draws me in. In a way, it greatly reminds me of Wolf’s Rain. There’s a lot of mysteries surrounding the show but it doesn’t let you get lost in all these questions. I’ve said this in my previous entry about No.6 and I’ll say it again, within No.6 lies a story about the nature of humanity. I just can’t deny myself of the potential I see in this show. Given the scope of the series and how it’s quite easy to follow but with enough things to ponder on, I feel that I can blog about this every week.
3. Mawaru Penguindrum
– The first episode didn’t exactly get me into the ‘penguin mood’, but there’s a decent amount of improvement in episode 2 and 3. This time around it doesn’t take itself too seriously by adding in more comedic elements to it. Being a 24 episode anime, it’s hard to tell what Mawaru Penguindrum is trying to achieve (some people might argue that it doesn’t need to try but hey fun things are fun!) but the last two episodes made up for the first one. Also…Shouma. Yes, I’m watching it for Shouma. Mawaru Penguindrum already has a lot of people covering it and it’s LOL2DEEP for me, I’ll blog about it occassionally but I don’t think I’m the right person to pick up on all this symbolism.
First Impressions: Uta no Prince-sama – Challenge Accepted
THE SUPERIOR IDOL GROUP.
Man, it’s been a while since I watched anything by this group. I hear they’re making serious music now, I could be wrong but these guys are hilarious. The group is Kanjani 8 by the way, but that doesn’t matter. LOOK AT THOSE SHORT SHORTS.
If I can stand Johnnys I can survive this fabulousness. It’s funny how the OP shows these guys singing happily together with all those sparkles and dancing lights, it’s pretty obvious they don’t like each other because they all want to get inside the main character’s panties. LOOKS LIKE REAL LIFE TO ME.
Tiger & Bunny 16 – Livin’ the Dream
Give me a couple of years Kotetsu, I’ll be finding myself in a dumpster too.
While I’m still deciding which shows I should blog this season, the shows I’ve been following from last season have been excellent in their own right. But Tiger & Bunny stands out the best in my memory. This episode directs its attention to the two men whose lives are all greatly influenced by Mr.Legend in one way or another.
To Kotetsu, Mr.Legend was the very definition of a superhero. He lived his life embracing the idea of being a superhero just like Mr.Legend. To Lunatic, he was a father he once put his faith into. But as Mr.Legend’s powers declined, Yuri lost that guiding figure. He accidentally destroys his own father. His father’s death has led his mother to insanity and set Yuri to the path of a vigilante.
Such is the life of being a hero and a public figure. Mr.Legend’s miserable end was disheartening but at the same time, he inspired countless people like him to become heroes. He met a tragic demise but it wasn’t all in vain. That’s why the media had to keep his legacy untarnished, there’s just some things people are better off not knowing.
What I truly enjoyed about this episode is how it gradually unraveled both sides, I think everything that needs to be said about this episode has been said already.
Mr.Maverick is the final boss and Barnaby will break. This is Sunrise we’re talking about.
First Impressions: Dantalian no Shoka – Rewarding Imagination
Gainax’s summer offering is the last show to premiere this season. Dantalian no Shoka is the story of a man who inherits his grandfather’s book collection along with his mansion. There he meets Dalian, a girl connected to Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian: the library that holds all the knowledge of the demons.
This show displays Gainax’s ability to produce stunning visuals with photo realistic backdrops, rough textures, smooth character animation and the occasional CG. The combination itself sounds off putting but in Dantalian, everything blends well and the CG is used sparingly. The end result is something unique, a style I really have no proper way of describing. It still feels conventional enough, but at the same time it doesn’t quite look like all the other shows this summer.
First Impressions: No.6 – The Search for Freedom
Bones’ latest offering is an adaptation of Atsuko Asano’s science fiction novel, No.6. A story about two boys in a city called No.6, one of the few habitable cities in the world after the war. Shion is an elite living in the city and Nezumi is a runaway from the so-called correctional facility who seeks shelter in Shion’s room. The two start an unlikely friendship that is short lived because Nezumi eventually leaves without saying anything to Shion.
No explosions here, no death, no boobs landing on someone’s face and no fancy transformation sequences either but…what a wonderful first episode. The story itself isn’t revolutionary, but in the very core of No.6 lies a very human story.
Hachimitsu 