This is definitely one of the better episode from the series. At the same time, it's also one of those frustrating episodes where the victim of the week actually suffers even more as the episode goes on. On a more positive side, this episode features an origin story for one of the main characteres. As far as origin stories go, this one is pretty strange and relies a little bit on the audience's knowledge of Japanese folklore. Because of this, I wonder what casual anime viewers would think if they ever encounter some of the concepts introduced in this episode. One thing that I hope the series would do in the future is to show what happens to those people who get sent to Hell. Would different people get different punishment? Would those who sent someone to Hell get sent to a different area?
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The first 3 episodes were great but from the 4th episode onward, the thrill has stopped. I was hoping something scandalous but this episode turned me down. If it’s concentrates on Hiro then it might be a different story but when they talk about Nagisa it’s a bit bored. Nagisa is just [...]
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I have a simple request for ufotable: Please please please don’t waste this show with a lame ending! I decided to watch Manabi Straight out of curiosity. I had serious doubts about the show before I started watching it and that was mainly due to the super cute character designs. My expectations were that of a fanservice ridden happy go lucky show about cute little girls (which were exactly the same as my misconceptions about Binchou tan before I started watching it). Once again, I am proven wrong. The cute girls are still there but the story is definitely not what I was expecting. It’s very amusing and touching at times and there is a hint that we might get some solid drama later on. In a way, it kind of reminds me of Futakoi Alternative (which is a show I really love). My only fear is how ufotable will handle the conclusion of the series. Over the years, ufotable has been notorious for producing high quality anime works which have a solid and enjoyable story line from the beginning up to near the end then the conclusion is botched up and done in a very lame way which is truly a shame and a waste of all the efforts that have gone into making these shows. The conclusions of 2x2 = Shinobuden, Futakoi Alternative and Coyote Ragtime Show are prime examples. While I don’t expect Manabi Straight to have an epic conclusion because the story doesn’t support this type of ending, I really hope that they come up with something decent that doesn’t insult our intelligence (like a squid attack or a reset ending or stuff like that). Like most of their work, the art and animation quality is very high indeed. The music score is also very nice. I love the opening and the ending and I find the clapping sound used as background music quite amusing. The words of the opening song and the dominant use of graffiti in the opening animation emphasises the main theme in the show; rebellious youth. The main characters want to lead their own lives as they see fit and they want to change how things are run even if some of the adults around them disapprove. Actually one of the adults (Shimojima sensie) is very supportive of the group’s cause. The characters are probably the main attraction of this show. They are very endearing (and I hope they stay that way). One of the characters in particular (Etoh Mei) is very intriguing and I really want to know more about her past and current life. She always pretends to be uninterested in the functions of the student council but she somehow ended up being the unofficial student council advisor! Oh, and she looks cool wearing sunglasses (^_^) Momoha wearing sunglasses, on the other hand, looks like a hippy or sneaky salesman (-_-) One more thing; I was really surprised when I realised that the girls are all senior high school students. They all seem to have the body build of middle school students. I guess students grow shorter in the future (-_-)
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Getsumen Toheiki Miina, ep. 4: “Escartin’s Big Break” (Mutsumune Dai-bureeku) Escartin Mutsumune finally gets to shine in the limelight and teaches young Mina a thing or two. In fact, Mina does a lot of learning in this episode, from Escartin, Suiren, and Ootsuki Miina. Summary and thoughts following the pics (click to enlarge): The evening [...]
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Rating: 9.7/10 Impressions: I recently watched the first episode of the Nodame Cantabile live action, and can already conclude I like the drama a lot more than the anime, as I had originally predicted. But anyway, that doesn’t mean the anime is bad; it’s still incredibly good, full of comedy and love! (Oh and let’s not forget [...]
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Courtesy of Hi no Ken JebusHashiba, Yamato, and Suzuka went to a family restaurant. Hashiba talked about the beach moment and Suzuka was neglected. The chapter ended with Suzuka suggesting to Yamato that they should go to the beach together next time, but just the two of them.P/S: I like the direction now. With Yamato asking Suzuka to trust him more and they 're back together again. It's important to see how Kouji establish the mutual trust.
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A Hino without sweet stuff to fill her stomach is definitely a very depressing one as you see the happiness beam in her eyes when she can grab something sweet. I wonder why she has such a paranoid of being fat. I mean she is not exactly a chubby loli (that is of course disproved [...]
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My host server (IXwebhosting.com) was completely down for several hours today. I’m sorry if this caused any inconvenience for you (it sure did for me, as I was writing up the summary for Getsumen Toheiki Miina ep. 4 and I lost everything…T_T).
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Rating: 9.8/10 Impressions: OMG wow, the quality has not dropped at all! The show still looks like gold and is as entertaining as ever. There isn’t much action, but this is made up by a nice story. You can think of this as a sack of clichés, but it achieves two things which most other similar shows [...]
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Rating: 9.9/10 Impressions: Ahh, so Light’s time as Kira is finally over. This marks the second last episode of the series, and the show will wrap up next episode. It has been an enjoyable watch, but I guess now it’s time to move on to another series. Oh wait, what the hell am I talking about? [...]
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Day 16 The repetitiveness of my daily routine is beginning to affect my performance; although I was cheered by the hatching of two more chicks- Cherry and Apple- this morning, the thought of two more mouths to feed only added to my depression as I commenced the usual tasks. In my depression, I accidentally smashed an [...]
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The university anime club I attend votes on 2-4ish series (from a selection provided by the officers, nowadays usually with one pre-selected by them) for viewing each semester. This semester it’s: Higurashi, Ray, Bartender, and Gankutsuo. Ray I watched about half of when it first aired. It’s alright, I just got bored with it. [...]
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I want to write. It has been my hobby since my late elementary years and remained an avocation even until now. But more than writing about different ideas, I like writing about anime. And yet, try as I might to write about the different occurrences in the anime fandom this season, I cannot because there [...]
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I’ll keep this short, since this episode is probably old news to many of you by now (not to fault C1anime for taking long - I consider it ungrateful and insensitive to complain about fansubbers unless they financially contribute to them). Nobody actually reads the summaries unless they’re watching raws, right? This must’ve been so [...]
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Epic realizations, epic moe, epic WTFs, and epic goodbyes; all in the largest single episode post I will ever make. The 39 screenshot epic: Kanon 18.
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Fufufu, lest you thought I had forgot, here it finally is! As promised to T_I, I’ve finally finished his request for that strong-headed girl. Ok, first off my apologies; I have no idea what heavy-metal fashion entails, and I couldn’t make it work. I think I got most of the other parts. [...]
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A quiz show replaces regular programming. I present you five scenarios resembling a certain popular Japanese drama. Choose your answers carefully. So I begin. Scenario one. Your ex-boyfriend’s fiancé claims to be your new BFF (read: Best Friends Forevah!). Then, your ex-boyfriend’s best friend tries to be you lovah. [...]
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I actually got my Wii a while ago, I just now finally decided to post about it. Yup, I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t have to wait on a long line in order to get one…I managed to get the last Wii at a local Game Stop. I wasn’t in the store [...]
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*image courtesy of MakiMaki*Volume 50, chapter 491 Tessiaga and Tenseiga Not too much difference between this chapter and the last one…Sesshoumaru and Shishinki are still facing off while the rest of the cast looks on. But this chapter gives us a lot more info about Tenseiga. I guess the whole thing about Sesshoumaru’s father possibly shunning [...]
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The new season started at the beginning of January, but there are a number of new series and OVAs in February.Number one for me is the first episode of the three-episode Ichigo Mashimaro OVA. There is lots of manga available to create stories from, and I except more of the hilarious, yet deep and humane humor that the original series gave us in 2005. One of the best ensemble casts in all anime: Nabatame Hitomi, Orikasa Fumiko (who is a comic revelation as Miu), Chiba Saeko, Noto Mamiko, and Kawasumi Ayako. Released 23 Feb.As for the others, I just don't know. The new series are: Kemono Soukikou Dancouga Nova, Yes! Pretty Cure 5, Naruto Shippuuden, Rocket Girl, and Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny. The OVAs are: Okane ga Nai, Fist of the North Star - The Legend of Toki, Fuyu no Semi, and To Heart 2 OVA. And ep2 of the Genshiken OVA and ep3 of Baldr Force Exe Resolution will be released. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, is a movie.Not being much of an expert on mecha, I can't say much about the Dancouga Nova designs, but they are designed, and the show is directed, by the smae person who did the Gravion animes and Fatal Fury. I can say that the VA cast looks great: Kuwashima Houko, Tai Yuuki, Ikezawa Haruna (Marimite/Yoshino), Gotou Saori, Fujiwara Keiji, Wakamoto Norio. It starts on 15 Feb and airs at 10:30 pm Thursdays.Yes! Pretty Cure 5 is a show for little girls, but the thing that will get me to watch one episode is the presence of the excellent voice of 20-year-old Sanpei Yuuko, who is rocketing to prominence after her role as Renton in Eureka7. She has recently taken over as Souta in Otogijushi Akazukin. It will be good to hear her do a female role. 8:30 Sundays, starting 4 Feb.Naruto Shippuuden is the latest series in that franchise, and bills itself as showing that Naruto himself has changed. 7:30 Thursdays, starting 15 Feb.Rocket Girl is about a girl who is chosen to be an astronaut because she is small and light. This is the director's first series, and the show is from a light novel published in the 90s. But the presence of VAs Nabatame Hitomi and Sendai Eri will definitely mean that I give it a chance. Midnight Wednesday, starting 21 Feb. Replaces Soukou no Strain, which ends the week before.Ikkitousen - Dragon Destiny continues the story of the original Ikkitousen, apparently with even more fanservice. The story is of three high schools fighting for supremacy, literally. They are named for the Three Kingdoms of Chinese history, and there are repeated slight parallels with that story. Once again, though, the cast looks great: Nabatame Hitomi, Asano Masumi, Chihara Minori, Kadowaki Mai, Shindou Kei, Kaida Yuko, Hina Satoshi, Inoue Kikuko. Naba-sama and Masumin are two of the most professional VAs of all. I am thrilled to see them headlining a show together. They do the show's radio program. Show airs 7:30 Mondays, starting 26 Feb.Okane ga Nai is a boy's-love one-ep OVA that has had its start date shifted back from January to Feb 9. Fukuyama Jun is bought by Kosugi Juurota (Morcerf in Gankutsuou). This will work, lol. Released 9 Feb.Fist of the North Star - The Legend of Toki. Great martial artist Kenshirou continues to try to bring justice to a land in chaos. Released 23 Feb.Fuyu no Semi -- Winter Cicada -- appears to be Bakumatsu-era boys' love. Two friends are separated by being on opposite sides in the fight to overthrow the Shogunate and establish the new Imperial rule in the 1860s. Stars Miki Shinichirou and Morikawa Toshiyuki. Released 23 Feb.ToHeart2 OVA. Released 28 Feb. A new director and a stripped-down cast make me think this could be yet another step down for a moe/harem title that wasn't that great to begin with. Released 28 Feb.Genshiken has a lot going for it. Hopefully this second episode of the OVA will be as good as the first. It shows the lives of otaku in a college club called the "Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture." And has an excellent cast, including Kawasumi Ayako and Seki Tomokazu, the stars of Nodame Cantabile. Released 23 Feb.Ep 3 of the four-episode OVA Baldr Force Exe - Resolution, will be released on 9 Feb. It's the story of intrigues among a terrorist group, the security forces, and the army, in a world divided into real and virtual realms, rather resembling the Matrix world.JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood will be released 17 February, covering the first arc of the classic manga, which involves intrigue, adventure, evil, and vampirism in Victorian-era Britain and Europe.Cast, staff, and date/time details on my Winter 2007 Calendar.
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