What happens when a nerd at school who has been bullied by all and sundry (including a teacher) gets electrocuted and becomes a Corpse? Why, he suffers from delusions of grandeur, seeing himself as some kind of comic book hero, even spouting off about "great responsibility coming with great power" and all sorts. Oh, and he 'Blogs about the whole thing if that wasn't bad enough - Told you he's a
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Short Synopsis: A TV-priest uses his Shikabane Powers to impress viewers. Highlights: Finally it looks like the show’s about to arrive at the real meat of the story. Overall Enjoyment Value: 7/10 (Enjoyable) Well, like Birdy the Mighty Decode, it looks like the whole first season is just meant as one big build-up for the second season. This [...]
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At the beginning of episode 9 of Shikabane Hime: Aka, “Exciting the Heart”, a group of high school students are wandering inside an abandoned building. They’re here to see the rumored ghost spot, where a bank robber killed himself and a whole lot of other people by causing a fire, and where people have [...]
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Short Synopsis: A couple of high schoolers explore an abandoned building. Highlights: The cat! (I shouldn’t be reminded of when saying that… Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10 (Good) A more quiet episode, but those are needed too. This one is especially useful, as it gives Ouri some development, sheds some light on the cat, and contributes a bit [...]
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By the end of episode five of Shikabane Hime: Aka, we were left with a zombie corpse car thing, and not one but two gun-toting yet cute dead schoolgirls. I mean really, if you asked your average geek for a definition of awesome, wouldn't it be something along those lines? Anyway, I digress - Episode six of this series takes us along the same road of internal politics, betrayal and questionable
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Episode 8 of Shikabane Hime: Aka, “Tranquility”, begins with Makina still at it against Mitsuyoshi. She’s doing pretty well by taking full advantage of the fact that she currently doesn’t have a right arm. But Minai’s contract monk Shuuji wants to have all the credit, and doesn’t want Makina to defeat the shikabane [...]
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Just so you know, Shikabane Hime: Aka episode four is basically Full Moon wo Sagashite: Worst-Case Scenario.
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Short Synopsis: Um… yeah. To put it without spoilers: Ouri and Minai become friends. Highlights: Not going to put that here for spoilers’ sake. Overall Enjoyment Value: 7,5/10 (Good) At times like this, I really feel out of touch with the rest of the anime blogging community. What really is so boring about this series? When I read [...]
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Episode four of Shikabane Hime: Aka finally brought us to the point where Ouri discovered the truth about Keisei's job as a Contracted Priest and his relationship with Shikabane Hime Makina, so with that out of the way the start of this latest story arc allows us to be dropped a little deeper into the world we've only scratched the surface of so far. While we've only really seen Keisei acting on
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Shikabane Hime: Aka in one line.
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Episode 7 of Shikabane: Aka, “Soul of False Words”, starts off in a subway, where a group of teenagers are disruptively loud as someone is ominously typing words in a computer. And one of the words typed is that the author will administer justice against those who commit evil. This is soon borne [...]
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Short Synopsis: An old classmate of one of Ouri’s classmates turns into a shikabane. Highlights: Wonderful animation. Overall Enjoyment Value: 8/10 (Excellent) Really, at this point you can consider me a fan of this series. I’m not often impressed by Gainax (at least, not as much as most people seem to), but I can’t deny that they’re a [...]
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Yoshiichi Akahito’s original Shikabane Hime comes the continuation of this anime series. Shikabane Hime: Kuro the continuation of Shikabane Hime: Aka, entitled as the first anime Shikabane Hime as the Corpse Princess: “Red as Aka” to “Black for Kuro”. The continuation of the series Shikabane Hime: Aka will premier this January. Entitled “Corpse Princess”, the undead protagonist [...]
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It's been a while since we last checked it out, but at last we're back on the trail of our corpse princess courtesy of episode four of Shikabane Hime. Sadly, it appears that the first victim of this particular instalment is the animation quality (which takes a definite dive here), but what of the story itself? In essence, the main plot of this episode is actually a good one, the sort that makes
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At the beginning of episode 6 of Shikabane Hime: Aka, “At the End of the Demon Run”, as the traitorous monk’s exposition to Ouri is interrupted by Itsuki and Takamasa, the bald monk Isaki Shuji and the other monk we saw in the first episode, Shirae Rinsen, are talking with the boss at Ouri’s part-time [...]
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Short Synopsis: The fight against the evil car continues, and Ouri gets more insight into the bond between Makina and Keisei. Highlights: Nice fight! Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10 (Awesome) Now THIS is exactly why I’m watching this series! Best episode so far, and the fight this episode was among the best of the season so far. My idea [...]
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Episode 5 of Shikabane Hime: Aka, “Traitorous Monk”, starts off from the end of the previous episode, with Keisei finally coming out clean with Ouri. But it’s not much of an exposition: the only things Keisei tells Ouri are that Makina is a shikabane hime, that he thinks shikabane are born when someone dies [...]
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Short Synopsis: A bunch of teenagers jack a car and are attacked by a Shikabane. Highlights: TRANSFER STUDENT! TRANSFER STUDENT! TRANSFER STUDENT! Overall Enjoyment Value: 6,5/10 (Lacking) Ack, this series was doing so well, and then that transfer-student popped up. This is all just a pet peeves of me, and I don’t care whether it makes sense or [...]
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It seems this season has been a bit light on anime for me. There just wasn't much that really stood out for me to watch this season. I've mentioned Time of Eve before, and that is one that I'm watching as it releases. Yet it only has an agonizingly slow one-episode-every-two-month release, though I do think the ones released so far are worth the wait. Another series that for some reason was picked up on my radar was Shikabane Hime: Aka, Makina Hoshimura I've only seen the first two episodes before Funimation acquired the series to stream online and to sell for download, but they were enough to get me interested in the 13-episode series. Since Funimation is releasing the series on Youtube (where I can stream video from there to the XBox 360 using TVersit) and I've determined that the quality of the streaming video is good enough to comfortably watch on the front TV<fn>minus some blocking artifacts in some areas, but the video quality is still watchable, I'll probably take that route from now on once they post the third episode.</fn> Ouri Kagami As to why I'm sticking with the series, well, Martin hits on some of the reasons, especially when it comes to atmosphere and direction<fn>And I agree with his observation with the comedy and slapstick being a bit out of place, though I'm not finding it distracting right now<fn>. But what really is keeping me curious is Ouri Kagami: Why is he keeping so calm about what's going on? And what the hell is up with that cat? Hopefully, the 13-episode series delves into that and doesn't leave me hanging...</fn></fn> But even if it does, I still got to watch an anime series that has an undead girl akimbo-wielding machine pistols in a school-girl outfit. That has to count for something, right? Good, bad, I'm the one with the sub-machine guns.
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FUNimationed. (By the way, why does he have to attach a picture of himeself to the letter?) Summary: Makina and friends are running around the city trying to track down a rogue shikabane that seems to be targeting women. However, they always get there too late and the culprit always disappears before either her or Minari can get there. Meanwhile, Ouri gets sick and one night ends up infront of a doctor’s office. When he wakes up, Makina is there too. Apparently the doctor and ...
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