Pseudo-Elf Princess Speaks:
Friday, June 2, 2006 11:17 a.m. Updateage.
Having returned home a few weeks ago, the amount of shows I'm continuing to watch has decreased exponentially. Gah, I wish it wasn't this way. I'll going to try to get more of Nana, XXXholic, and the other shows on my "watching" list which haven't been watched in a while (I am keeping up by reading ep. summaries at least), but we'll see how that goes. Here's what I am still up-to-date with:
Juuousei: [through ep. 7] This show continues to hold my heart tightly, even as I feel it begin to turn tragic (partly because I've read spoilers for the manga, and if the ending is anything similar, it'll be a very sad one). The time skip of four years that happened between episodes five and six has changed some characters for the better, some for the worse, and some not at all. Thor is Ochre ring's Top, with Tiz-chan as Second, and Third as Third (of course ^^). Zagi is figuring highly into the picture with his plans of well, you really should watch it for yourself. I think I preferred Thor as a child (though he's more of a bishie now ...), but Zagi has definitely improved with age (sings "Zagi is sexy!" ^_^). He's now a conniving bastard with his own tag-along Second/wannabe girlfriend, Karim. Ugh, I don't like her (mostly because of Thor). I still love Tiz-chan, though, even as her love for Thor begins to feel hopeless. (So, I confess, the reason I like adult Thor less is because he's an idiot when it comes to girls.) And Third continues to be awesomely sexy. Yup, yup. If you aren't watching this show, you should be, if not for the fascinating plot (which I don't talk about enough), then for the pretty characters.
The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi: [through ep. 8] So, I admit it, I watched this show because of the hype. I'm still not quite sure what the hype is about, but Suzumiya Haruhi is very addictive, and I can't seem to stop watching it. Kyon (his undesired nickname) is a totally average guy who weirdo Haruhi Suzumiya (a girl obsessed with the paranormal and extraordinary) latches on to by way of his attempts at friendliness. Together (begrudgingly in Kyon's case), they create the SOS Brigade, a club for ... well, something. They are joined by Mikuru-chan (the ditzy but sweet fanservice girl who Haruhi exploits to gain whatever the club needs), Yuki (the creepily quiet and knowledgeable girl always seen with a book), and Itsuki (the ever-smiling boy). Haruhi wants to experience the bizarre, but doesn't seem to recognize it when it finds her, as all the members of the SOS Brigade (minus Kyon) have strange secrets, and Haruhi herself seems to be something out of the ordinary (though she doesn't realize it).
I wasn't impressed by the first episode, but from the second on I was hooked. This show is so random. The episodes aren't in order, and the plots are bizarre. But unlike other "random comedy" shows, Suzumiya Haruhi has a backbone of overarching plot, and strong characters to match. Kyon, despite his "averageness," is an engaging narrator because of his sarcasm and reluctance to get involved with Haruhi's schemes. Haruhi is enjoyable for her domineering psychotic antics, and her concealed feelings for Kyon (which he doesn't seem to notice) work within her personality, giving her more depth. Mikuru-chan's fanservice bothers me at times, but she's so sweet that you hate to see Haruhi beat on her. Yuki and Itsuki are more mysterious, but both are interesting to watch. Oh, yeah, and the animation and opening/ending songs are good, too. Perhaps it is the unique-ness of Haruhi's story that has pulled so many viewers to this show. It's rather out-there, but there's just enough humanity in the characters to relate to and like them (particularly Kyon). I don't know--but I'll continue watching, and if the novel series it's based on comes out in the U.S., I wouldn't mind giving it a read.
Nishi no Yoki Majo: [through ep. 5] This show is ON CRACK. Well, not like Haruhi is, but in a good way as well. Nishi no Yoki Majo (trans. "The Good Witch of the West") is about a girl named Firiel who has just turned 15 and lives with her foster parents and real father (and his cute glasses-wearing apprentice, Roux). For her birthday, she receives a beautiful necklace that was her mother's. While at a ball (where she meets a handsome lord named Eusis and his sister, Adale), she is accused of stealing the necklace, which belonged to a former queen candidate. She gives her accusers a piece of her mind, and then everybody realizes, hmm, what if she didn't steal it? That means she's the daughter of the queen candidate, and thus a candidate for queen herself. With her home in a uproar over research which her father was working on (which was forbidden, apparently--her father flees without forewarning), she is sent to a school for the high-class. Sounds nice and fantasy-ish, so far, right?
Here's where is gets bizarre. First, on the way to the school, Firiel is reading a story by Adale. The story talks about a red-haired lord and a black-haired, glasses wearing boy ... um, riding horses together and *coughs* expressing their feelings through the lips. Firiel freaks out and throws the papers all over the place. Clue that the show is whack when a character in a fantasy is a yaoi fangirl who writes fiction about her brother (Eusis) and Roux. There's so much more, though: A student council that checks girl's undergarments (slips, not panties) to see if they're noble or spies, a curriculum whose subject material is how to seduce men, a girl who looks exactly like Aya from Weiss Kreuz with boobs (WTF?! And she's into girls too X.X), a cross-dressing Roux (this was hilarious. He did it for Firiel, though, so it's cool), torture, ritual death, sword-fighting, and kissing which apparently is just there to make people feel better (Firiel, you are clueless when it comes to love). If the plot didn't have me by the collar and I didn't know the main character is undeniably heterosexual (despite the bizarre kiss ... ew...), I wouldn't be watching anymore. (Oh, yeah, and if Roux weren't so darn cute and stubborn and in love with Firiel ^^.) Um, yeah. I don't really know what to make of this show, but I want more.
Well, that's about it for now. Having recently purchased Kino's Journey (yay!), I may review that at some point. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up with other stuff, too ^^ Peace out :P
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 02:06 p.m. Planet of the Beast King
I think I've found my favorite series this season ^_^
Juuousei: [eps. 1-2 raw] Twin brothers Tooru (Thor, in the fansub) and Rai are the children of scientists, growing up in a futuristic society far from planet Earth. Then, seemingly without reason, their parents are murdered and they are kidnapped to be left on the penal colony Chimera, a world of carnivorous plants and people banded together in four "Rings" according to their skin color. Like the people of the planet, they must become beasts to survive, and rise above everyone else if they wish to escape.
Episode one of Juuousei (Jyu oh sei, if you romanize that way) has just been subbed, but I had already seen the first two raws by then. I was curious about Juuousei since I first saw its entry on anidb.net (a great site to check out new seasons, by the way), but it wasn't subbed yet. I'm only a first year student of Japanese. So I waited. And waited. In the meantime, I discovered a few scant blog entries mentioning this series, which only tantalized me further with gorgeous screenshots and generally positive (though not glowing) reviews. The bloggers biggest fault with the show was the Escaflowne-ish art style. Hmm. I love the art style of Escaflowne. I couldn't wait any longer. I got raws. I got obsessed.
Coming off as something like Battle Royale or Lord of the Flies with a sci-fi twist, Juuousei's plot really appealed to me. Even the first episode has some very dark undertones, with Thor contemplating killing the weak Rai for his own survival. Sci-fi jousei (mature girl's genre), you say? I'm there. Besides that, Juuousei has some of the best looking art this season (in my humble opinion, as many others will disagree). The character designs are very attractive, and the colors are lush and vibrant. I was not at all disappointed. The opening and ending themes are pretty great, too. I really cannot stop spewing praise about this show. It'll only be 11 episodes long I hear, but even that just means it shouldn't overstay its welcome or get bogged down in episode where nothing significant happens. I'm really looking forward to more.
(As a bonus, guess who the VA for both young Thor and Rai is? Minami Takayama, the same dear seiyuu who voiced Dilandau in the Japanese dub of Escaflowne! My goodness ^^)
Yume Tsukai: [ep. 1] "Dream users" are those who tackle annoying and dangerous nightmares that have made their way into the real world. This is a pretty odd show, which might turn out to be good (other than the shoujo-ai featured in the first ep, which I'm not fond of). At the least, I'll watch the next few episodes to see.
XXXholic: [eps. 1-3] Ha, ha, oh poor Watanuki-kun. Though the art isn't spectacular, XXXholic retains lots of its quirky charm with its vaguely moralistic one shot stories and endearing characters. Also, I think it has the best opening theme of the season ^_^ Suga Shikao, you rock!
That's about it for new shows; most of what I'm watching is still good, though I've quit Fate/Stay Night (I'm following blogs of it, but no more eps). ROOTS continues to bate me with promises of more gorgeous music and backgrounds and mysterious plot threads. Karin has taken a turn for the dramatic with everything hitting the fan just when things seemed like they were resolved. Blood+ is still just good. Nana the anime had some very blah incidental music but I'm excited to see its rendition of the BLAST members, and Ouran Host Club is as great fun as ever. Also, I've weeded out dead and outdated links from my collection and added some shiny new ones for you to enjoy.
And that's all for now! Peace out :P
