b Nadia: That was a lot of fun. That dub was incredible! I'm actually glad they got folks the right age to play the young teenage leads. And that musical episode, oh my goodness . . . You can tell they had a good time putting it together. Good for Saturday morning cartoons most of the time, but sometimes it veered into good ole' Gainax T+A territory, and I don't think I'd want to be a parent trying to explain the ending to a child . . . As an adult, I found it to be a great adventure that had pretty much nothing to do with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which is okay. I did a lot of cleaning while watching it, so I missed out on a lot of the rage-inducing filler stuff, which I think is probably for the best.
b Project Blue: Earth SOS!: Another fun one. This just never really slowed down. Some of the English dub was pretty terrible, but I think even that was mostly tongue-in-cheek. Gaping plot-holes papered over with exuberance! Excitement! Adventure! Hilarious names! Aliens! Young people with no proper adult supervision! Way fun!
p Sukeban Deka (live action) movie: Give me back those two hours of my life. I beg of you. Why was this made into something live action? It's about a girl who fights evil with super-powered yo-yos. I am not making this up. I'm sure it worked way better in anime form. Live action? Um, well, I suppose it was good fanboy fodder for its intended audience. I guess . . .
b Xam'd: Quite obviously brought to you by the folks who brought you Eureka7, this fantasy adventure series has already introduced a fully-realized, complicated world packed with interesting characters (including adults!). It's like what would happen if Miyazaki's Nausicaa got dropped into Last Exile. The music, the political situation, the sprawling cast . . . I am going to love this show a lot. Here's hoping it doesn't kick me in the face or the gut quite like E7. It only has 26 episodes to work with; it can't possibly destroy me as much as E7. Right?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
What I watched in January: Digest Version (1 of 2)
Casshern Sins: This is a series that demands to be watched on a perfect HD screen with perfect lighting where each gradation of black can be enjoyed in every sad, bleak, twisted scene of this dark, moody, melancholy, post-apocalyptic, violent, tragi-fest, art-film show. There must also be surround sound. If you didn't guess, it's an acquired taste sort of show. How high is your tolerance for angst? (If there are good reasons for the angst. Really good reasons.) And the music, wow. There's some really good jazz and fusion stuff here. Lots of great synth-work, which fits with the show, too . . .
Darker than Black: You know, this show has super rewatch value. Such detail. Sometimes so much I can't actually watch because of the gross, but that's rare. Some people say this show is only cool because of its premise and the bizarre fights between contractors. They're missing at least 64% of the show. The fights are great but the world and characters are so much richer. This is a show that begs to be dissected with other careful viewers. And that line between heroes and sociopaths? Yeah, I hope you don't mind it being pretty blurry . . . Chinese ElectricBatman Forever.
Eden of the East: So you're on your way back to the airport to go home, but you decide to throw a coin in the fountain on the White House lawn for good luck, and the police see you, and you're about to get in trouble when you are saved by a completely naked man holding a gun and a cell phone. Well, that's awkward. And hilarious. What would you do? I have no idea, but you can watch what Saki did. This complicated and breathtaking show was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, writer-director of the popular Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and the less-popular but no less amazing Moribito. He's done great adaptations, so I'm psyched to see what he does with original material. Extra points for having the artist from Honey&Clover do the character designs. Everything just clicks so far.
Monster: If you saved the life of an individual who grew up to be a serial killer, what would you do to take responsibility? That's where this story starts out. Part mystery/psychological thriller and part something else, this anime is based on a manga that seems to move with brisker pacing. There's something intensely creepy about seeing things animated/moving, though. I feel like I heard this one was being contemplated for live action movie treatment, and I don't think I'm a huge fan of that idea. This is a somewhat epic story, and to try to condense all the intrigue and mystery into something short would just destroy it, more likely than not. I'm not a huge fan of the English dub, but the care taken with the animation is kind of amazing. They went several extra miles in pursuit of realistic movement. I think it works since the story is so weighty (something that would have been undermined by cut corners and jerky, fake-looking, cartoony images). Anyway, the ethics and moral quandries are just as interesting as the action and suspense.
Darker than Black: You know, this show has super rewatch value. Such detail. Sometimes so much I can't actually watch because of the gross, but that's rare. Some people say this show is only cool because of its premise and the bizarre fights between contractors. They're missing at least 64% of the show. The fights are great but the world and characters are so much richer. This is a show that begs to be dissected with other careful viewers. And that line between heroes and sociopaths? Yeah, I hope you don't mind it being pretty blurry . . . Chinese ElectricBatman Forever.
Eden of the East: So you're on your way back to the airport to go home, but you decide to throw a coin in the fountain on the White House lawn for good luck, and the police see you, and you're about to get in trouble when you are saved by a completely naked man holding a gun and a cell phone. Well, that's awkward. And hilarious. What would you do? I have no idea, but you can watch what Saki did. This complicated and breathtaking show was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, writer-director of the popular Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and the less-popular but no less amazing Moribito. He's done great adaptations, so I'm psyched to see what he does with original material. Extra points for having the artist from Honey&Clover do the character designs. Everything just clicks so far.
Monster: If you saved the life of an individual who grew up to be a serial killer, what would you do to take responsibility? That's where this story starts out. Part mystery/psychological thriller and part something else, this anime is based on a manga that seems to move with brisker pacing. There's something intensely creepy about seeing things animated/moving, though. I feel like I heard this one was being contemplated for live action movie treatment, and I don't think I'm a huge fan of that idea. This is a somewhat epic story, and to try to condense all the intrigue and mystery into something short would just destroy it, more likely than not. I'm not a huge fan of the English dub, but the care taken with the animation is kind of amazing. They went several extra miles in pursuit of realistic movement. I think it works since the story is so weighty (something that would have been undermined by cut corners and jerky, fake-looking, cartoony images). Anyway, the ethics and moral quandries are just as interesting as the action and suspense.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
What I read in January: Digest Version (4 of 4)
Well, why not. Let's finish out January today.
b Otomen 4, 9: I had to schedule a special exercise session to read this the day it arrived because I knew I didn't have the self control to wait until the next morning when I was scheduled to exercise again. Who said manga isn't healthy?
b Ouran High School Host Club 15: Oh, Milord. I hear the anime voice actors when I read this now. It's pretty fun.
b Sand Chronicles 10: An ending in keeping with the tone of the series. More of an epilogue since the actual story ended in volume 8, but I still found it moody and interesting. A fitting farewell. A reviewer I really like admired this manga but could never really like it because she's a happy person, and she can't understand why these people can't let themselves just be happy, dammit! Because they just can't. Because they know how bad things can go. I love the series for the same reason it irritates her. Viva literature.
b Sasameki 1: Slippery. I still don't know quite what kind of manga this is and whether I should expect absurdity in the end or whether some kind of storytelling with serious stuff will be accomplished.
b Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei 4: My nose hurts from snorting, as usual. Brilliant social commentary and funny entertainment for those who like their humor acid-black.
b Seiho Boys' High School 3: I have to read this series at home where I can just crack up without people looking at me funny. More stories about the boarding school in the middle of nowhere Seiho students. You can count on them to usually say things in the worst way possible, which is endlessly entertaining.
b Time Stranger Kyoko 2-3 of 3: Well, I actually need to go back and read a different copy of 2 because someone really liked that book and cut out about 1/5 of the pages in the book. (Really? Seriously?! Who does that to library manga?! How did the librarians not notice? I mean, yes, they probably don't read so much manga that they can feel that somethings' not standard simply by the weight and thickness.) It's embarrassing how long it took me to figure out that's why the narrative seemed so disjointed . . . I apologize for all those mean things I thought about the author before I figured out it wasn't her fault big pieces of plot seemed to just be missing.
b We Were There 4: Whoa. Well, then. That was some honest stuff there. Ladies, if you ask your gentlemen to tell you the truth and promise them you won't reject them no matter what they say, please stick to your guns. It's brutal when you betray them by being too weak to handle the truth. Truth is not for the faint of heart. If you think you want to know the truth, figure out what it could be, figure out what the worst could be, and make sure you can actually deal with the worst being a reality before you ask. If you think you can't handle it, maybe you should disengage before you get any further involved. I'm glad we could have this little chat.
Next time we'll do some DVDs and maybe some February.
b Otomen 4, 9: I had to schedule a special exercise session to read this the day it arrived because I knew I didn't have the self control to wait until the next morning when I was scheduled to exercise again. Who said manga isn't healthy?
b Ouran High School Host Club 15: Oh, Milord. I hear the anime voice actors when I read this now. It's pretty fun.
b Sand Chronicles 10: An ending in keeping with the tone of the series. More of an epilogue since the actual story ended in volume 8, but I still found it moody and interesting. A fitting farewell. A reviewer I really like admired this manga but could never really like it because she's a happy person, and she can't understand why these people can't let themselves just be happy, dammit! Because they just can't. Because they know how bad things can go. I love the series for the same reason it irritates her. Viva literature.
b Sasameki 1: Slippery. I still don't know quite what kind of manga this is and whether I should expect absurdity in the end or whether some kind of storytelling with serious stuff will be accomplished.
b Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei 4: My nose hurts from snorting, as usual. Brilliant social commentary and funny entertainment for those who like their humor acid-black.
b Seiho Boys' High School 3: I have to read this series at home where I can just crack up without people looking at me funny. More stories about the boarding school in the middle of nowhere Seiho students. You can count on them to usually say things in the worst way possible, which is endlessly entertaining.
b Time Stranger Kyoko 2-3 of 3: Well, I actually need to go back and read a different copy of 2 because someone really liked that book and cut out about 1/5 of the pages in the book. (Really? Seriously?! Who does that to library manga?! How did the librarians not notice? I mean, yes, they probably don't read so much manga that they can feel that somethings' not standard simply by the weight and thickness.) It's embarrassing how long it took me to figure out that's why the narrative seemed so disjointed . . . I apologize for all those mean things I thought about the author before I figured out it wasn't her fault big pieces of plot seemed to just be missing.
b We Were There 4: Whoa. Well, then. That was some honest stuff there. Ladies, if you ask your gentlemen to tell you the truth and promise them you won't reject them no matter what they say, please stick to your guns. It's brutal when you betray them by being too weak to handle the truth. Truth is not for the faint of heart. If you think you want to know the truth, figure out what it could be, figure out what the worst could be, and make sure you can actually deal with the worst being a reality before you ask. If you think you can't handle it, maybe you should disengage before you get any further involved. I'm glad we could have this little chat.
Next time we'll do some DVDs and maybe some February.
What I read in January: Digest Version (3 of 4)
I had a dream one night that someone rescued an unfinished title I liked and started publishing the next volume due instead of wasting time and money and testing fan patience and memory by going all the way back to the beginning. Then I woke up and wanted to cry because it was just a dream.
b Himeyuka and Rozione's Story: I like this author's art a lot, but the storytelling isn't up to par with the art. A collection of odd and sometimes touching (and/or confusing) stories.
b HunterxHunter 10: Oh, Gon. You're walking that razor edge, and that's one of the reasons I adore your quirky shonen series. Killua is definitely a sociopath, but his experiences with you may pull him to the hero side some day, as long as you don't fall off the wagon into sociopath territory yourself . . .
b Invisible Boy 1-2: If there is a polar opposite of Seiho Boys' High School, this is it. Sweet and melancholy and wispy set of short stories about a bunch of guys at an elite boys' boarding school. Frustrating because there is no real resolution to anything. It's like incomplete slice of life that begs for more time.
b Kekkaishi 24: I still love it. This book had a lot of build-up in both plot and characters. I do hope the series ends well because I want these threads to weave something strong and beautiful.
o Madness 2: Well, that certainly deserved its MA rating.Um, I really can't recommend this one to most folks because the content is just appalling.
b Maison Ikkoku 13: Painfully slow, awkward, full of miscommunications, and really wonderful. I do adore this series. How does he get in these situations? He gets taken advantage of, grumbles and complains, and mostly does the right things, except when it comes to clearly communicating with the one he loves. Reading this is like watching some of my real-life friends stagger around in the morass of relationships.
o Monkey High 6-8: Well, yes. That's over. It had its cute moments, but it really got sort of boring, conventional, and by-the-numbers at the end there.
b Natsume's Book of Friends 2, 5: Oh, Natsume, I love you and all your awkwardness. I love your weird yokai and your isolated and lonely protagonist and the painful process of reconnecting to others (or deciding against it). This volume could be called Natsume makes a friend who almost gets him killed. This episode was darned scary in the anime, which I wish will someday be released to DVD, so I can buy it. Until then, there's Crunchyroll for you tech-savvy folks.
Will I catch up with January before May hits? Stay tuned.
b Himeyuka and Rozione's Story: I like this author's art a lot, but the storytelling isn't up to par with the art. A collection of odd and sometimes touching (and/or confusing) stories.
b HunterxHunter 10: Oh, Gon. You're walking that razor edge, and that's one of the reasons I adore your quirky shonen series. Killua is definitely a sociopath, but his experiences with you may pull him to the hero side some day, as long as you don't fall off the wagon into sociopath territory yourself . . .
b Invisible Boy 1-2: If there is a polar opposite of Seiho Boys' High School, this is it. Sweet and melancholy and wispy set of short stories about a bunch of guys at an elite boys' boarding school. Frustrating because there is no real resolution to anything. It's like incomplete slice of life that begs for more time.
b Kekkaishi 24: I still love it. This book had a lot of build-up in both plot and characters. I do hope the series ends well because I want these threads to weave something strong and beautiful.
o Madness 2: Well, that certainly deserved its MA rating.Um, I really can't recommend this one to most folks because the content is just appalling.
b Maison Ikkoku 13: Painfully slow, awkward, full of miscommunications, and really wonderful. I do adore this series. How does he get in these situations? He gets taken advantage of, grumbles and complains, and mostly does the right things, except when it comes to clearly communicating with the one he loves. Reading this is like watching some of my real-life friends stagger around in the morass of relationships.
o Monkey High 6-8: Well, yes. That's over. It had its cute moments, but it really got sort of boring, conventional, and by-the-numbers at the end there.
b Natsume's Book of Friends 2, 5: Oh, Natsume, I love you and all your awkwardness. I love your weird yokai and your isolated and lonely protagonist and the painful process of reconnecting to others (or deciding against it). This volume could be called Natsume makes a friend who almost gets him killed. This episode was darned scary in the anime, which I wish will someday be released to DVD, so I can buy it. Until then, there's Crunchyroll for you tech-savvy folks.
Will I catch up with January before May hits? Stay tuned.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What I read in January: Digest Version (2 of 4)
b Deadman Wonderland 2-3: I'm onto you, unreliable narrators/characters. I knew that was an act, so it didn't come as a surprise to me as the removed reader privy to revelations closed to the protagonist, so I felt for him at the betrayal, but he threw you for a loop, too, with his reactions. This series is not for the faint of heart, but what could you expect from a maximum security prison theme park? The stakes are high because the deaths of these prisoners are played for the entertainment of the paying masses. The "extras" at the end where the theme park mascots explain how the park works are sickening and perfect for those who like their humor acid black. By the same artist who worked on Eureka7.
b Demon Sacred 1-3: By the author of Jyu-oh-sei (also awesome). She still likes those complicated, mysterious characters with agendas; they help the stories transcend kiddie fare. I am incredibly bummed that I won't get to read the rest of this, what with the Tokyopop implosion. My shelves will feel the black hole where future releases would have been, but I guess my budget will thank me. It's hard to love my budget as much as a good graphic novel, though. It's even harder to explain this series in a way that doesn't make it sound cracktastic. You should just read it. Then we can be bummed about never finding out how it ends together.
b Dogs: Bullets & Carnage 4: Delivers as promised. I had no idea where we left off, but in this series, story is not the main concern.
b Fullmetal Alchemist 24: Oh, my poor heart. The end is near, and then I can finally watch FMA: Brotherhood with a clear conscience.
b Hayate the Combat Butler 14: More snort-inducing otaku references and general silly goofiness.
b High School Debut 12-13 of 13: Woohoo! We have a winner! I'm totally fine with any 13-year-old reading this bit of high-energy shojo fun!
b Hikaru no Go 22: The end is near for this one, too. Sad. Now I want to see the anime.
b Demon Sacred 1-3: By the author of Jyu-oh-sei (also awesome). She still likes those complicated, mysterious characters with agendas; they help the stories transcend kiddie fare. I am incredibly bummed that I won't get to read the rest of this, what with the Tokyopop implosion. My shelves will feel the black hole where future releases would have been, but I guess my budget will thank me. It's hard to love my budget as much as a good graphic novel, though. It's even harder to explain this series in a way that doesn't make it sound cracktastic. You should just read it. Then we can be bummed about never finding out how it ends together.
b Dogs: Bullets & Carnage 4: Delivers as promised. I had no idea where we left off, but in this series, story is not the main concern.
b Fullmetal Alchemist 24: Oh, my poor heart. The end is near, and then I can finally watch FMA: Brotherhood with a clear conscience.
b Hayate the Combat Butler 14: More snort-inducing otaku references and general silly goofiness.
b High School Debut 12-13 of 13: Woohoo! We have a winner! I'm totally fine with any 13-year-old reading this bit of high-energy shojo fun!
b Hikaru no Go 22: The end is near for this one, too. Sad. Now I want to see the anime.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
What I read in January: Digest Version (1 of 4)
Holy cow, I'm behind again! (Not with the reading, just the writing.)
b 07-Ghost 3: Mysteries deepen. Betrayals happen. People die. And then there are no more volumes. I miss you, Go-Comi.
b Alice the 101st 1-2: I love Ari's doodles on everything; they are awesome. La Esperanca (a previous work by this author) was a melodramatic mess, but I enjoyed it anyway. I like Alice even more. It's got an exhuberance that prevents it from being emo or even mopey. Hyper lead characters certainly get things moving, and an interesting handful of secondary characters ensure that things won't get boring.
b Black Bird 5-6: I feel bad for those who couldn't get past the first couple volumes of this even though it won the Shogakugan because wow. I understand their problem; they can't get past how weak and helpless the main character appears. They seem to think it's a Japanese thing, and I can see why they would think that, but I can't write it off quite that simply. The main character is in a crappy position. She is unable to protece herself. There is someone who is interested in her well-being and wants to protect her for more than political reasons. He can be a real creep sometimes, but he's sacrificed a lot to be in a position where he can protect her. She's having trouble adjusting (who wouldn't), but slowly she is working out ways that she can be his partner (equally valued but with a different role). The politics are interesting, and the sheer alienness of the culture is outstandingly done. This is not our world, and it does not operate by our rules. I feel bad for many of the characters, as they are trapped by their cultures in positions that modern readers who are taking things too (literally? seriously? I'm not sure) something will find untenable, but they are dealing, and I would like to believe that they may eventually transform their relationships into something beautiful.
b Boys Over Flowers 30: Oh, for Pete's sake . . . It's hard to read this series one volume every six months, but the budget is king. I just forget where I left off and what's going on and who the people are. By the time I get back in the groove, it's over.
b Cross Game 2: I still adore this one. Cheesy, fourth-wall breaking, shameless author self-promotions can't even derail it. :) I love how little they talk about the important things. The significant and important things are most often shown, and the heartbreaking moments of realization that come from not being told what's going on belong to the reader. Powerful.
b Crown of Love 3: Ah, creepy relationships continue and expand. How does Kouga do it? Awkwardness, thy name it love . . .
January was a good reading month, so look forward to a lot more . . .
b 07-Ghost 3: Mysteries deepen. Betrayals happen. People die. And then there are no more volumes. I miss you, Go-Comi.
b Alice the 101st 1-2: I love Ari's doodles on everything; they are awesome. La Esperanca (a previous work by this author) was a melodramatic mess, but I enjoyed it anyway. I like Alice even more. It's got an exhuberance that prevents it from being emo or even mopey. Hyper lead characters certainly get things moving, and an interesting handful of secondary characters ensure that things won't get boring.
b Black Bird 5-6: I feel bad for those who couldn't get past the first couple volumes of this even though it won the Shogakugan because wow. I understand their problem; they can't get past how weak and helpless the main character appears. They seem to think it's a Japanese thing, and I can see why they would think that, but I can't write it off quite that simply. The main character is in a crappy position. She is unable to protece herself. There is someone who is interested in her well-being and wants to protect her for more than political reasons. He can be a real creep sometimes, but he's sacrificed a lot to be in a position where he can protect her. She's having trouble adjusting (who wouldn't), but slowly she is working out ways that she can be his partner (equally valued but with a different role). The politics are interesting, and the sheer alienness of the culture is outstandingly done. This is not our world, and it does not operate by our rules. I feel bad for many of the characters, as they are trapped by their cultures in positions that modern readers who are taking things too (literally? seriously? I'm not sure) something will find untenable, but they are dealing, and I would like to believe that they may eventually transform their relationships into something beautiful.
b Boys Over Flowers 30: Oh, for Pete's sake . . . It's hard to read this series one volume every six months, but the budget is king. I just forget where I left off and what's going on and who the people are. By the time I get back in the groove, it's over.
b Cross Game 2: I still adore this one. Cheesy, fourth-wall breaking, shameless author self-promotions can't even derail it. :) I love how little they talk about the important things. The significant and important things are most often shown, and the heartbreaking moments of realization that come from not being told what's going on belong to the reader. Powerful.
b Crown of Love 3: Ah, creepy relationships continue and expand. How does Kouga do it? Awkwardness, thy name it love . . .
January was a good reading month, so look forward to a lot more . . .
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