Monthly Archive for April, 2006

Shot Down in Pieces

15 Comments |
April 29, 2006
| Television

I hate Ah! My Goddess.

Actually, I don’t. I love the Ah! My Goddess universe. And I’m pretty fond of the supporting cast. That’s what makes it so terribly painful.

But, I can’t help it: I despise Belldandy.

Every time the woman opens her mouth, I want to scream. Seriously. I need a concentrated dose of tsundere mune ni chokugeki just to calm down (god bless you, Skuld). I know anime is all about wish fulfillment, but, for the life of me, I can’t understand how anyone could find such a clueless, cloying, and compliant pushover appealing in any way, shape, or form. Honestly, if I met such a woman in real life, I’d immediately inquire as to what horrible childhood accident left her partially brain damaged. (followed by my condolences, of course)

But, you know, it takes two to tango, and Keichi’s perfectly happy to follow. Belldandy does everything but brush his teeth for him, yet, he’s not man enough to hold her hand? How does this guy manage to get out of bed in the morning? I eagerly await the chapter in which Belldandy is possessed by the Demon of Sadomasochism, First Class, Unlimited, and rides K1 leather-bound and crying into the sunset. Ah! A Burning Night in the Dungeon!

Um…

Anyhoo, even though I’m a Democrat, I can do more than just criticize. Ah! My Goddess could achieve perfection with just a few small changes:

1. Get rid of Belldandy. (see: Ah! My Goddess, The Movie)

2. Have Skuld continue to abuse Keichi in new and imaginative ways.

3. Get Urd drunk.

4. Give Megumi a mahou shoujo spin-off show all her own. (YES, MY MASTER!)

Ah! Who am I kidding? There’s no salvation to be found. What was Fujishima Kousuke thinking?

OPs ‘n EDs, Odds ‘n Ends

14 Comments |
April 27, 2006
| Music

Saria’s bit on OPs and EDs got me thinking about the subject. Or perhaps it’s the fact most of this season’s new OP and ED singles hit store shelves this past week. So much music to listen to. Wow.

Anyway, it occurs to me that I have a tendency to judge OP and ED themes separate from the shows they represent. That is, if I dig a song, it’s because I actually dig the song itself. The merits of the show are of little consequence. The end result is that many of my favorite OP and ED themes come from shows I wouldn’t list as favorites - or, in some cases, shows I have zero interest watching in the first place. Good music is good music.

As for the music itself, I find ED themes see more action in my playlist than OP themes. My problem with most OP themes, I think, is this: they don’t work very well out of context. More often than not, the more GET TO BURNING a theme is in TV-bite-size pieces, the more inane it sounds on its own. There’s a certain style of arrangement typical of OP themes that doesn’t work well when expanded to create a full song. From a musical standpoint, they’re often disappointments.

ED themes, on the other hand, tend to have a little more going for them musically. And, because there’s often less need to pair the music so closely to the animation, they tend to make more sense musically. They sound like real songs as opposed to… well, cartoon theme songs. The same could be said for the “B-sides” typically found on OP and ED singles. Often, I enjoy those songs more than the headliners.

In fact, the song I can’t get enough of at the moment is Ishikawa Chiaki’s “House”, the B-side on the Simoun OP single - a show I’m not even watching. Like I said, good music is good music.

And, for the record, “You Get to Burning” isn’t just good music… it’s the BEST MUSIC EVAR.

Too Much Anime, No Life

6 Comments |
April 25, 2006
| Television

So much anime to watch. Wow.

A few (more) random thoughts regarding the new season…

School Rumble still needs more Eri. I notice that her character features less prominently in the new OP. Is this some kind of sign? I hope not.

I can’t get enough of GIRL’S HIGH. Yeah, it’s stupid… GOD, is it stupid. Why can’t I stop laughing?

The Higurashi no Naku Koro ni OP sequence is incredible.

I’ve yet to watch past the first episode of xxxHOLiC. Strange. Am I suffering from CLAMP fatigue?

The Simoun OP and ED singles are great. I care not for the show, however. The power of yuri does not compel me. I do love me some Savage Genius, though.

I still can’t pronounce Utawarerumono correctly. Not on the first try, at least.

ARIA The Natural is really outperforming its predecessor thus far. More Aika blushing, please. And more Alice.

When you think about it, Ouran High School Host Club is really just the same joke over and over again. But, the fact that it’s the same joke over and over again seems to be a joke in itself. Weird, huh?

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi still rocks, of course.

Time Out

4 Comments |
April 17, 2006
| Administration

I’m off to Texas on personal business. This will be my first trip “home” in a couple of years, so I’ll be pretty busy. And I mean BUSY.

Anyway, blogging will resume next week.

Kaze no Tadoritsuku Basho

18 Comments |
April 16, 2006
| Television

I’ll admit, this whole Haruhi vs. Kanon debate is silly. After all, aside from the fact both are being animated by Kyoto Animation, they have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Haruhi is Haruhi. Kanon is Kanon.

I’m not so much a fan of the original Kanon TV series as I am a fan of Kanon itself. It’s for that reason that I’m truly excited about the coming remake. And, to be honest, I don’t even like to refer to it as a “remake”. After all, it’s not like we’re getting the first TV series, retouched and reanimated. Much like how the Ah! My Goddess TV series has relied on material ignored by the ancient OAV series, or the X TV series expanded on a story previously crammed into a (horrid) theatrical feature, the “new” Kanon looks to be a matter of original material finally receiving the treatment it so properly deserves. It’s not so much a remake as it is a “do-over”.

Will the “new” Kanon outdo the first TV series? I should hope so. The first series has no shortage of fans, myself included, but one has to admit it glossed over (or plain ignored) much of the rich story found in the original game. With a length of 24 episodes, KyoAni’s Kanon is more likely to explore the original material to greater depth. And, of course, there should be a dramatic difference in animation quality. That much is a given.

When all is said and done, will anyone remember the first TV series? The hardcore Kanon fans will, I suppose. But, for most, it’ll probably be forgotten - overshadowed by the newer, more complete, more stunning version that came along four and a half years later. That’s where the excitement comes from. That’s why Kanon fans have reason to be happy. The first TV series may not have gotten the job done, but that no longer matters… because, if all goes as expected, the “new” Kanon will.

Some things deserve a second chance.