There sure is some weird shit on my hard drive.
Monthly Archive for April, 2006Page 3 of 4
I probably shouldn’t have watched the first episode of School Rumble S2 and the first (or is it?) episode of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu one after the other. Ah, the melancholy of a sprained diaphragm.
Sukuran was more of the same… but with more budget? Perhaps. The OP was kind of so-so, but I dug the ED. Needs more Eri, though.
But Haruhi? Oh boy. If you haven’t found the time to watch this yet, you really should. I can’t wait to see this cast of mental cases in action in future episodes. And I want more dancing!
What else? Hmm… well, I can’t think of a transition, so here’s a shot of the sky…
I can’t really offer any “deep” thoughts about Mai-Otome - not yet, at least. The show is such a Frankenstein of a monster that, no matter how deep I dig, I’ll never manage to get to the core of anything. I’m happy with the ending, I think, and my overall opinion of the show is positive. I definitely enjoyed it. The thing is, I think I enjoyed it just as much - if not more - on a meta “what is Sunrise up to?” level as I did for the content itself.
I will say that the mechanics of the ending were kind of clunky, as if the writers had just about run out of gas. Actually, given the “one step forward, two steps back” nature of the second half of the series, I wonder if they weren’t running on fumes for quite some time. Arika’s final words to Nina in space are evidence of this, I think, seeing as they were just a rehash of the lyrics to the ED theme. Believe in your dreams and keep moving forward? Saio sen jiko yo? Was that the point of the entire show? It’s not a horrible message, that’s for sure, but it’s far from original. And the fact that it essentially resolved the entire story proves more corny than heart-warming.
But, I’ve seen a lot of anime over the years, so I’ve seen my fair share of good writing, mediocre writing, and just plain bad writing. I’ve seen every “trick” in the book, so to speak. It’s gotten to the point where cliché no longer annoys me as much as it amuses me - and, obviously, I’d rather be amused than annoyed - so, just as I found the cliché-ridden Mai-HiME ending acceptable, so do I find the Mai-Otome ending worthy. In fact, the legacy of its predecessor may make Mai-Otome even more tolerable, seeing as, deep down, I expected a goofy, happy ending. “Fool me once, shame on… shame on you. Fool me… you can’t get fooled again,” as His Majesty would say.
I do hope, however, that this will be the end of the Mai franchise. As much as I enjoyed both shows, I say so with a heavy heart, but I don’t think you can reinvent these characters a third time and expect it to work. Hell, it barely worked the second time around. If the coming Mai-Otome OAVs reflect the tone of the first half of the series, that’s great. If Sunrise plans to use the OAVs to resolve the ending, on the other hand, they’ll probably be pushing their luck. Others will no doubt feel differently, but I’d rather they go ahead and lay the whole thing to rest in its current form.
So, what about the ending itself? A few thoughts…
I’ll be honest: I couldn’t stop laughing. I think the only scene that had me pursing my lips was the one in which Arika prepares to toast her mother, and even then, I started busting out again when this popped up. Yoshino Hiroyuki is such a goof.
Despite the promise of hot Otome action (no, not THAT kind), there were probably only three good fights in the entire series. And, as a friend points out, one involved the tentacle monster! Unfortunately, the last episode didn’t offer much, either: “OK, WE’RE GONNA FIGHT NOW! Whoops, something happened. OK, NOW WE FIGHT! Dammit, you stole my kill! EAT THIS! Whoops, there goes my Robe. LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE! Aw fudge, someone just blew up the world.”
Akane and Kazu never got it on? The way they went rushing out of the shrine in Episode 13, you’d think they’d have done it in the bushes on the way to the car. Twice.
Nagi made a great villain. Dude’s really not evil… just a clueless narcissist. At the end, I half expected him to strike a pouty face and go “I’M SO VEWY SOWRY… it was Sergey’s idea!”
It’s funny how the Otome all have these skimpy Robes, yet, by virtue of being Otome, they’re all… well, you know.
“I’ll never forget this, Yumemiya Arika! And your little Queen, too!” … *SPLAT* … “Just kidding!”
I still don’t understand the deal with all the cats.
For a minute there, I thought Miyu was going to bukkake the moon.
Sucks to be Erstin.
Nina gets a bad haircut and gets to spend the rest of her days watching over a brain damaged Sergey? BAD END.
Actually, I guess it could have been much, much worse…
Hear that? That’s the sound of a million fanboys crying in agony.
That’s enough for me!
In all honesty, I can’t take issue with Hiroki’s choice. I liked Elis from the very beginning. The fact that they’re cousins doesn’t trouble me. Nor does the age difference. In fact, I’d argue that, spoiled nature aside, Elis was far more mature than given credit for. And, dependable appearance aside, Hiroki wasn’t all that dependable at all. Perhaps they were made for each other. They had good chemistry, that’s for sure.
But, what of the ending itself? I’m still a bit conflicted. I’m neither happy nor angry. I’m more curious than anything else.
My first thought was, “Where the hell did that come from?” Obviously, Hiroki’s final dilemma was one in which he had to make a choice between what his heart desired and what his brain implored. Those are never easy choices to make, and rarely do they give rise to easy, perfect solutions. Some sort of sacrifice will always be made. And, in matters of love, someone will always be hurt. What makes Hiroki’s ultimate decision so immediately perplexing is the fact that it’s very much out of character. Or is it?
Hand, meet forehead.
“I’m a teacher!” How many times did we hear Hiroki say that over the course of the series? How often did his words sound genuine? How often did his friends, colleagues, and students take him seriously? The fact is, Hiroki was staring down the barrel of one of those “heart vs. brain” choices for the entire series - and it had nothing to do with Kiri or Elis. He was trying to decide his future.
The fact that he went with his heart and chose the life of an artist isn’t all that surprising, really. His false words alone were enough to support such a conclusion. But, if choosing his heart over his brain with regard to his future is no surprise, what of his choosing Elis over Kiri? Should the fact that he went with his heart there be a surprise, either? I don’t think so.
I should’ve seen it coming. But, I didn’t.
Typically, these bishoujo game adaptations get waffly endings. In game form, the protagonist (i.e., the player) has his choice of girls - how the story ends is ultimately up to him and him alone. Obviously, this doesn’t work in a TV series. There can only be one ending. One final episode. Some shows crown one girl alone the winner. Others leave every girl hanging. Some crown a girl AND leave everyone else hanging. It’s ridiculous the lengths some shows will go to in an effort to keep fans happy. So, I suppose Canvas should be commended for its very direct, very final, very “how ’bout them apples?!” ending.
I mean, Hiroki and Elis in a post-coital embrace? “How ’bout them apples?!” indeed! I wouldn’t blame Kiri fans for punching a hole in the TV. Me, I just dropped the remote and stared transfixed at the screen for a few minutes.
And Kiri? Geez. Poor girl. She should become a nun or something.