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Have You Seen Me Lately?

14 Comments |
July 25, 2008
| Television

Hidamari Sketch x365 is fantastic. But you already knew that. Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora is quite nice, too; although, Kobayashi Osamu’s spartan direction renders the show duller than it need be. Finally, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu is fun, even if it is convenience store anime.

The recently released Clannad OAV episode got me all excited about the second season - hopefully, there will be news on that front soon. The TV series had its fair share of memorable moments, of course, but that scene in the snow was really something. It had a sort of transparent authenticity that was missing from a lot of the “start crying, dammit!” scenes in both Kanon and Air. Both approaches work for me, but I fear sad Tomoyo in snow has now raised the bar.

I finally got around to finishing Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, which I had lost interest in about half way through back when it aired. It’s funny how what started off as a sometimes engrossing horror show ended up being little more than a generic cat and mouse thriller when all was said and done. It was plenty entertaining, but I don’t think the core story was interesting enough to merit 50 episodes.

I also found the time to watch Dennou Coil. Initially, I avoided the show on the mistaken assumption it was something weird and cerebral. Turns out, it’s very accessible and mainstream - a kids show with brains, basically. Anyway, I now understand why the show was so widely praised a couple years back; it really is one of the more well rounded anime series to come out of Japan in recent years. If you haven’t watched it yet, I’d suggest doing so.

Oh, and before I go, I should mention that, despite my (undeserved) reputation for not being a fan of the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, I have ordered the recently released DVD collection, and I am looking forward to rewatching it for the first time.

And, yes, I’m still taking a break from blogging.

State of the Union

28 Comments |
July 4, 2008
| Miscellaneous

I turned 30 yesterday. To celebrate, I went to bed early.

Today, I bought a Wii. I’ve been wanting one for ages, but not so much that I was willing to camp out somewhere or get friendly with a pimply faced game store clerk in order to procure it. When I woke up this morning, however, I thought to myself, “This is my lucky day.” I found one at the first store I visited. Go figure. I haven’t bought any games yet, but I have played several rounds of golf.

I still need to sort through all the news coming out of Anime Expo this weekend, but most of what I’ve heard so far has been positive. The Hayate no Gotoku license is a nice surprise. So is Funimation swooping in and casting Phoenix Down on everything in sight. I’m anxious to hear their plans for finishing out the Kanon release.

The second season of Da Capo II was actually pretty good. More on that later.

Anyway, I’m going to commemorate the birth of this fine nation by getting drunk and watching some Hidamari Sketch. In the immortal words of Thomas Jefferson, “I swear upon the altar of God that Yoshinoya is hot.”

Amen.

Home Again

14 Comments |
June 23, 2008
| Television

I spent some time this weekend catching up with Toshokan Sensou, a show I lost all enthusiasm for only a few episodes in, initial interest notwithstanding. Like a lot of people, my disappointment with the show was a direct response to its ridiculous premise. However, having given it a second try, I’ve come to the conclusion that the premise isn’t quite as ridiculous as it seems. Oppressive totalitarian regimes often do have a taste for censorship, and there have been instances in history in which armed resistances have coexisted in a persistent stalemate with the ruling party for so long that they’re eventually recognized as legitimate institutions.

Ultimately, the trouble with Toshokan Sensou is not the premise, but the execution. The politics of Seika Japan are clearly more complicated than the show lets on, and the friendly manner in which the two opposing factions do battle suggests that the author mostly wanted to write a war story without, you know, dwelling on gloomy things like death and destruction (how delightfully Japanese). It’s undercooked, to say the least. But, taken as alternate history, it’s about as believable as any light political thriller that turns reality upside down for flavor, and taken as the coming of age character drama it eventually becomes, it’s about as satisfying as any other anime series of similar form, fit, and function.

In other words, it’s turned into a perfectly enjoyable show now that I’ve stopped trying to analyze and second guess it to death.

The funny thing is, it’s my natural inclination to take anime at face value, and not to analyze it or second guess it to death. Why did I not afford Toshokan Sensou the same benefit of a doubt as I would any other anime series? Why was I so quick to judge it so harshly? I really don’t know. I’m perceptive enough to recognize that I’ve been “down” on anime these past several months, if not “down” on a lot of things in general, so it could be I was simply looking for any reason to drop the show - any show, really - from my regular viewing rotation. Or, it could be I was just horribly depressed to see Aria come to a close.

Whatever the reason, it so concerns me that I would act in such a way that’s so out of character and so antithetical to the way I typically approach anime, that I feel like I need to subject myself to repeated viewings of Saikano both as a penance and as a reminder of what disappointing anime really feels like.

Or, I could just cut the crap and catch up with some of the other shows I’ve been ignoring. Like Itazura na Kiss. And Shugo Chara. And the second season of Da Capo II.

They ain’t gonna watch themselves.

Welcome to the Summer Days

22 Comments |
June 21, 2008
| Television

After two relatively dry anime seasons in Japan, the sky has finally opened up and blessed us with more potential gems than there is time to watch them all. That’s my feeling, at least. And the timing couldn’t be any better.

As usual, here are the coming Summer season shows that catch my eye…

Zero no Tsukaima ~Miyoshi Hime no Rondo~ - Even though the second season left me a little disappointed, I’m still a fan of the franchise and its lead characters. If this third season revisits the humor and playfulness of the first season, I’ll be happy. If it tries to take itself too seriously, as the second season unfortunately did, I might not make it to the end. I can be plied with gobs of dere dere Louise, though.

Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora - Not too long after the first Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto TV series ended, I remember hearing rumors that a sequel was in the works. Being such a fan of the show, the news got me to burning, but the “sequel” came in the form of a spin-off manga series that never received the anime treatment. It’s taken five years and an additional manga series for the franchise to return to television, and I’m still burning all the same. And since HAL Film Maker has been hitting one home run after another lately when it comes to slice of life shows, I fear I might set the curtains on fire any minute now.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran - What is it about NHK shows and their uncanny ability to appeal to the nostalgic feelings of aging anime fans, with their tried and true themes, understated productions, and eye for all that is good and right about the medium? These are the sort of shows I’ll be watching ten years from now. I just hope they keep making them.

Chocolate Underground - The premise is so goofy that I can’t resist. Bootlegging chocolate? Just the thought is amusing.

Natsume Yuujin-Chou - My interest in shows built upon Shinto mysticism, both genuine and perverted, has been growing in recent years. It’s such a wonderful construct for fantasy stories. At first glance, this series has the appearance of a Mushishi clone, but I’m also reminded of lighter fare in the same vein. Like Mokke, for example. Perhaps it’s somewhere in between? Sounds like a good place to be.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu - I haven’t watched a good light romance series in awhile, as most of the recents entires in the genre have seemed a little too focused on fanservice and envelope pushing for my taste. This looks pretty good natured, though, and the fact that the female lead is an otaku (of all things) is a nice hook.

Hidamari Sketch x365 - You know, I’m really enjoying this, “let’s make more!” kick the anime industry is on. Shows like Hidamari Sketch deserve all the seasons they can get.

Star Search

17 Comments |
June 7, 2008
| Music, Television

Count me among those fans who find “What ’bout My Star” from Macross Frontier to be one of the catchiest pop songs Yoko Kanno has ever produced. You could have Kelly Clarkson shout the hook in the chorus and sell a truckload of CDs. That’s how slick it sounds.

One reason I enjoy the song so much, I think, is because it’s essentially an extended version of Kanno’s “Going to the Sea” from the Honey and Clover movie soundtrack. I’ve always loved that particular track, but it’s more an incipient song than anything else, only consisting of a quick introduction, a “B” section, and a single chorus. It doesn’t develop any further.

“What ’bout My Star,” on the other hand, takes the same basic musical idea and transforms it into a full song. It’s especially easy to hear in the @Formo duet version, which was featured in part in Episode 5 of the series. That’s my preferred version of the song, by the way.

Of course, it’s just one of many great songs that have graced the series thus far. “Diamond Crevasse” is spectacular, and “Infinity” worked out surprisingly well in show. And then there’s that damn carrot song…