Samurai Flamenco 13 – 15 — Twists and Turns

Samurai Flamenco,

It’s a very different experience watching three episodes in one sitting than watching from week to week. I went through an enormous swath of feelings regarding Samurai Flamenco in the past three episodes.

In episode 13, I was pretty bored. It’s filled with discussions of contingency plans and angsting over whether to reveal the truth and who to bring to the emergency shelter. I spent the entire episode just waiting for it to end.

The first half of episode 14 also pissed me off, but for different reasons. Masayoshi reveals the impending invasion at the end of the previous episode, and the prime minister is pissed at him. The citizens are in a panic. So Masayoshi issues a video instructing them what to do.

samurai_flamenco_13_15_1

Normally this would be fine. But half the video is an apology, and the other half is telling everyone not to panic. “Hey, everyone, aliens are about to invade and kill all of you, but don’t panic!” Yeah that’s gonna help. And then the rest of the cast is acting like Masayoshi is a genius for coming up with this video. Ugh. It’s just so unbelievably stupid. Maybe it’s a parody of something? But I’m not sure what. Continue reading Samurai Flamenco 13 – 15 — Twists and Turns →

Buddy Complex 02 – 04 — NICE COUPLING

Buddy Complex,

This’ll be the final show I blog this season. Sorry, I love Sunrise mecha shows too much to pass it by. So basically, Buddy Complex is Gundam 00 except gay mind-melding is built into the premise from the beginning instead of tacked on in a half-assed way in the middle. Furthermore, our hero is not the leader of a terrorist organization (yet) and actually appears to have a soul unlike Setsuna F. Seiei. I like all the changes so far. It’s like Valvrave too (of course) except they’re playing this one straight.

Sunrise mecha shows generally attempt to portray the futility of war. Gundam 00 did this by creating an organization that was “above” the law and “above” the nations, which made war to end war. Of course, this was essentially a terrorist organization, and I’m not sure you can call it peace if it is maintained at the point of a sword. Our heroes were oligarchs ruling the world at the point of a gun, and we as the audience were supposed to be fully on their side. That was difficult for me.

buddy_complex_02_04_6 Continue reading Buddy Complex 02 – 04 — NICE COUPLING →

Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta 02-04 — A Story of Love and Vengeance

Toaru Hikuushi,

toaru_hikuushi_02_04_4

I’ll blog this and Sekai Seifuku, and possibly one more. Probably Buddy Complex. Space Dandy and Noragami are ahead in the polls, but I like Buddy Complex better than either of them. It’s not like I dislike Space Dandy or Noragami (which would improve the appeal of blogging them), I just don’t feel like I would have much to say.

Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta is going to be a show nobody remembers five years from now. Honestly, it’s just not that great. Why?

  1. Poor storytelling. How many flashbacks have we had so far? There’s nothing wrong with the occasional flashbacks, but two episodes with the majority being flashbacks is a bit much. I’m sure there is a more interesting way to communicate this information. Here’s my suggestion: DON’T. Do we really need to know all about Ka’el’s older sisters, the first time he flew, or the time Ari’s friend threw a rock at an actor in the play and Ka’el got beaten up for trying to stop him? No we most certainly do not. Why not leave something to our imagination? All of the flashbacks in episode three and four added absolutely nothing to my understanding of Ka’el, Ari and their relationship that I didn’t already know after episode two. All these flashbacks were a giant waste of time. They only served to destroy the mystery and mystique that had been centered around Ka’el’s past. Continue reading Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta 02-04 — A Story of Love and Vengeance →

A Seasonal Review — Fall 2013

Seasonal Review,

A bit late on this, as usual. Sorry. (But not really.)

Unwatched: Ace of Diamond, BlazBlue: Alter Memory, Coppelion, Diabolik Lovers, Freezing S2, Gundam Build Fighters, Hajime no Ippo S4, Kuroko no Basuke S2, Kyousougiga, Litle Busters ~Refrain~, Magi, Meganebu, Monogatari Second Series, Non Non Biyori, Phi Brain, Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai, Space Bros, Unbreakable Machine Doll, Yozakura Quartet Hana no Uta, Yuushibu

Shorts: Don’t know, don’t care.

Been dropping more than I used to lately. It’s great. Have way more time to do things I like. And there seem to be a ton of series from this season continuing into the next.

infinite_stratos_2_01_1 infinite_stratos_2_01_2

19. Infinite Stratos 2 — F
Generic harem snorefest. Continue reading A Seasonal Review — Fall 2013 →