The Week in Anime, Fall 2013 #2 — Row, Row, Fight the Powah

Gurren Lagann — I realize this is not exactly current but I rewatched it over the past week. And HOLY SHIT IT IS AWESOME. The first time I watched it I thought it was “just okay.” What the hell was I thinking?!! Someone on Twitter suggested I made the mistake of turning on my brain. They may be right. What an idiot I was back then. 12 / 10.

I suspect the real issue was that it was one of the first mecha anime I ever watched. It makes a lot more sense with some context.

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Coppelion — I’m pretty good at suspending my disbelief— I mean, some of my favorite shows include Valvrave, AKB0048 and Code Geass— but this is just too dumb. These girls who have been trained since birth to be “professional soldiers” are about as good at being soldiers as the girls in K-On. And some sob story about how they were genetically engineered and how “science is my mother” does not make me feel sorry for them, given that they seem perfectly happy. If these scientists were going through all the trouble to genetically engineer these kids, they should have ensured they had some minimal level of intelligence. Or maybe the lack of a brain is what makes them immune to radiation. Continue reading The Week in Anime, Fall 2013 #2 — Row, Row, Fight the Powah

Samurai Flamenco 02 — An Intense, High Speed Chase (While Obeying Traffic Laws)

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I think the scene above is the exact moment Samurai Flamenco won me over. This intense chase montage is going down— he’s going to be a hero and recover the umbrella— oh wait! Better brake! Have to wait for the traffic light to change colors.

That pretty much captures this show’s charm. He wants to be a superhero, but once you’re an adult you discover that the world doesn’t need superheros. So the way he achieves his dream is by yelling at old ladies taking their trash out too early. Continue reading Samurai Flamenco 02 — An Intense, High Speed Chase (While Obeying Traffic Laws)