Tag Archives: anime

C³ : Cubed X Cursed X Curious — First Impression

October 2, 2011Impressionsanime, impressionsdraggle

That shot pretty much sums everything up.

A magical tsundere girlfriend arrives in Haruaki’s house. Her name is Fear, and she is a cube. Cue ten minutes of exposition. Fear eats cookies, has hair that looks suspiciously like a certain other character from two seasons ago, and doesn’t know how to interact with humans. Her love rival, Konoha, the childhood friend appears, and they get into a big fight.

Next, Fears gets embarrassed because people treat her nicely. She then proceeds to destroy the house. Haruaki and Konoha forgive her and everyone becomes best friends again.

*Gag* I liked Fear better when she was a box. Coupled with our worthless male protagonist, I’m not looking forward to this show. It’s filled with hilarious jokes, such as “you have no breasts! Shut up cow tits!” and gratuitous panty shots.

And am I supposed to feel bad for Fear when she’s feeling lonely? She’s been alone in the house for all of thirty seconds. And she met the guy she wants to stay with when? Half an hour ago? They’re acting like this is a tragedy.

Some aspects remind me of Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka though. If they can up the craziness significantly and forget about the main characters, this could be salvageable. Not that I think that’s likely.

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Dantalian no Shoka 12 — Huey Does Something!

October 2, 2011Dantalian no Shokaanime, dantalian no shokadraggle

What a pleasant surprise! This actually turned into a nice ending, although it was rushed. They could have easily used up an extra episode or two on this or the last episode, especially given how repetitive the later arcs became.

Huey is Awesome

At least when he does something besides sipping tea and standing by helplessly. Even I’ll admit it: he was pretty cool in this episode, what with getting shot, shooting the gun out of the Professor’s hand from a puddle of his own blood, and jumping out the window with Dalian. He even attempted to save the girl from the library and stop the plot to zombify London. But then Dantalian goes back to its own tricks, and…

Someone Else Saves the Day

I liked this plot device at first. It was something new, unexpected, and cynical. Huey and Dalian get caught up in all these adventures, but no matter what they do it’s all more or less useless. Things happen, and they have no control over it. But it did start to grate on my nerves after ten episodes of our heroes being useless.

In this episode the twist was really well done though. Since Huey was actually trying to stop the phantom book owner for once, it was actually a tense scene. The Professor is showing off his trucks full of zombification newspapers, and mentioning how his plan is now unstoppable. Then out of nowhere, Hal’s flamethrower bursts all the trucks into flames. I had the same face as Rasiel and the Professor when it happened:

So this anticlimax was effective, because:

Our lead characters actually cared about what was happening, and were still powerless to stop it.
The viewers actually (sort of) cared about the people who saved the day.

The lesson is that indifferent characters tend to make for indifferent viewers.

The conclusion didn’t resolve much of anything, which fits in perfectly with the show’s themes, but still managed to tie everything together and come to a good stopping point. They even managed to bring in the other biblio-princesses.

The Girl in the Library

Honestly, this whole subplot didn’t appeal to me. We have a childhood friend who’s trapped in a library, who Huey makes a promise too. This is what motivates Huey to this day, twenty years later. Boring.

Still, I did like the scene where Huey and Dalian were running away, and the two worlds merged. It was nicely done. Same with the scenes of Dalian and her alter ego’s past / present / future. I’m not going to speculate much, since endless Penguindrum speculation has reduced my enthusiasm. But I did notice what looks like Dalian with Joan d’ Arc, and a toga-clad Dalian opening Pandora’s box. So she’s pretty darn old.

I especially liked the scene where Huey and the Dalian in the library hold hands. Usually Huey is wearing his gloves, but here his hand is bare and stained with blood. The girl reaches out to Huey, then pulls back, but Huey grabs it.

Phantom Books

Book of Atonement — This is a nickname for the book of Leviticus. And I guess it’s fitting this episode should air a week before the Day of Atonement.
The Professor’s book — A note written by a fugitive who assassinated a president of the new world. Most likely the diary of John Wilkes Booth. It doesn’t seem like the whole thing is available online, unfortunately. I’m kind of puzzled as to why the Professor claimed Dalian would never have heard of it— it would have been pretty famous. Perhaps this is just because it’s more recent? It’s power was lame anyway— he could have used an actual gun just as easily.
Crastinus Dies Nunquam Sciat — This is the title on the spine of the book Huey takes from Dalian. This translates (very roughly, I don’t even know Latin) to “tomorrow is never known.” Given what Huey is saying at the time, the meaning seems clear. As far as I can tell this book is fictional— perhaps it is the story of Dalian herself.

Further Thoughts

Could this guardian be Dantalian? He has “all Men’s and Women’s faces”, and this face seems to fit that description.
I cracked up when they showed the Germans riding the zeppelin.
I love how everyone says the middle name but only for Huey. Still, a marked improvement over calling someone “Setsuna F. Seiei” out loud. *facepalm*

Oh, and I said I’d be late with this post. Sorry, I lied. Boring trip. Have some angry Rasiel and Dalian pictures as an apology. Their fight was pretty cute.

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Kamisama no Memochou Review — D-

October 1, 2011Reviewsanime, reviewdraggle

Where do I even begin? This was a complete disaster.

Perhaps the biggest problem is Narumi. He is the most boring character imaginable. He has no memorable traits, he doesn’t have any particular goals: hell, he isn’t even a NEET, which this show is ostensibly about. And yet he’s the most popular guy in the world. He becomes Alice’s most trusted assistant (because he’s the best at passing Dr. Pepper to her?), he quickly becomes trusted by all her underlings, and he becomes one of the most respected men and a sworn brother in the yakuza due to his ability to remove malware. Am I seriously supposed to care about this guy?

Then there’s Alice: she’s a brilliant NEET detective who stays in bed all day with her stuffed animals and lives on a diet of Dr. Pepper. She also happens to look like a ten year old girl. Once again, she is one of the most respected people in the city due to her genius hacking skills. All in all, the premise of a girl who never gets out of bed and a loser with no redeemable qualities being feared by the yakuza just pisses me off. And is she supposed to be cute? What exactly is cute about a grown woman with the body of a ten year old who never leaves her bed, stays in her pajamas all day, and lives on a diet of Dr. Pepper? I do not understand this fetish .

The side characters are even worse. Let’s take a look at the ones whose names I can remember. First, Major. I can only remember him because his name’s easy. All he does is play war. Second, the Fourth. Same reason I remember his name too. He leads a yakuza gang that has Narumi as its sworn brother and whose main activity is advertising for concerts. Leading the yakuza is serious business. Oh, and he can sew. What a twist: his character has such depth! Third is Ayaka, the bright and cheerful girl of tragic destiny. Ok, that’s all I can remember.

We could forgive a bit from our characters if there was an interesting story or mystery, but no. Most of the mysteries are painfully obvious, and the characters only serve to make me angry. I actually dropped this about halfway through, but ended up coming back and marathoning the rest. In retrospect, it wasn’t worth it.

Plot / Script – D – Boring.
Characters – F – Annoying.
Production – B – Decent
Overall – D-

Recommendations – Welcome to the NHK, Durarara!!, Higashi no Eden

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Mawaru Penguindrum 12 — Mary had a Little Lamb

September 30, 2011Mawaru Penguindrumanime, mawaru penguindrumdraggle

So much was revealed this episode, but the mysteries still keep piling up.

The Destination of Fate

We begin with a monologue from Sanetoshi (the librarian) about how he hates the word fate. This may remind us of Shouma and Ringo’s monologues in the first episodes. In fact, they aren’t just similar: it is the exact same speech as Shouma’s! How are these two tied together?

The main difference between the two monologues stems from the visuals. When Shouma speaks, we are in a star-filled room with a sleeping Himari. During Sanetoshi’s spiel, the scene is quite similar: we are still looking at a sleeping Himari. But the stars are gone, and Himari is dead. Shouma, although he despises fate, has not lost his sense of wonder and joy as Sanetoshi has.

As for the content of the speech, Sanetoshi is from the Destination of Fate. And he hates the word fate? This is the last person we’d expect to hear this from! At the moment, I don’t think we have enough information to know why yet.

Sanetoshi also appears to know Shouma and Kanba’s father from the past: he puts the photo of the 36th Antarctic Environmental Defense team on the doctor’s table. The father appears to be the team’s leader. The scene is filled with penguins, and one of the penguin logos is quite conspicuous. This is an expedition to defend the environment: we could also call it a “survival strategy.”

Meet the Parents

As others have speculated, the Takakura parents were the masterminds behind the sarin gas attacks. The father seems definitively involved, as we see him entering the Kasumigaseki station, one of the stops where the attack took place. But I doubt that this is the end of the story.

First, note that the father initiates the plan upon hearing of Shouma and Kanba’s successful birth. It is a “survival strategy” not for himself, but for his children. As he walks into the station, the father says that what he is doing will bring peace.

Which brings us back to the penguin corporation and the mission to the Antarctic. How are these things related? I don’t know, and I doubt we have enough information to figure it out yet. But let’s consider the idea that their father did what he did to ensure the survival of the planet and his children.

This segment also fits in quite nicely with Super Frog Saves Tokyo, the book that Himari was searching for in the library. Frog and his friend battle the Worm underground to save the world. No one knows what they have done, and they are despised and scorned. But the fact that one person is cheering for him is enough for frog to keep courage. Similarly, Takakura descends underground to battle forces of evil. His actions are despised and not understood. But Shouma and Kanba are waiting for him, and this is enough.

A Sister’s Innocence and a Brother’s Love

Himari is appearing less and less innocent as the show continues. Now we have her joking about private parts, and delivering line after line of sexual innuendo as her penguin is stripped by and does some bondage play with Kanba’s penguin. Is she acting differently because Sho isn’t there and she is alone with Kanba? Her two personalities seem to be merging closer and closer together.

I’m still leaning towards the idea that the sister Himari and the penguin hat Himari are two facets of the same person, but either way, which person is Kanba in love with? There is more going on between Kanba and the penguin hat than we knew: Kanba knowingly gave her a portion of his life to extend Himari’s. Obviously, he loves his sister, but his more erotic affections seem to be reserved for the alien Himari (e.g., this episode’s stripping). Which girl did Kanba steal a kiss from?

The Myth of Mary

What are we to make of Shouma’s myth of Mary and the three little lambs? It bears some resemblance to the stories of Prometheus and the garden of Eden (and countless other myths).

Mary loves the three little lambs, and can’t wait to spin their wool into thread. Where have we seen thread imagery before? The red string of fate (note that the swirl on the lamb’s bellies is also red). Does Mary want to fix the Takakura sibling’s destinies?

Then we come to the apple tree in the garden, the first tree in the world. It has withered, but its light was once the source of the world’s love, future and dreams. We could see this as akin to the Tree of Knowledge in a gnostic interpretation of the creation story. For those unfamiliar with this version, a (very) short summary: the roles are inverted, and the god walking in the garden is a false god. He keeps the the knowledge of the true god (hidden in the fruit of the tree) from humans, but the true god comes in the form of the snake and gives knowledge to mankind.

Next, the black bunnies appear and tell Mary to fetch the ashes from the torch in the Goddess’ shrine and use them to revive the tree. But contact with the Goddess’ torch is forbidden. The black bunnies play the role of the snake, luring Mary to break the taboo.

The rabbits convince Mary and she takes the ashes. Mary, as Prometheus, steals the fire which the gods have hoarded and gives it to mankind. Alternatively, Adam and Eve see the light and their eyes are opened.

But the Goddess is furious, and takes the smallest lamb’s life as punishment. Prometheus is chained to a rock, and his liver is pecked out by an eagle every day. Adam and Eve are exiled (by the false god).

We’ve established the connection to the myth of Prometheus and the gnostic creation myth. But how does Mary’s story fit into Mawaru Penguindrum?

It appears that the souls of the sheep (the Takakura siblings) are the flames of the Godess’ torch. By sacrificing themselves (as Kanba has done) the sheep can prolong the life of the apple tree.

The next questions are the identites of Mary and the Goddess. It seems reasonable to guess that the Goddess is fate herself, who has afflicted Himari with a curse. Mary, although he bears a female name, is wearing a tie. Mary seems to hold much in common with Shouma and Kanba’s father. He has broken a taboo (executing the gas attacks) as part of a survival strategy for the apple tree. The apple tree in this context could be the Earth itself, if we consider the discussion from earlier.

One last question: what are the dark bunnies? A dark, uncontrollable force fighting against fate: they seem similar to the Worm from Super Frog Saves Tokyo. Why is Sanetoshi leading them?

Further Thoughts

I wonder what animals the young Tabuki was supposed to take care of? Birds?

What’s up with Tabuki’s fingers here? After the Sarin gas attacks, the perpetrators mailed a bomb to Yukio Aoshima, the governor of Tokyo, and blew the fingers off his secretary’s hand.
When Tabuki refuses to believe that Momoka has died, we jump to a shot of a bird in a cage. Her death has trapped him in the past, unwilling to fly and move on.
Great music in this episode, especially the piano piece towards the middle.
The myth sequence was beautifully choreographed: the two storylines happening at the same time fit together perfectly.
Penguin hat Himari claims that she is also from the destination of fate. I’m sticking with my theory that the destination of fate is death.

D’aaaawwww. Baby Ringo is so cute. She’s always been attached to that diary.

Sanetoshi’s apple has a different symbol than the yin-yang penguin head. What is it supposed to be? It kind of looks like a candle to me. The Godess’ torch?
Who is the girl saying “Because punishment has to be the most unjust” at the end?

I look forward to hearing your own theories in the comments!

Note: I’ll be out of town this weekend, so Dantalian will be delayed. As will any first impressions posts for new series.

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Nichijou Review — A-

September 29, 2011Reviewsanime, reviewdraggle

The comedy of the year.

When Nichijou first started, I, like many others, assumed it was simply KyoAni’s next phase in milking the cash cow they had discovered with comedy manga about cute girls doing cute things. Well, they probably are cashing in, but KyoAni has still surpassed itself with Nichijou.

Nichijou is bloody hilarious. K-On focused on cuteness, Lucky Star on referential humor, and Nichijou does absurdist slapstick comedy. It works. All too well. I almost died of laughter several times. I’m still laughing about that first cube skit, which was over twelve episodes ago…

What makes Nichijou work so well? Much of the humor comes from the epic proportions they escalate things to. When Mio gets mad… hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. This is coupled with excellent visual effects: the entire world shakes with rage when Mio’s angry, the background changes, and you can feel her anger. The animation makes you feel emotionally involved with the story.

Another part of Nichijou’s charm is the sheer randomness. We have statues everywhere, Mio’s hair ornaments falling from airships, Igo soccer, wind-up robots, talking crows, and Mai, who is an unstoppable force of nature all by herself.

The characters are forceful and memorable; the animation is superb; and the comedy is drop dead hilarious. Go watch Nichijou if you haven’t already.