I made it safely to Japan, which is awesome.
I will continue to do my reviews here, and will even start up a section called "This Wasn't in Anime!" It will probably repeat off my tumblr, but I will detail it a bit more on here.
If you're interested in my specific non-otaku experiences, then you can check out the blog Zenko Abroad.
For everything else just sit tight!
Until Next Time!
AAO
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Going Abroad
Come next week I'll be in the land of the giant robots. That's right, I'll be in Macross City. I kid. I'll be in Japan, and you can bet I'm pretty gosh ddm excited but also pretty stressed. One of the neat things about the US is that I can like what I like and be labeled a nerd. Not too much social stigma there. In Japan, though, I have to worry about the otaku stigma. Its highly negative and can almost guarantee the loss of a friend or job. However, I'm not sure at what point the label applies, when too much anime is too much and you are labeled one. But I guess I'll find out.
'Til next time,
AAO
Monday, July 30, 2012
Otakon 2012
I did attend Otakon (again) this year. And it was pretty exciting stuff, I must say.
The only industry panel I attended was Satelight, an animation studio that's best known for Genesis of Aquarion and Aquarion EVOL [which, you know, I love] and Macross Frontier [which is in my backlog]. Outside of that, one of their more recent works is Bodacious Space Pirates!, which, as ridiculous as it sounds is really rather good. The plot and animation are excellent.
Shoji Kawamori, the original creator of Macross and a member of the company, had a video message to share with fans. In it he stated he's looking forward to working more with Macross and Aquarion both, and has ideas for future series (!). We were also shown two videos, which were full CG concerts of Ranka Lee and Sheryl performing for a crowd. They were meant to be commercials for the parent pachinko company, but due to the Tohouko Earthquake were unable to be aired and sat in their vaults. So we were the first people of the public to see it, which was really neat.
It was also announced, before Funimation even had their panel, that Funi would be in charge of licensing and releasing Aquarion EVOL.
The Touhou Panel, as always, was excellent. It was fun, there was quite a bit on various doujin works. For those that don't know, Tohou Project is a series of danmaku shooters created by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. But mostly ZUN and a lot of alcohol. It features over one hundred characters throughout fourteen games, and the fans are what support the entire series.
Two fan panels of interest was one on Tezuka and how he was influenced by Disney, but did not nearly touch enough on how the reverse also seemed to happen. Giant Robo also went a great deal into the history of giant robots throughout Japan all the way up to today. It was really well done, and the panelists really knew what they were doing, even when approached about Heroman.
While I was in an autograph line for the main illustrator for the latest Macross series and Aquarion, I became all to aware of demographics, as I was the only girl in line, and among the first twenty I was the only one under forty. It was kind of surprising, but we had an interesting conversation while we waited, and I found out that Gurren Lagaan started life as a parody of Redline, which is now in my backlog as well.
Oh, and before I forget.
Here is the most ridiculous giant robot anime you will ever see [which Satelight proudly admitted they loved working on]:
Until Next Time!
AAO
The only industry panel I attended was Satelight, an animation studio that's best known for Genesis of Aquarion and Aquarion EVOL [which, you know, I love] and Macross Frontier [which is in my backlog]. Outside of that, one of their more recent works is Bodacious Space Pirates!, which, as ridiculous as it sounds is really rather good. The plot and animation are excellent.
Shoji Kawamori, the original creator of Macross and a member of the company, had a video message to share with fans. In it he stated he's looking forward to working more with Macross and Aquarion both, and has ideas for future series (!). We were also shown two videos, which were full CG concerts of Ranka Lee and Sheryl performing for a crowd. They were meant to be commercials for the parent pachinko company, but due to the Tohouko Earthquake were unable to be aired and sat in their vaults. So we were the first people of the public to see it, which was really neat.
It was also announced, before Funimation even had their panel, that Funi would be in charge of licensing and releasing Aquarion EVOL.
The Touhou Panel, as always, was excellent. It was fun, there was quite a bit on various doujin works. For those that don't know, Tohou Project is a series of danmaku shooters created by ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. But mostly ZUN and a lot of alcohol. It features over one hundred characters throughout fourteen games, and the fans are what support the entire series.
Two fan panels of interest was one on Tezuka and how he was influenced by Disney, but did not nearly touch enough on how the reverse also seemed to happen. Giant Robo also went a great deal into the history of giant robots throughout Japan all the way up to today. It was really well done, and the panelists really knew what they were doing, even when approached about Heroman.
While I was in an autograph line for the main illustrator for the latest Macross series and Aquarion, I became all to aware of demographics, as I was the only girl in line, and among the first twenty I was the only one under forty. It was kind of surprising, but we had an interesting conversation while we waited, and I found out that Gurren Lagaan started life as a parody of Redline, which is now in my backlog as well.
Oh, and before I forget.
Here is the most ridiculous giant robot anime you will ever see [which Satelight proudly admitted they loved working on]:
 |
| Basquash! [pr: Bas-cash] is about giant robots playing basketball |
AAO
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
We Still Don't Know the Name...
I've been tapping into my backlog of shows since there aren't any shows I plan on watching until the fall, and there are quite a few I've been meaning to watch or catch up on. As Netflix rotates it's shows, I need to catch up on those that will be out of the queue soon.
Among those I've been meaning to watch, is Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi was Mada Shiranai (We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day), or AnoHana. It came out around the same time as Madoka Magica, and as you might recall that was a pretty busy season for me. A lot of good shows came out around that time, and this was no exception. It remains popular enough that in the fall it will even be getting a PSP game release.
AnoHana is the story of a high school boy being haunted by the ghost of his childhood friend who seems to have grown up as well, despite her untimely death as a child. She requests that he help grant her wish so that she might ascend to heaven. The catch is that it's going to require him to reunite the old childhood gang, none of which can see her.It is up to them to trust him that she is there, and to learn to forgive each other for what was ultimately an accident.
The series is relatively short at eleven episodes, and I would have liked to see it extended into at least eighteen. The last few episodes feel rather rushed, and there isn't much time for each character to fully develop. For the amount of time it has, it does a good job of bringing in character flaws, and, to some point, resolving them. There is no ultimate good or bad end for any relationship, but simply a bittersweet end for all of them. Although the plot is rushed, the animation in the last few episodes is wonderfully smooth and fluid, and nothing like that seen in the earlier episodes, which makes me think that it may have had a budget increase later on or a switch with tween animators.
One of the things done rather slyly throughout the series, is the way in which Menma's death is handled. It is never directly said or shown, but is hinted at many times, and is up to the viewer to figure out.
Overall, I would recommend giving the series a watch. It delivers fairly well on the emotional level, especially in the last few episodes...might I recommend a box of tissues for the finale?
That flower we saw that day, seemed to bloom only once...
~AAO~
 |
| The accident Menma suffers is hinted at several times. |
AnoHana is the story of a high school boy being haunted by the ghost of his childhood friend who seems to have grown up as well, despite her untimely death as a child. She requests that he help grant her wish so that she might ascend to heaven. The catch is that it's going to require him to reunite the old childhood gang, none of which can see her.It is up to them to trust him that she is there, and to learn to forgive each other for what was ultimately an accident.
The series is relatively short at eleven episodes, and I would have liked to see it extended into at least eighteen. The last few episodes feel rather rushed, and there isn't much time for each character to fully develop. For the amount of time it has, it does a good job of bringing in character flaws, and, to some point, resolving them. There is no ultimate good or bad end for any relationship, but simply a bittersweet end for all of them. Although the plot is rushed, the animation in the last few episodes is wonderfully smooth and fluid, and nothing like that seen in the earlier episodes, which makes me think that it may have had a budget increase later on or a switch with tween animators.
One of the things done rather slyly throughout the series, is the way in which Menma's death is handled. It is never directly said or shown, but is hinted at many times, and is up to the viewer to figure out.
Overall, I would recommend giving the series a watch. It delivers fairly well on the emotional level, especially in the last few episodes...might I recommend a box of tissues for the finale?
 |
| Even now, Menma tries to smile... |
~AAO~
Sunday, July 1, 2012
WINTER IS OVER. SUMMER IS HERE.
Wow, I just slept right on through the spring season, and frankly I don't regret doing so. There are very few shows that caught my interest, and really it was only EVOL I kept up with during that time. HOWEVER I did finish out the other shows on my roster. So while there may not be pics, it did happen. Let's take a look at the shows that made it.
FREEZER BURNED: Bakuman
The only reason Bakuman is way down here, is simply because compared to the other shows this season, it didn't quite match up. Yes, it brought suspense, and yes, I cannot wait for the next season. But the animation for me is still lacking, and that might just be from the stream I watched it on. It could have fantastic animation and I would never know. Regardless, something I would have liked to see incorporated more into the second season was the way the manga was handled in the first. It's a key component of the plot, so show it to us. Make it come alive and don't just mention it or show a few frames.
IN THE FREEZER: Black★Rock Shooter
Black Rock Shooter, where is it that you've gone? Because it certainly wasn't where anyone expected. Whether they've seen the OVA or just the original PV, the show certainly found a way to make itself unique. Of course, one of those reasons was because it had such a strong yuuri undertone. Actually, make that a strong yuuri overtone. You really find yourself cheering for relationships to happen, and hoping for friendships to be mended as well as a deeper bond to be formed. That being said, the writing is excellent. The art style is unique as well, as it combines CG and traditional, which at times merge wonderfully. At others...well, I've mentioned it before. One of the best executed things in the show are the fight scenes, but as they draw on towards the last few episodes, they grow less enjoyable. It feels like you might be watching someone play the PSP fighting game and not the show anymore. For all it's developments as a show, though, I think it was still lacking in once place major: Plot. It really should have been a much longer series, and a little bit more structured.
+Holy Weapons Batman!
+Yuuri
+Character Design
-Yuuri
-Poorly structured plot
-Strange resolution
IN THE OVEN: Nisemonogatari
This was really a hit or miss sequel series, in terms of who enjoyed it and who loathed it. In the end, I feel that it was rather enjoyable. One of the biggest tropes it pulled for each of the main characters, however, was deciding to give them a haircut. In the end, even Senjougahara receives one. Maybe it's the summer weather, but I think the deeper meaning there is that she's largely able to finally let go of her past. She can move on, and enjoy her life as it is right now with Araragi, who had some character developments of his own. Despite feeling certain that his sisters would never understand the fact that he once was a vampire and still carries around some of the effects from it, he discovers that they have been afflicted as well, to the point that he discovers it's not Karen that's the fake, but literally Tsukihi.
Surprisingly, the relation to Bakemono didn't kick in full force until Tsukihi's arc. There wasn't much to be said about Hanagawa either, as she appeared very marginally in the series. And so while the last part thrilled me to be into the show again, a good part of it was, I'll admit, fanservice. That's why it's sitting here in third place, despite it's artwork and soundtrack.
+ Soundtrack
+Direction
+Animation
-Plot movement
-Quantity of Fanservice
-Toothbrushes
SIMMERING IN THE POT: Aquarion EVOL
How I love thee EVOL, let me count the ways...As much as I love it, I still have to set it a place back, because it is technically bi-season (having just ended in June) and a sequel. Now that that's out of the way, let me go onto address something else that's been bothering me across the stream of fans watching it. Many are complaining that "this is the dumbest series ever" and "worst sequel ever." No. It is not. Kawamori, as a directed, likes to try and keep the viewer guessing. He likes to slap them in the face when they least expect it, and sometimes he'll even punch them right in the feels. He enjoys referencing things: not just mythology, but his own work as well. You can spot the same alphabet from Macross and protoculture floating around throughout Aquarion EVOL and Sousei. That established, sequel wise it does a fantastic job. I was just as surprised when further character background was revealed. Fudo as Apollonius? Well, we knew he wasn't Scorpius and I knew he was the same person for 24,000 years (I annoyed the hell out of people with that during Sousei). Apollo as Pollon? I actually like that a bit more, and it fits in more with his personality. We were actually given a hint about it during the Barefoot Warrior episode in Sousei. Everything gets tied in with the first series rather nicely. Were we left with questions at the end? Yes, but a good show should do that. It should leave you both satisfied that the characters are going to be okay, and curious about what will happen next.
Like BRS, EVOL also crosses CG with traditional, but uses the CG only for the mechs that appear in it, and never the actual characters. It also has some of the most gorgeous scenery I've viewed in an anime in a long time. Overall, EVOL is a terrific sequel, and should not be viewed without watching Sousei first (it will literally spoil it for you). The music, as always from Yoko Kanno, is wonderful and only adds to scenes. Shrade's Final Melody is possibly the most emotionally evoking song I have heard in the show, because it does such an excellent job of tying together the melodies from not only EVOL, but Sousei as well.
+ Soundtrack
+ Animation
+ Fudo!
- Kawamori can be seen as a troll
- Jin
- Extended plot suddenly compressed
GOURMET MEAL: AnoNatsu
AnoNatsu took me by surprise by ending as well as it did. I really thought it would end up being a typical summer-harem anime. It was not. It resolved everything beautifully, and animation of the landscapes were wonderful. The alien love interest becomes a relationship you want the main character to have. It becomes significant, although I would have liked to see it become even more than what it did. You were left feeling alone, but then, suddenly...they pull a classic Marvel and give you more at the end of the credits. It's a subtle nod to fans that true love prevails. Everyone ends up happy, even if they aren't fully aware. It's a nice stand alone series: you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll suffer from what is commonly know as "the feels." But that's okay. It's all a part of growing up.
+Scenery
+Animation Style
+Resolution
-Soundtrack
-Crushing blow only resolved by hope
-But what about his future?
Until next time! See you, baibai!
AAO
FREEZER BURNED: Bakuman
The only reason Bakuman is way down here, is simply because compared to the other shows this season, it didn't quite match up. Yes, it brought suspense, and yes, I cannot wait for the next season. But the animation for me is still lacking, and that might just be from the stream I watched it on. It could have fantastic animation and I would never know. Regardless, something I would have liked to see incorporated more into the second season was the way the manga was handled in the first. It's a key component of the plot, so show it to us. Make it come alive and don't just mention it or show a few frames.
IN THE FREEZER: Black★Rock Shooter
 |
| Sorry. I'm trying to punch the other personality out of you. |
+Holy Weapons Batman!
+Yuuri
+Character Design
-Yuuri
-Poorly structured plot
-Strange resolution
IN THE OVEN: Nisemonogatari
This was really a hit or miss sequel series, in terms of who enjoyed it and who loathed it. In the end, I feel that it was rather enjoyable. One of the biggest tropes it pulled for each of the main characters, however, was deciding to give them a haircut. In the end, even Senjougahara receives one. Maybe it's the summer weather, but I think the deeper meaning there is that she's largely able to finally let go of her past. She can move on, and enjoy her life as it is right now with Araragi, who had some character developments of his own. Despite feeling certain that his sisters would never understand the fact that he once was a vampire and still carries around some of the effects from it, he discovers that they have been afflicted as well, to the point that he discovers it's not Karen that's the fake, but literally Tsukihi.
Surprisingly, the relation to Bakemono didn't kick in full force until Tsukihi's arc. There wasn't much to be said about Hanagawa either, as she appeared very marginally in the series. And so while the last part thrilled me to be into the show again, a good part of it was, I'll admit, fanservice. That's why it's sitting here in third place, despite it's artwork and soundtrack.
+ Soundtrack
+Direction
+Animation
-Plot movement
-Quantity of Fanservice
-Toothbrushes
 |
| How many fans felt when the series ended. |
How I love thee EVOL, let me count the ways...As much as I love it, I still have to set it a place back, because it is technically bi-season (having just ended in June) and a sequel. Now that that's out of the way, let me go onto address something else that's been bothering me across the stream of fans watching it. Many are complaining that "this is the dumbest series ever" and "worst sequel ever." No. It is not. Kawamori, as a directed, likes to try and keep the viewer guessing. He likes to slap them in the face when they least expect it, and sometimes he'll even punch them right in the feels. He enjoys referencing things: not just mythology, but his own work as well. You can spot the same alphabet from Macross and protoculture floating around throughout Aquarion EVOL and Sousei. That established, sequel wise it does a fantastic job. I was just as surprised when further character background was revealed. Fudo as Apollonius? Well, we knew he wasn't Scorpius and I knew he was the same person for 24,000 years (I annoyed the hell out of people with that during Sousei). Apollo as Pollon? I actually like that a bit more, and it fits in more with his personality. We were actually given a hint about it during the Barefoot Warrior episode in Sousei. Everything gets tied in with the first series rather nicely. Were we left with questions at the end? Yes, but a good show should do that. It should leave you both satisfied that the characters are going to be okay, and curious about what will happen next.
 |
| He's got the whole wide world, in is eye. |
+ Soundtrack
+ Animation
+ Fudo!
- Kawamori can be seen as a troll
- Jin
- Extended plot suddenly compressed
GOURMET MEAL: AnoNatsu
AnoNatsu took me by surprise by ending as well as it did. I really thought it would end up being a typical summer-harem anime. It was not. It resolved everything beautifully, and animation of the landscapes were wonderful. The alien love interest becomes a relationship you want the main character to have. It becomes significant, although I would have liked to see it become even more than what it did. You were left feeling alone, but then, suddenly...they pull a classic Marvel and give you more at the end of the credits. It's a subtle nod to fans that true love prevails. Everyone ends up happy, even if they aren't fully aware. It's a nice stand alone series: you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll suffer from what is commonly know as "the feels." But that's okay. It's all a part of growing up.
+Scenery
+Animation Style
+Resolution
-Soundtrack
-Crushing blow only resolved by hope
-But what about his future?
Until next time! See you, baibai!
AAO
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Winter Season 2012: Midseason Review
Since the opening of the season, I've added two more shows to my viewing line up. This is mostly because I need something to watch after I've caught up for the week. It also has something to do with the fact that I've been waiting for the other for about two years. So without further ado, let's take a look at what's been going on.
Nisemonogatari
This is largely not quite what I expected from the series. The first arc, Karen Bee, took about six episodes which is two more than what the initial start of Bakemonogatari's Hitagi Crab took. At times it largely resembled a harem style show, despite the fact that it is trying to stay true to the supernatural mystery story that spawned the series. I can't say I'm complaining, because as far as I know it's following the course of the light novels. There have been hints that Araragi's sisters are getting closer to discovering his and the Bakemono protagonists supernatural stories, but aside from that it hasn't been something too super elaborate. The name comes from "fake" and "story" and this was explained in the conclusion of Karen Bee when Araragi accuses her of being nisemono, a fake. While Bakemonogatari focused on getting rid of the ghosts haunting Araragi (old relationships, anxiety at new ones, etc.), Nisemonogatari focuses largely on his sisters coming into themselves and not being afraid to show who they really are in the face of public. Karen in particular seems to be impetuous at home but serious at school. It's going to be interesting seeing how they handle Hanakawa's story again. I can't really judge it like I have other series on this blog, simply because it is a sequel and I'm too familiar with the art style and strange plot to give it a fair go.
Nisemonogatari is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Bakuman
I don't have too much more to say regarding this series outside of what I said previously. The characters have continued to grow, and continued to get themselves into trouble. I picked up a recent issue of Shonen Jump since Bakuman is now a manga running in it, and from what I can tell the anime is completely different. I don't even recognize what manga they're currently working on, but can set it somewhere in season 1. This is one of those "book vs. movie" sort of arguments, and I'm not going to touch it. As far as I can tell, they're both equally enjoyable and have their separate merits.
Black★Rock Shooter
I've been watching BRS on NicoNico Douga, which is a bit of a chore to find as the English sister site does not list any episodes. So it's all a matter of getting to it off of the original site, where it reads your region and determines the subtitle set which for me is, hey, English. I did test to see if watching on Taiwan NicoNico would give me Chinese subtitles, but it is region locked, so that would be a no.
BRS is on it's sixth episode out of eight, so it's more of an almost-the-end-but-not-quite review. Huke, who animated and composed the song the show is based off of, is in charge of character design and plot, I believe. So far it's made significantly more sense than the OV that came out summer 2010. There have been a lot of comparisons to Persona made in scrolling comments, but I'm not overtly familiar with the series. It would not entirely surprise me if it was, just carried out in a different manner. There are two sides to the story: the high school drama of the real world and the fighting post-apocalyptic one of BRS. Certain characters have a mirror in each and the fighting seems to solve some psychological problem. Many times its yandere (deadly caring, don't you dare touch another woman/man) syndrome. There are also two different art styles, as the real world is traditional animation and the alternate is a combination of CG and traditional. At times the CG is very obvious, but blends in well with the tone of show so no complaints there. The music is great, and the opening theme is performed by a vocalistener Miku Hatsune to make her sound more realistic.
Black★Rock Shooter is now streaming on NicoNico Douga.
+Animation
+Soundtrack
+Plot
-Yandere...yandere everywhere
-Wonky CG
-Possibly recycled concept
Ano Natsu de Matteru
When I first read the concept for this show it seemed pretty charming. A bunch of friends decide they want to film their summer vacation so that they can watch it later on and remember. Cute, right? And then the creators said, no no no, no one wants to watch a concept as Ghibli as that. We need aliens. A cute one, and she should have a pet. And she should be a love interest. BRILLIANT. That is AnoNatsu in a nutshell. It's cute, it has love interests, and it has the distressing "I've fallen in love with an alien and she has with me, but I don't know she's an alien yet!" plot point. There are some pretty likable characters, like the the exploitative upperclassman that gets them all drunk, or the shy girl with a problem of her own. They do decide to film a movie, and in typical Haruhi fashion, all is not how you expect.
+Animation
+Subplot
+Cute creature
-Main plot
-Alien Stereotype
-Not as much drama as one might expect
Aquarion EVOL
Sadly it took Tumblr to point this out to me, but the show has a double entendre name. EVOL is meant to stand for Evolution, as in the next line of Aquarion and mech, but it's also LOVE backwards. That's pretty important for this show, as it seems love is now forbidden to all pilots. Which is an interesting thing to have, as it tightens up all the relationships everyone starts to experience. It makes it more than a harem anime at times, and more of a drama. I'm not sure if this is going to be a twelve episode or twenty-six episode series, especially since it's just aired episode eleven and the tension is still fairly high. The main villain has in fact only just made a major move that's affected all the characters. It's not as if the show spent it's time completely goofing off, but I'm not really sure it can wrap up all the plot threads in the next episode, which, if my Japanese isn't as terrible as I think it is, will be a full hour episode. Regardless, it's definitely been on of the better shows of the season.
Until Next Time!
-AAO
Nisemonogatari
This is largely not quite what I expected from the series. The first arc, Karen Bee, took about six episodes which is two more than what the initial start of Bakemonogatari's Hitagi Crab took. At times it largely resembled a harem style show, despite the fact that it is trying to stay true to the supernatural mystery story that spawned the series. I can't say I'm complaining, because as far as I know it's following the course of the light novels. There have been hints that Araragi's sisters are getting closer to discovering his and the Bakemono protagonists supernatural stories, but aside from that it hasn't been something too super elaborate. The name comes from "fake" and "story" and this was explained in the conclusion of Karen Bee when Araragi accuses her of being nisemono, a fake. While Bakemonogatari focused on getting rid of the ghosts haunting Araragi (old relationships, anxiety at new ones, etc.), Nisemonogatari focuses largely on his sisters coming into themselves and not being afraid to show who they really are in the face of public. Karen in particular seems to be impetuous at home but serious at school. It's going to be interesting seeing how they handle Hanakawa's story again. I can't really judge it like I have other series on this blog, simply because it is a sequel and I'm too familiar with the art style and strange plot to give it a fair go.
Nisemonogatari is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
 |
| God, I hope so. |
I don't have too much more to say regarding this series outside of what I said previously. The characters have continued to grow, and continued to get themselves into trouble. I picked up a recent issue of Shonen Jump since Bakuman is now a manga running in it, and from what I can tell the anime is completely different. I don't even recognize what manga they're currently working on, but can set it somewhere in season 1. This is one of those "book vs. movie" sort of arguments, and I'm not going to touch it. As far as I can tell, they're both equally enjoyable and have their separate merits.
Black★Rock Shooter
 |
| CG means you get really strange facial expressions sometimes. |
BRS is on it's sixth episode out of eight, so it's more of an almost-the-end-but-not-quite review. Huke, who animated and composed the song the show is based off of, is in charge of character design and plot, I believe. So far it's made significantly more sense than the OV that came out summer 2010. There have been a lot of comparisons to Persona made in scrolling comments, but I'm not overtly familiar with the series. It would not entirely surprise me if it was, just carried out in a different manner. There are two sides to the story: the high school drama of the real world and the fighting post-apocalyptic one of BRS. Certain characters have a mirror in each and the fighting seems to solve some psychological problem. Many times its yandere (deadly caring, don't you dare touch another woman/man) syndrome. There are also two different art styles, as the real world is traditional animation and the alternate is a combination of CG and traditional. At times the CG is very obvious, but blends in well with the tone of show so no complaints there. The music is great, and the opening theme is performed by a vocalistener Miku Hatsune to make her sound more realistic.
Black★Rock Shooter is now streaming on NicoNico Douga.
+Animation
+Soundtrack
+Plot
-Yandere...yandere everywhere
-Wonky CG
-Possibly recycled concept
Ano Natsu de Matteru
 |
| Don't get your panties in a...oh. |
+Animation
+Subplot
+Cute creature
-Main plot
-Alien Stereotype
-Not as much drama as one might expect
Aquarion EVOL
Sadly it took Tumblr to point this out to me, but the show has a double entendre name. EVOL is meant to stand for Evolution, as in the next line of Aquarion and mech, but it's also LOVE backwards. That's pretty important for this show, as it seems love is now forbidden to all pilots. Which is an interesting thing to have, as it tightens up all the relationships everyone starts to experience. It makes it more than a harem anime at times, and more of a drama. I'm not sure if this is going to be a twelve episode or twenty-six episode series, especially since it's just aired episode eleven and the tension is still fairly high. The main villain has in fact only just made a major move that's affected all the characters. It's not as if the show spent it's time completely goofing off, but I'm not really sure it can wrap up all the plot threads in the next episode, which, if my Japanese isn't as terrible as I think it is, will be a full hour episode. Regardless, it's definitely been on of the better shows of the season.
Until Next Time!
-AAO
Monday, February 27, 2012
A Drop of Repetition [Transliterated Lyrics]
Drop of Repetition
An illusion that’s shown with too much convenience
Made of words that slowly lose their meaning
This gaping hole won’t ever be filled
“Give it back!” I cried wandering aimlessly
I don’t want it anymore I can’t be here anymore
This torn out page can’t ever be replaced
The beauty of a sharp thorn wavers slowly
This torn out page can’t ever be replaced
The beauty of a sharp thorn wavers slowly
Forever, and ever, I want to stay in that time
I slowly make my way to that sweet fantasy
A gentle light is making its way through the thick glass
The two breaths melt and intertwine
I slowly make my way to that sweet fantasy
A gentle light is making its way through the thick glass
The two breaths melt and intertwine
Deeply, deeply I fell into a sleep
I dreamt that it was there wrapped up in my arms
It is my first and my final dream
At the place that I lost
I dreamt that it was there wrapped up in my arms
It is my first and my final dream
At the place that I lost
It’s because
It’s something I seriously believed in
It’s not something I wished to doubt
It felt like you were drifting away from me
It’s not something I wished to doubt
It felt like you were drifting away from me
However
From the very beginning it was a lie
We weren’t even close to start with
Being happy about it, I’m such an idiot
We weren’t even close to start with
Being happy about it, I’m such an idiot
“I love you” were the words that you had said to me
Were they anything other than the bait to reel me in?
Tucked away inside of your box full of toys
All because you’re bored with me I’m being tossed aside.
Were they anything other than the bait to reel me in?
Tucked away inside of your box full of toys
All because you’re bored with me I’m being tossed aside.
Acting made it look like you were treating me special
Looking at the real reasons you were egotistical
There are more replacements for me than I can count
And once they realize it you throw aside that doll too
There are more replacements for me than I can count
And once they realize it you throw aside that doll too
I can’t go back to you, I try to push you away
But there’s just this hazy lock deep within me
A password to it negatively written across with predestiny
But there’s just this hazy lock deep within me
A password to it negatively written across with predestiny
Inside me, is wounded, and red tears start to flow forth
Poison petals are blooming from the stems of flowers
No matter how often I pick them off there is no end
Even while I bathe in side effects of medicine
Poison petals are blooming from the stems of flowers
No matter how often I pick them off there is no end
Even while I bathe in side effects of medicine
Why is it
I found myself starting to cry, wishing that this lie wouldn’t go on
What looks like me being thrown to the ground is a harsh thing that’s called
Reality
What looks like me being thrown to the ground is a harsh thing that’s called
Reality
A simple drop of repetition
At being treated like something you could just toss aside
Being happy about it, I’m such an idiot
At being treated like something you could just toss aside
Being happy about it, I’m such an idiot
“I love you,” were the words that you once said to me
Was it all just a way for you to tame me?
After you’ve finished having your fun playing around with me
Will you toss me away and forget I was even there?
Was it all just a way for you to tame me?
After you’ve finished having your fun playing around with me
Will you toss me away and forget I was even there?
That phrase slipped so easily off of your tongue
For you it must have been such a good tool
I can regret it as much as I would like
But there’s no way I could ever go back to that old me
For you it must have been such a good tool
I can regret it as much as I would like
But there’s no way I could ever go back to that old me
“I love you” were the words that you had said to me
Were they anything other than the bait to reel me in?
At no point did you care what was inside of me
All you really wanted was a shiny and new doll
Were they anything other than the bait to reel me in?
At no point did you care what was inside of me
All you really wanted was a shiny and new doll
“I love you,” were the words that you once said to me
I know that they were just words meant to be a “treat”
Even if this all to you was just one big game
For the rest of my life I will carry the consequences
I know that they were just words meant to be a “treat”
Even if this all to you was just one big game
For the rest of my life I will carry the consequences
An illusion that’s shown with too much convenience
Made of words that slowly lose their meaning
This gaping hole won’t ever be filled
“Give it back!” I cried wandering aimlessly
An engraved film frame, a virus of chaos
Any warmth I feel is suddenly terrifying
People in gray trying to find all my problems
I can’t take this
Made of words that slowly lose their meaning
This gaping hole won’t ever be filled
“Give it back!” I cried wandering aimlessly
An engraved film frame, a virus of chaos
Any warmth I feel is suddenly terrifying
People in gray trying to find all my problems
I can’t take this
Acting made it look like you were treating me special
Looking at the real reasons you were egotistical
There are more replacements for me than I can count
And once they realize it you throw aside that doll too
Looking at the real reasons you were egotistical
There are more replacements for me than I can count
And once they realize it you throw aside that doll too
The chilling cold came, spinning suddenly ceased
That straightened curve you burned fills with madness
Open up the dark doors and say your goodbyes
That straightened curve you burned fills with madness
Open up the dark doors and say your goodbyes
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