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ファイト／ステイナイト 
October 31, 2005 | 
17 Comments
Okay, first of all, some brief news from Newtype Japan about the series. Due to the success of the anime, Honey and Clover manga manages to climb to the top 10 manga list alongside popular series such as Nana, Naruto, and Bleach. The latest monthly data reveals that the series sits neatly at number 6. The anime itself recently sits at number 8 within Newtype's top 20 ranking of popular new anime series. And judging from Amazon Japan's top seller list, it looks like the DVD is selling well. So in general, it seems the series is doing quite a good business in Japan. Anyway, by now you're probably bored reading the facts so here are some more scans of the third DVD packaging:
Slipcover, Front Cover
DVD box, Front Cover
DVD Case, Back Cover
Jigsaw Puzzle
October 30, 2005 | 17 Comments
I'm sorry that this comes a lot later than usual but I'm really tired at the moment. I am completely wasted this week after having to work on 2 jobs (one full time, the other part time) while studying for the upcoming JLPT and still maintaining this blog. I am trying to get my act together but sometimes it's hard to juggle everything all at once. Anyway, this episode convinces me that the first one wasn't a fluke. It's a shame about the opening and ending theme though. I am still hoping that the opening and ending will have some kind of traditional Japanese folk song along with some nice animation. Oh yeah, before I forget, I have to remind some people that this series is actually a horror series and not a slice-of-life one. So please be aware that there are some disturbing images ahead.
October 28, 2005 | 16 Comments
Lately I've been a bit obsessed with the opening theme for this series and have been replaying it over and over again. In doing so, however, I think I've spotted a rather spoilery shot. I actually was a bit surprised to see this but then I realised that this is the kind of spoiler which is only noticeable to those who have read the manga. Besides, there are far more troubling things about the series, such as the character design. I feel that in this episode, the characters look even more different in comparison to the original manga. In some cases, the changes are actually quite good. For example, Miwako looks a bit like a Japanese girl during the 2nd coffee shop scene. But I still wish the design could be a lot closer to the manga's style. I also think that Kobayashi should get rid of those in-betweener dogs and flowers since they look jarring and inappropriate for the series.
October 28, 2005 | 65 Comments
As usual, this is just a preview so Mentar can have more time to cover every nook and cranny of this episode. Anyway, I think in general the animation in this episode has improved a little bit from last week's. Having said that, I get the impression that the writers are still trying to save as much as possible for whatever action scenes coming up in future episodes. Oh, I must mention that there are some new katakana names mentioned in this episode and I wasn't sure of how to romanise some of them. So please be aware that what I've said here are just my approximation of what I thought these name should be in English.
This is actually a setup episode which establishes the foundation for future events. Because of this, the episode may appear a bit static at times. Nevertheless, I like how the episode shows the deepening trust between Shinku and Jun. The episode also forces me to question the dolls' opinion about 'Alice Game', something that I feel the series never touched upon before. I get the impression that Shinku is actually reluctant to play the game. But I do wonder if the other dolls feel the same way about it. Speaking of the other dolls, I take back what I said about Barasuishou being a calm and cool doll. She looks quite psychotic in this episode and is actually far more threatening than Suigintou as an antagonist. Animation-wise, this is pretty much the same as the first episode so there's nothing out of the ordinary to admire but there's nothing bad about it either.
October 26, 2005 | 20 Comments
Update: I've decided to drop Aria from my blogging schedule. I am sorry for doing this but I really can't find the motivation to blog this one anymore. If you're still interested in the series, I'd recommend that you check Matthew's blog for future episode updates.
With the exception of one or two shows, the majority of Autumn/Fall anime have been aired and the subs have been floating around the web. So I guess it's time to take look at them. In my case, I am kind of disappointed with the lineup so far. In general, this is simply because the series on offer are not the kind of series that I want to see. But in some cases, I am disappointed because the execution turned out to be rather weak. Some series which I thought will be good ended up being quite disappointing so far. Anyway, I thought I'll make a list of what I think I like so far and what I don't. Of course this is just my preference and is not in any way an indication of what is good or what is not from the Fall anime list. Feel free to indicate what you think is Hot, Warm, and Cold in the comment area. Or you can make your own scale if you prefer.
I supposed this is a bit better than the last one. The animation quality seems to be slightly higher this time around with less dark scenes to hide things that are not animated. The nightmare scene is also much creepier, mostly because it involves accident and hospital, two things that some humans including myself are afraid of. It actually reminds me a little bit of Jacob's Ladder as well. A great film if you're looking for some good scare. Unfortunately, the ending bit where the evil person receives a punishment is still as lame as hell. Maybe I'm just twisted but I was hoping for something far more gorier than what the character finally receives. Oh well, at least this is an improvement over last week's episode although I guess that does not mean much since last week's episode was quite bad.
October 23, 2005 | 37 Comments
This episode strongly reminds me of seedtime on a farm. Not too much really happens, because this is not the time to harvest. Instead, you place seeds to make sure they have the necessary time to develop. A multitude of plotlines are set up - some of them expected followups to earlier setups, but some of them quite surprising. Therefore, I'll dedicate this review to the various questions popping up.
Fairly reviewing a setup episode is difficult because there's no flashy climax to be admired. The duel at the end probably comes closest to that, but the pace was slower and quite a bit more earnest this time. I decided to give this episode a (o) only. Decent, but below good. Why? Because there were a couple of disconnects which bothered me, and objectively the animation quality took a bit of a hit this time. Besides, we need some room for higher grades for later, I'm sure. Therefore:
Episode Rating: o
October 23, 2005 | 23 Comments
Opening Theme: The Sore Feet Song by Ally Kerr
Ending Theme: 「蟲宴」 - Mushi-Utage by Masuda Toshio
This turns out to be a rather nice adaptation of the manga. The background looks really lush and has that surreal Ukiyo-e paintings that the manga captures quite successfully. There are, however, two things that I dislike about this adaptation. The first one is the opening sequence of this series, which is non-existent at this point in time. The so-called 'opening' only shows water-painting leafy motifs accompanied by The Sore Feet Song, which I'm not too fond of. The other thing that I dislike is the character design of Ginko himself. He kind of lost his youthful appearance from the manga. In addition to this, his hair looks rather badly designed to the point that often it looks like a mop. Other than that, however, this is a solid adaptation of the manga with excellent production values.
October 21, 2005 | 28 Comments
Opening theme: 「聖少女領域」 - Seishoujo Ryouiki by Ali Project (Widescreen, 13.8MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Ending theme: 「光の螺旋律」 - Hikari no Rasenritsu by Kukui
Well, here is the widescreen version of the first episode. If you're curious, I've created a comparison between the 4:3 format and the Widescreen version. It is worth to note that in some scenes, the widescreen version is more than a simple expansion of the screen size. Some elements are sometimes re-arranged so they'll look nicer. I think like this episode even more now that it is in Widescreen. The opening sequence is now a standout and since I've always liked Ali Project and their strange music composition, I love the song that goes with the sequence. Seishoujo Ryouiki sounds like a combination of Russian folk music and gothic bell chime. Having said that, the ending theme is still quite plain in my opinion. In general, however, I think this is a solid first episode which makes me want to see more of the series.
October 21, 2005 | 12 Comments
Well, I think the animation is still all over the place and not as good as the original. But I am quite used to it by now and besides, the storyline starts to become interesting. So I think I am just going to enjoy the series based on its storyline. Unless, of course, the animation becomes worse than it currently is at the moment. Anyway, storyline-wise, this episode contains some conversation and thoughts that I can relate quite well. I also think that at this point, the story reaches the part where everyone brings the best in each other and tries to help one another. So on a personal level, I enjoyed this episode a lot more than the first episode. Having said that, signs of George's erratic behaviour has begin to surface here. It'll be interesting to see how the anime handles this in comparison to the manga.
I can't believe the animators choose to combine the two separate stories involving Akatsuki and Alice into one continuous episode. The Akari and Akatsuki segment is one of my favourite parts of the manga. I feel that the anime kind of ruined the segment by adding Alice into the equation. Thanks to the addition, Alice feels like a third wheel that should not have been there to begin with. It is obvious that the dialogue is actually a two people dialogue and yet because Alice is there, the animators attempt to show as if Akari actually talking to two people. The result is rather awkward because Alice mostly stays quiet like an unwanted company or she ends up interrupting the conversation between Akari and Akatsuki. Oh well, at least the animators compensate for this by adding some scenes of the 3 characters going to the floating island.
October 20, 2005 | 13 Comments
If I have to choose which series I look forward the most this Fall season then this series will have to be it. Ever since I saw the opening of the first season, I knew that there's something that I'd like about the series. I've always loved creepy dolls, especially the ones that often appear in RPG games like Shadow Hearts. Later on I found out that the creep factor of the series is actually quite minimal. Thankfully the series turned out to be interesting despite its initial appearance. It also has one of the better open ending in comparison to other series. Anyway, the new season will be upon us soon. I'm quite excited to see it and hope that it'll be as good as the original. In the meantime, feel free to use this as a guide to the series. Just be aware that there are some minor spoilers about the first episode in one of the paragraphs.
October 19, 2005 | 34 Comments
What a week. Real Life has me exceptionally busy in pretty much 12-hour workdays, I have no less than 4 active ongoing anime projects AND the blog to take care of, and now even Garten is rightfully prodding me to complete Mai Otome 2 ^_^;;
Please forgive me that I won't be able to do the usual full review or screenshot captions this time, but I want to at least offer some initial quick comments on the main characters introduced so far. The episode itself was just as expected: Hilarious zany humor while the character lineup is introduced. Very well done!
Episode Rating: +
October 19, 2005 | 15 Comments
Warning: Please be aware that this is a horror series. As such, this entry may contain some disturbing images.
If Jigoku Shoujo continues like this, I will probably drop this title instead of Aria. At least the animation on that other series is good. The thing is, it's really hard to know how a series will turn out in the future. But I certainly am not impressed with the story and the character design in this episode. I am also bored with the various stock animations that are used throughout the episode. Having said that, I do realise that there are little hints of information about Ai that are revealed within each episode. The problem is, the informations given in each episode about this part of the story are too few to be substantially satisfying.
October 13, 2005 | 44 Comments
Opening theme: Lonely in Gorgeous by Tommy february6 (14.7MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Ending theme: Do You Want To by Franz Ferdinand (12.1MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
As far as the story goes, this is essentially similar to the manga. Unfortunately, the character design features some deviation from the original. While the changes are not bad, they are definitely not as good as the original. Voice-acting wise, I like how Yukari sounds like one of those high school girls in Japanese drama. It's nice to hear the actress sounds like the character as opposed to just reading her script. I also think that the opening theme, which is titled Lonely in Gorgeous, is exceptionally good. The ending theme, however, looks quite weird. It features an SD/Super-deformed style which reminds me a lot of Popeye the sailor man series. In fact, this style actually extends to other SD moments within the series.
October 13, 2005 | 10 Comments
Hmm, I'm starting to wonder if I want to follow this series continuously now. I find this episode to be rather sleep-inducing. Maybe I'm just tired after work and gym but this seems quite dull to me. It's really unfortunate because I think the background and the animation are quite nice to look at. The soundtrack is also calm and peaceful and makes me want to go into relaxation mode. Maybe this series is only meant to be seen and not to be taken seriously and blogged like this. Because I really don't know what to say about a series where character development is minimal and the story is almost non-existent. The best I can do is to comment on the quality of the animation/music. But that will get repetitive after a while.
October 12, 2005 | 26 Comments
Opening Theme: 「逆さまの蝶」 - Sakasama no Chou by SNoW (10.9MB, for PSP/Quicktime) - updated 16 Oct 2005
I've decided to include this series as a part of my Autumn lineup for now. Don't know how long my enthusiasm will last though. The truth is, I'm still not impressed with the animation style but the storyline appeals to me in that twisted kind of way. And I figure a series that can illicit some kind of emotion out of me can't possibly be that bad. Even if that emotion is just an anger at the injustice that happens to the character. Anyway, I'll try to keep things brief for this series since I have other commitments at the moments. Plus, the series' episodic nature doesn't require that much of an explanation. As a sidenote, this episode introduces the OP theme by SNoW, Sakasama no Chou. I have to say that this is one of the nicest Autumn anime songs that I've heard thus far.
October 12, 2005 | 34 Comments
I actually want to do this for every single series that I cover but as luck would have it, I don't have as much time to do this as I'd like to. This is actually just an area where you can find small details about a particular series, such as the VA for the characters. It's also meant to give you a general impression about the series in the hope that it'll attract people to the series. Well, not that this particular series actually needs it since it already has installed loyal fanbase thanks to the manga. Anyway, for those of you who have read this long, here's a present for you: a link to Franz Ferdinand's Do You Want To PV. The song will eventually become Paradise Kiss's ending theme. One warning though, the video is quite daggy/campy. I actually didn't like it at first but by now I am quite used to it. :)
Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To PV (Quicktime format)
October 11, 2005 | 79 Comments
Opening Theme: Dream☆Wing by Kuribayashi Minami (20MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Ending Theme: 「乙女は DO MY BEST でしょ？」 - Otome wa do my best, desho? by Kikuchi Mika and Koishimizu Ami (17.1MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Well, what can I say? I was really looking forward to this sequel, and it definitely didn't disappoint in its strong first installment. By taking most of the old characters and placing their alter egoes into a new setting has one big advantage: You can instantly relate to them, and we'll be having a ball comparing them to their predecessors. Most of the very successful Mai Hime formula was kept: A zany mix of comedy with hilarious SD-sequences, brilliantly animated action and (without a trace of doubt eventually) serious drama to take the audience on a wild ride, but always with a winking eye taking itself not too seriously. Mai-Otome shapes up to do and be all that it seems, and maybe more. The start was definitely better than the old series!
Episode Rating: +
October 11, 2005 | 16 Comments
I always suspected that I have problem of letting go. But this definitely confirms it. It's been a week since the series ended and yet I still can't get over it. I keep thinking that maybe there will be another episode this week. But there is no more episode so maybe I need to go to HCA (Honey and Clover Anonymous) or something like that because I don't think this is healthy. I even start to frown now whenever an animation style for a new series looks even slightly mediocre. I keep thinking how good-looking the last episode of Honey and Clover was when it comes to style. Anyway, this is meant to be some kind of a closure, at least for now. I wish I can do more than this but my schedule is kind of tight at the moment. So here's the kanji and romaji version of the opening theme to complement the ending theme.
Opening Theme: Undine by Makino Yui
Ending Theme: Rainbow by Roundtable feat.Nino (9.3MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
This is a relaxed, laid-back slice of life series about the little things in life like eating, cooking, and other seemingly mundane everyday activities. The animation, which is produced by HAL animation, is quite smooth and detailed. Having said that, the character design is a bit of a let-down. It's definitely not as good as Amano Kozue's manga design. Thankfully this is pretty much compensated by beautiful-looking background illustration. In general, I like the way the series invokes a calm and easy take on life. If real life is like this, I think it'll be far more enjoyable. Anyway, judging from the first episode, it seems the series will retain its episodic nature just like the manga version of the story.
Ending Theme: 「かりぬい」 - Karinui by Noto Mamiko (13.2MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
I was actually kind of reluctant to blog this after watching the first episode. I guess I am a bit disappointed with the digital look of the series. I was hoping that the series will be a bit more stylish than what it is at the moment. What really brings me back to it, however, is the storyline, which so far does a good job of keeping my attention. As a side note, there's a manga version of the story which runs in Nakayoshi monthly magazine at the same time as the anime. The story is different from the anime but retains its episodic nature. Anyway, I think I'm going to approach this series on episode per episode basis before I can be sure that I want to follow this continuously.
Unfortunately, this really is the final episode for the series. I realise that some people may not be happy with the episode's lack of resolution. But I personally think that the ending is perfect considering the fact that the manga is still on-going at the moment. At least the episode shows that the characters are heading towards a different direction from the ones that they were heading to at the start of the series. It gives me the impression that in time, they will be able to solve their current problems/entanglement. I'm also glad that the anime has followed the manga quite closely and does not create an out of nowhere ending like Fruits Basket. I just wish that Umino Chika and the anime production team will consider creating a second season once the manga is completed.
