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ファイト／ステイナイト 
February 27, 2007 | 
61 Comments
2nd OP Theme: 「What's up people?」 by Maximum the Hormone
Download AVI format (41MB) | PSP format (14.5MB)
I think the new OP/ED features awesome imagery and some of them suggests that we will indeed go into the Near/Mello arc. However, I am not really keen on the song that come with the OP/ED. I guess I'm just not into heavy metal/rock music like these. Anyway, this is probably the most boring point of the Yotsuba arc. I just think that the author tried to forcefully prolong the story. Thankfully the preview for next week's episode shows that things will be moving again. If I remember correctly, everything from this point forward should lead to the end of the Yotsuba arc. However, this also means that the dreaded plotline will come very soon. At a time like this, I wish I didn't know the plot already because I wonder how surprised I would have been. Anyway, if my guess is true, the current arc including the surprise ending will end either around episode 24. That would leave exactly 13 episodes to finish the rest of the story.
February 27, 2007 | 11 Comments
This is another entertaining episode for the series. I don't remember being that fond of this arc but after seeing this episode, I think this is definitely one of the better ones. It's definitely better than the one involving the little brat and is not as annoying as Miranda's arc. I think it helps a lot that the main villain is actually quite cunning and has some semblance of personality. In addition to this, this arc actually expand the series' universe by showing different permutation to the existing known facts about Exorcists and Akuma. The animation is also quite decent, which is a good thing since there are a lot of fight scenes in this episode. Unfortunately, the series seem to go back to the time when everything is dark and hard to see.
February 26, 2007 | 11 Comments
Noto Mamiko - Aizome (54MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Aizome is the ending theme for Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori. The song was actually written specifically by Savage Genius for Noto Mamiko to perform in the series. However, they decide to release their own version of the single a month before Noto Mamiko's version came out. Between the two, Noto Mamiko's version is the better one of the two. I just think this song is not meant to be performed in upbeat tempo. Noto Mamiko's version is perfectly haunting and melancholy, which is very appropriate for the series. The PV itself is creep-tastic and morbid right from the start when the video zooms in on what looks like an accident/murder site. I won't say the rest but the ending startled me a little bit when I first saw it.
February 26, 2007 | 12 Comments
First thing first, I'm sorry about the downtime. I wasn't aware of it until someone emailed me about it since I was still asleep when it happened. It's basically Nightmare host trying to update something so they shut down everything off but everything is back to normal now it seems. Anyway, moving on to this episode, this is the kind of episode which makes blogging episode by episode worth it. There are quite a lot of materials worth of discussion in this episode. Mostly deals with friendship and how individuals tend to react to it. Having said that, this is pretty similar to episode 10 from the first season. Even the string-pulling part of the episode is identical. The only difference in this one is that I think the girls genuinely like each other. It's just that circumstance and lack of trust tore them apart.
February 23, 2007 | 92 Comments
Kaidoku Funou (2nd Ver) (17MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Well, they scramble the opening again but except for one single shot of Orange-kun, there's nothing exciting about it. Thankfully the episode itself is interesting and the ending is the kind of cliffhanger that I usually hate but for some reason it's kind of exciting here. At any rate, I hope this episode serves as some kind of eye-opener for Suzaku. I realise that he's willing to sacrifice his pride to save his people but this episode shows how much Britannia , 2-3 people aside, do not care for him. Anyway, it's clear by now that there's no way the writers can solve the majority of the plot by the time episode 24 ends. No wonder they need another set of season to complete the series.
February 22, 2007 | 37 Comments
I have to say that the way Kyoto Animation approaches this arc is pretty interesting. I think most people are aware that Ayu's arc is not complete yet but here we are at the start of another arc. I suppose this is mostly because Ayu and Nayuki's story has that crossover feel to it. The thing is, with the way things are, there's a likelihood that some viewers will think that Ayu's arc has ended and Nayuki is the last girl available for Yuuichi. Come to think of it, it must suck to be Yuuichi since it looks like the girls that he like are practically dropping like flies every couple of weeks. And judging from the end of this episode, it seems the casualties are not limited to girls that Yuuichi like. If I were Kitagawa, I'd steer clear from Yuuichi from now. That guy seems to carry a lot of misfortune with him.
February 22, 2007 | 20 Comments
Unfortunately those who are waiting for the anime to feature full-on animated orchestra will be disappointed with this episode. Just like the rehearsal scenes, the animators choose to use static stills for the orchestra scenes. I think this completely waters down what could have been an impressive segment. At this point in time, I get the impression that the purpose of the anime is not so much to showcase the music/orchestra like in the live action version, but to showcase the comedic side of the story. I personally think both are achievable but it is obvious that the animators have budget constraint on their hand. As a result, there won't be any Haruhi-styled performance in this adaptation and I don't see this changing anytime soon. I think the best thing for those of us who are still interested in the series is to lower the expectation and realise that the orchestra scenes would not be the main feature of this adaptation.
February 21, 2007 | 15 Comments
Wow, this episode really does feel like a Mission: Impossible episode. I was particularly amused with their attempt to make it look as if an accident has happened because that's the kind of things that Mission: Impossible team normally do. So far I've actually been enjoying this Yotsuba arc quite a bit, which is surprising since I've heard many people think that this arc is rather boring. At any rate, this should have been called Matsuda's Exciting Adventure since the bulk of the story focuses on the hapless and slightly idiotic detective. I suppose they need to develop him due to what happen in future episodes but it really doesn't help that they portray him as a bumbling fool in this episode. Having said that, it's kind of worth it just to see L being frustrated with the guy. I never thought I’d see L running out of patience before.
February 20, 2007 | 12 Comments
I kind of like this episode for some reason. Maybe because it has the right amount of comedy and mystery in the same episode. I just realise that some of my favourite D.Gray-man episodes are the ones that involve a good amout of comedic scenes and this one is not an exception. In addition to this, there is a rather nifty additional scene implated towards the end of the episode. That scene alone shows that there are things from the manga that the anime can improve. However, these improvements are usually better achieved in small scale so that it actually adds to the manga as opposed to changing it completely. At any rate, I'm surprised that the animators manage to stretch the arc this far. I thought two episodes would have been enough to cover the entire story.
February 19, 2007 | 10 Comments
Well, I was hoping there will be a new opening/ending theme but unfortunately there isn't one. It kind of make sense though since I don't see the point of changing the opening when Shishio Gen has not even appear on the series. Having said that, I think the series' first opening should not feature either Masamori or Shishio and then after 12 episodes, they add them in. I just think it's a lot more exciting that way. The only reason why they feature these two characters right from the start is probably to attract the manga readers. But I assume manga readers would have watch the series in the first place anyway so there is no need to show every characters in the series right from the start. If anything it's kind of a spoiler for those who have not followed the series. At any rate I'm just happy that Masamori finally appears in the series. This means we're going to see the Urakai arc very soon and meet several new characters.
February 19, 2007 | 3 Comments
Playing catch up can be so tiring. I can't believe that I sometimes let myself get behind in terms of episodes especially since I hate having to catch up on post. Anyway, I've done episode 12 and 13 now and hopefully I can do episode 14 and 15 soon. But not that soon, I'm afraid. At a time like this, I wish the broadcast is on break once again so I can catch up with the rest of the episodes. I am not even sure about the number of the last episode that went on air. I think episode 16 is supposed to be aired tonight but don't quote me on that one. Anyway, this is basically a continuation of episode 11 and while there aren't that much movement, what are shown are pretty good.
February 19, 2007 | 14 Comments
This episode is so wrong on so many levels. Having said that, I admit that some of the fanservice are so unabashedly ridiculous that they are bordering funny. On a more positive side, the episode did a good job of explaining Wanyuudou's past and how he met Ai in the first time. It also offer a glimpse into how Ai used to operate prior to theh existence of computer. We have seen her using the postal service but this is an entirely different method which is far more believable than postal service. The story itself is a bit difficult to understand because the narrative goes back and forth between the present time and the past without any clear indication which part is the present and which part is the past. It doesn't help that there are two sets of grudges in this episode so you have to keep track on who is sending who to Hell and on which time period they actually live.
February 16, 2007 | 10 Comments
Crystal Kay - Konna ni Chikaku de... (43.3MB, for PSP/Quicktime) | YouTube version
「こんなに近くで...」- Konna ni Chikaku de... is the ending theme for Nodame Cantabile anime series. The song is performed by Crystal Kay, the same singer who performed FullMetal Alchemist 4th ED theme, Motherland. To be honest, I didn't like the song at first until I heard the full version on the PV. I just think the short version feels abruptly cut. As for the PV itself, this along with Allegro Cantabile have to be some of the more creative PVs I've seen. At first you see a mannequin inside a store followed by a shot of Crystal Kay coming back home. However, she doesn't come home on her own because a group of orchestra comes into her room as well. The rest are basically a singing/orchestral performance inside the room. I think the idea is simple but there is a sense of narrative to it, which makes it a lot more entertaining than a run-of-the-mill PVs where the singer just move around the set and sing the song.
Konna ni Chikaku de... will be released on the 28th of February 2007.
February 16, 2007 | 22 Comments
Suemitsu and the Suemith - Allegro Cantabile (25.5MB, for PSP/Quicktime) | YouTube version
Allegro Cantabile is the OP theme for Nodame Cantabile anime. To be honest, this is the first time I heard Suemitsu and the Suemith. Since this is the only exposure I have to their song, I would have to say that based on this song alone, the group's strength lies in their piano skill instead of their singing, which is not bad but not exactly outstanding either. The PV, on the other hand, is pretty stylish and creative. At first it looks like a generic PV where the singer just plays piano while performing. However, as he plays the white piano, the piano and the singer get splashed with black paint. This continues throughout the entire PV until the piano looks a bit of a mess. Interestingly enough, the piano wouldn't look bad if it's coloured all black so I assume they'll just repaint it all black once they've done with the shooting.
Allegro Cantabile will be released on the 21th of February 2007.
February 16, 2007 | 42 Comments
I have to admit that I'm still not used to the idea of Yuuichi and Ayu but I really like the mystery that surrounds Ayu's character. I am also impressed with the animation and I think the quality of the background painting have improved a lot in the past few episodes. I think it started during Shiori's arc and continues up to now. I guess this is because the animators have been saving their budget for the last few episodes. Anyway, with only 4 more episodes to go, I am starting to wonder if this will indeed end with Ayu and Yuuichi as a pair. Especially after what happened at the end of this episode. On the other hand, it could be argued that the writers simply want to focus on Nayuki first before returning the story back to Ayu during the last 2 episodes.
February 15, 2007 | 17 Comments
I think I've given up hoping that some of my favourite scenes would make it into this adaptation. This episode is basically the reverse of last week's. While last week felt really slow in terms of pacing, this one is unbelievably past. In the process, it cuts down some of my favourite stories and comedy scenes. The most notable of this is the story where Chiaki gives free lesson to Nodame and Mine. Thankfully there is still likelihood that this entire story might be included in the DVD. However, there are some comedy scenes which got cut out from this episode and I don't think they'll be included in the DVD. This brings me to my next point, I don't understand why the writers are in such a hurry since I doubt they'll go into the Paris/Europe arc. At this rate, they'll reach the R☆S Orchestra arc soon.
February 14, 2007 | 18 Comments
Wow, the writers sure condensed a lot of materials into one episode. I guess some of the things that they exclude are not that important in the larger scheme of things. If anything, they feel extraneous and unnecessary. This suggests there is a likelihood that the writers will cut down more stories in order to fit the entire series into 37 episodes. Anyway, this episode itself is okay but it's nothing outstanding. Upon seeing this, I can understand why some people are disappointed with this Yotsuba arc but at the same time, I think the arc has a potential to explore stories that were previously impossible to tell. This is especially true in Light's case because his former and current personality are very removed from one another.
February 13, 2007 | 10 Comments
Well, we're finally back to the manga-based version. Because of certain events in the filler version, however, there are some plot changes in this version. I think some of them feel a bit redundant since they've been done before in the filler. This is especially true when it comes down to Allen's injured left eye. I don't understand why the writers didn't just left it unhealed when he injured it back a few episodes ago. Maybe they're being sadistic but I don't see the point of injuring it again when we all know that it'll get healed eventually. On the other hand, it's nice to see the plot going somewhere. I want to see the inevitable battle between the Exorcists versus the Noah family.
February 12, 2007 | 11 Comments
There is nothing extraordinary about this episode except for 2 things: the minimal use of Enma Ai and her assistant and the Memento style narrative structure. I suspect the first one is an attempt to minimise the budget by not using the regular cast as often as they usually do on other episodes. The majority of the dialogue and narration in this episode is delivered by the character of the week, Rina. Enma Ai doesn't even use her "Ippen Shinde Miru" trademark here. The second one is a lot more interesting but I don't think it's effective or make the story any more interesting. All we know that someone wants to send another person to Hell and the narrative uses flashbacks to complete the background story.
February 8, 2007 | 135 Comments
Well, this turns out to be a surprisingly effective episode. I'm not too keen on some of the set up scenes but they are necessary in order to facilitate the plot progression. At any rate, I am glad the writers decide to go towards this direction this early in the story. It would have been annoying if they keep postponing it until the last few episodes of the season. I am also surprised to see a previous subplot reappear so quickly after the writers made an attempt to put it aside not too long ago. With this and the above plot progression, I think they want to make Lelouch's life as miserable as possible. C.C was right when she said taking the power would have made Lelouch lonely. I, however, am more interested to see how awkward the student council meeting would be should there be one anytime soon.
February 8, 2007 | 54 Comments
Shiori: gone but not forgotten should be the subtitle of this episode. I still don't understand why Yuuichi doesn't just call up her house to find out about her condition. Although he may not like what he hears, at least it's better than being uncertain about her condition. Speaking of condition, what was Shiori's actual disease? I can't remember of it being mentioned during her arc. Oh well, it looks like we're not going to get any answer since this is already Ayu's and Nayuki's arc. At any rate, it feels a bit strange seeing Yuuichi on a 'date' with these two. It's probably because I never really saw them as potential love interest for Yuuichi but now I have to get used to this fact. It's just that his relationship to them seems more has this brother/sister vibe that it's hard to imagine him going out with them.
February 8, 2007 | 20 Comments
Well, what I feared has become reality. The majority of the concert scene in this episode consist of mostly static stills of the orchestra members. I guess it was unrealistic to expect a full-on animated orchestra but I was hoping to see some hand movements at the very least. Unfortunately there was none of that in this episode. The problem with this is that it diminishes the effect of the orchestra performance. Beethoven's 7th Symphony is supposed to be grand and yet it comes across as a background music coming out of CD here. I do appreciate that I can sense some dissonance within the individual players when Chiaki was conducting the orchestra. However, the sound was very faint and unless you listen closely, it's hard to distinguish the performance which was conducted by Chiaki and the one conducted by Strezemann. On the positive side, the comedy remains enjoyable as usual and there are some creative use of animation technique.
February 8, 2007 | 10 Comments
If there was one animated feature that I can blame for ruining my childhood, I'd say it was Bambi. I still remember how shocked I was when I saw Bambi's mother got shot by some hunters in the forest. A lot of years have passed since then and I thought I have completely forgotten about the scene and how traumatising it was for a 5 year old. Come to think of it, I've never seen that film again after that. Maybe my subconscious tries to protect my fragile mind. Thanks to this episode, however, I was immediately reminded of that movie again. This episode also proves once and for all that Sunrise is evil. It's not enough that they feature one scene of a deer getting slaughtered, they seem to revel in the act by featuring more deers getting maimed by humans. Joking aside, this is a great looking episode which I'm sure would look great on DVD. Although the animation used during the fight scenes are not completely fluid, it still feels grand.
February 8, 2007 | 18 Comments
Sunset Swish - Mozaic Kakera (48MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Mozaic Kakera is the 2nd ED theme for Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch. The song is definitely the better half of the new OP/ED for that series. The full version sounds a bit weird to me since I'm not used to the elongated lyrics but in general it's still good. As I suspected, however, the lyrics used in the ED theme are actually the last few lines in the full song. The PV itself is okay. I generally dislike collage-styled graphics and this one is not an exception. I just don't think they blend well with the shots of the singers walking/performing on screen. Anyway, I've provided the PSP version of the video but if you want the fullscreen version, you can either check Butterfly Dreams or Tokyo Toshokan. If you're looking for the lyrics, the Kanji and Romaji versions are available after the cut as usual.
February 7, 2007 | 21 Comments
Once again sorry for the late entry. I was planning to do it earlier but I was too tired to do it thanks to the flu. Anyway, this is a rather tense episode and contains what I think is one of the best moments in the series. The animation looks generally decent except that sometimes the characters look a bit off. I also note that in order to save some budget, the animators change the way several scenes are shot. Scenes which originally meant to be a close up of 3 characters, for example, end up being a long shot or a shot of someone's back while one character is talking. This is rather disappointing and something that I didn't expect on an adaptation of popular series like Death Note. I was particularly hoping to screencap this shot of Misa looking pissed off at L while L is unfazed by her anger. Unfortunately that shot never made it here.
February 7, 2007 | 11 Comments
Please forgive me if I'm a bit slow with the reviews today but I'm a bit sick and not in the mood to do much. Anyway, there is no denying that this is a really stupid episode but as far as filler goes, I think this is a lot better than the 4 previous fillers. I actually found this episode to be enjoyable, which is a plus in my book. Animation-wise, I thought this episode was decent. In fact, everyone looks strangely proportional. I notice that the animators tend to put in more attention to the characters' face when the episode is comedic in nature like this one. The best thing about this episode, however, is the comedy, which is very over-the-top in the good kind of way. In fact, I can't remember the last time I really enjoyed this series so much.
February 4, 2007 | 16 Comments
This is definitely one of the better episode from the series. At the same time, it's also one of those frustrating episodes where the victim of the week actually suffers even more as the episode goes on. On a more positive side, this episode features an origin story for one of the main characteres. As far as origin stories go, this one is pretty strange and relies a little bit on the audience's knowledge of Japanese folklore. Because of this, I wonder what casual anime viewers would think if they ever encounter some of the concepts introduced in this episode. One thing that I hope the series would do in the future is to show what happens to those people who get sent to Hell. Would different people get different punishment? Would those who sent someone to Hell get sent to a different area?
February 3, 2007 | 24 Comments
During the original airing of Honey and Clover II, Kamiya Hiroshi, the original voice actor for Takemoto had a horrible accident which caused him to be hospitalised. Thankfully he survived the accident and the subsequent coma. However, his hospitalisation meant that Takemoto had to be voiced by someone else in the last episode of the series. The replacement ended up being a very capable Nojima Kenji. However, despite Nojima Kenji's good acting, I can't help but feeling that it's not Takemoto who's talking during episode 12. This is particularly bothersome during the monologue because Nojima Kenji used a mature, deep voice while Kamiya Hiroshi's version of Takemoto has lighter, youthful voice. There was a rumour (or wishful thinking) to some fans that Kamiya Hiroshi will redub Takemoto's voice for the DVD. Well, that is no longer a rumour or wishful thinking because volume 4 of Honey and Clover II features Kamiya Hiroshi as Takemoto.
February 2, 2007 | 29 Comments
What a good episode to watch after a hard day at work. The animation in this episode is as beautiful as last week's. Having said that, I think the ending is a bit inconclusive. If it's viewed as it is now, I would say that this is another sad ending similar to Makoto. However, I seem to recall reading a spoiler about her fate in one of the comments and that is completely different from this one. So now I wonder if Kyoto Animation decides to take an entirely different route from the game. Either way, not everything about this episode is depressing. I think the dancing sequence between Yuuichi and Kitagawa is hilarious and reminds me a bit of Hare Hare Yukai. I get the impression that the dance is just something that Kyoto Animation for Suzumiya Haruhi fans. It makes me wonder what Kyon would say if he ever spots Yuuichi doing that stupid dance.
February 2, 2007 | 52 Comments
The main plot in this episode feels a bit unnecessary, especially since the subplots scattered all over this episode (Millay's engagement, Villetta's status) are far more interesting. I think the only reason the writers decide to have this is because they want to incorporate that revelation towards the end of this episode. However, I think we've always suspect this revelation to be true so I think the writers could have written it in a different manner. I just hope that this will allow some kind of character development for Suzaku, who so far hasn't had interesting personality and story. Although it's unlikely, it would have been interesting if Suzaku ends up being the main villain of the series. At least that would give him a much more interesting role than a simple Britannian's loyal servant who romances the 3rd Princess.
February 1, 2007 | 22 Comments
Kotatsu scene: Part 1 (18.5MB, J-Drama version) | Part 2 (26.5MB, J-Drama version)
First thing first, those who expect to see the Kotatsu chapter will be in for a disappointment. J.C Staff completely cuts that story out of the anime for the time being. However, since this is J.C Staff, I suspect we will probably see them in the DVD as one of the extras. If you think about it, the Kotatsu story doesn't really advance the main plot so it makes sense for J.C Staff to excise that story so they can get on with the main plot. Apart from this cut, however, this episode is as good as the previous one. The comedy flows in better, the jokes are spot on, and the story is engaging. The only problem that I still have is getting used to the voice actors for the anime. The only exception to this is Chiaki. I'm a bit disappointed that the new Strezemann doesn't speak Japanese like a foreigner. His Japanese sounds a bit too perfect to me.