This site is designed for accessibility. Content is obtainable and functional to any browser or Internet device. This site's full visual experience is available in a modern browser that supports web standards. Please consider upgrading your browser.
ローゼンメイデン 
December 23, 2006 | 
16 Comments
This episode is not as bad as I thought it would be but I do think that it could have been better. There are some good lines included in this episode but the problem is I don't believe that these lines are applicable to the characters. One of the lines, for example, would have been romantic if I believe that the characters are meant to be together. The problem is, I don't think that these characters should be together. Because I don't root for them to be together, the end result feels a bit forced to a degree. I am also not happy that they left some elements unresolved even though it's obvious that there won't be a second season for the series. Oh well, I think the series was pretty good up to episode 8 but then the writers didn't know what else to do with the remainder 4 episodes. Neverhteless, I like the series mostly for the animation style and the pleasant background music courtesy Mitsumune Shinkichi.
December 15, 2006 | 10 Comments
Well, this is the penultimate episode for the series. Next week is basically the last episode for the series. I am a bit concerned about this since there are many unresolved issues in the series. I don't see how Shouko and Karada can revert back to their former self in just one episode. This episode itself presents a problem which will probably take the majority of next week's episode to solve. Oh well, I have had good time watching the series. It's one of those few series where watching the characters living their daily life feels interesting somehow. I think the problem that I have with the series is that I'm not sure where it's heading. And I don't think the writers know either since the manga is not over yet. This is kind of ironic since the title of the series is "A direction of the day after tomorrow".
Shoboi's Calendar suggests that episode 12 will be the last episode for this series. I can't help but being worried about this because there seems to be quite a lot of unresolved plot threads. In the space of 2 episodes, the series must: reveal that Karada's true identity to Tetsu, show the two of them returning to Kanouchou, provide conflict resolution between Hiro and Shouko, and most importantly, revert Karada and Shouko back to their current form. Of course it is entirely possible that the series will end with Karada returning back to Kanouchou but her and Shouko's body will remain unchanged. However, I don't see the point of doing this since the story has diverged quite a bit from the manga so I don't think the writers intend on waiting until the manga is completed before doing second season. At any rate, I just hope that whatever ending the writers have in mind will be as good as their efforts thus far.
December 2, 2006 | 15 Comments
I'm sorry for the late entry but I forgot that I already promised to help a friend to move house today. Anyway, with only 3 or 4 episodes left, I wonder how the writers are going to wrap up this series. So far the story seems to be mostly focused on Karada especially after she runs away from Kanouchou. One thing that I wish will be addressed before the show comes to an end is what happened to Shouko prior to her arrival in Kanoucho. But at this rate, I'm afraid we won't be able to see this since it'll probably take at least one or two more episodes to end the Karada running away arc. That leaves us with either 1 or 2 episodes to solve the body swapping problem. I think this is one of the rare cases where I don't want to see a 'life goes on' ending with Karada and Shouko still in their transformed bodies.
November 24, 2006 | 24 Comments
This is unbelievably good. I always knew that there is something special about this series but the writers took one step further and made an episode that is near, if not as good as one of those Honey and Clover episodes. The segment featuring Karada's childhood is absolutely beautiful. The combination of Suara singing Kasa and the well-written storyline took me by surprise. I find it hard to believe that there are only 4 more episodes. But I suppose it's better to end it while it's still good than to go on and on without any kind of direction. As a side note, the insert song I mentioned earlier actually comes from Suara's new single, Hikari no Kisetsu, which is also this series' OP theme. The song itself is fantastic on its own. If you can find the time, however, I'd recommend watching this entire episode because the combination of the song and the imagery creates one powerful story.
Suara - Kasa (320kbps MP3, 9.81MB)
November 17, 2006 | 10 Comments
This is another pleasant episode for the series. As usual, however, I can't exactly pinpoint what is it about the series that I like. Maybe it's because the laidback setting reminds me of the town where I used to live for 3 months while I was in Japan. Or maybe it's just the general simplicity of the series and the nice background music that comes with it. Judging from the way the story unfolds, however, it seems this may change very soon. The ending of this episode suggests that the writers are planning to progress the plot now that the series is halfway to its completion. I'm looking forward to what they have in mind and can't wait to see the background drawings that the animators will come up with for the new setting. It'll also be interesting to see the characters dealing with new environments. Hopefully it'll be as good as it is now.
November 11, 2006 | 9 Comments
I recently purchased the manga for this series and realise how different the two versions of the series have been thus far. The basic premise remains the same but the execution and the way the story unfolds is quite different in the manga. This episode is a good example of this. In both the manga and this episode, Tetsumasa ends up meeting adult Karada. However, whether or not he'll find out that this adult version of Karada is actually the Karada he's been looking for ends up being quite different. One thing that surprised me is the fact that the manga is actually quite good too and does not contain any trace of fanservice. It treats the transformation case seriously and I think that's why the anime follows suit. Another thing that surprised me is the revelation towards the end of the second volume. After reading this, I feel much better because I don't think what I was dreading is going to happen in the anime.
November 3, 2006 | 12 Comments
As usual nothing much happens within an episode. Basically Shouko is unhappy with being a child but in the end she finds her inner child. Having said that, it's amazing how this show manages to get away with having so little story. For some reason, I'm quite content to just watch these characters going about their daily life. On the downside, I notice some uncomfortable moments between Hiro and Karada which I hope won't get explored any further. This episode also introduces a new character called Kotomi. It's not clear yet what her role will be in this series but from what has been shown so far, she seems to have interest in Tetsumasa which means that she's in direct competition with Karada. Animation/design-wise, this episode is back to top form again after last week's slightly disappointing quality.
I'm slightly disappointed with this episode mostly because there is a slight downgrade in the quality of the artwork. There are some instances where the characters look poorly drawn and at times, unproportional. This is especially noticeable in long shots and indoor shots. Thankfully the background drawing reminds as good as ever and close up shots are also still high in quality. The storyline also remains interesting and it doesn't look as if the horrifying plot will rear its ugly head. At least so far that has not happened yet. As a side note, the full OP theme has been released this week and it's even better than the TV version, which is quite good already. CD Japan also reported that the first DVD for the series will come out on the 26th of January next year. It seems textless OP and ED are going to be included as some of the extras.
October 21, 2006 | 17 Comments
I'm sorry for the late entry but I had too much of a problem yesterday to be able to do any writing beyond the first 2 entries. To begin with, Nightmare host made it difficult for me to post anything and then I accidentally locked myself out of my house. At the end of that day, I was too tired to do anything else apart from finishing up Code Geass entry. Oh well, it's probably a good thing this way because I think I would have reacted to this new plot twist badly otherwise. I still have reservation about it and I hope the writers won't go there. Unfortunately, I think they will do this so I'll just have to see how they do it. As a side note, there is actually a Widescreen version of this series being aired 3 weeks later than the original version. This is similar to other TBS series like Rozen Maiden and xxxHOLiC. I've changed the screenshots in episode 1 and uploaded the Widescreen OP and ED in case you want to see the changes.
Opening Theme: 「光の季節」 (Hikari no Kisetsu) by Suara
Download: AVI Widescreen (25.5MB) | PSP Widescreen (14.2MB)
Ending Theme: 「スイートホームソング」 (Sweet Home Song) by Yuumao
Download: AVI Widescreen (21.5MB) | PSP Widescreen (9.9MB)
October 14, 2006 | 14 Comments
I'm impressed. This episode has at least alleviate one of my biggest worries about the series. Prior to watching this, I was afraid that the body change will facilitate some sort of silly, slapstick comedy. Thankfully the director made the choice to keep this as 'realistic' as possible within the confine of the magic wish. I think the reactions that the characters show in this episode are far closer to what would happen in reality if someone has to go through something similar. On the downside, the animation is quite minimal and even the dialogue is sparse. Having said that, what the episode lacks in both aspects, it makes up a lot in atmosphere. Now I'm just hoping that there won't be any kind of nasty surprises along the way. If the writers keep up the good work, I think this would be one of the best series this season.
Opening Theme: 「光の季節」- Hikari no Kisetsu by Suara
Download: AVI format (Pan/Scan, 21.8MB) | AVI format (Widescreen, 25.5MB) | PSP format (Pan/Scan 16.2MB)
Well, this is one of the nicest surprises this autumn. It looks like J.C Staff honed in the paint-like drawing that they started in Karin and use it to full effect in this series. The storyline is interesting as well with loads of drama and romantic implication. I do have to say that after watching the first episode, Shouko is not as sympathetic as she was in concept. The opening theme by Suara is beautiful to listen to and the same thing can be said about the ED theme by Yuumao. They both easily illustrate a hot, lazy summer season. I think if you're looking for a drama/romance series and haven't been able to find a good one this summer/autumn, then maybe you should give this series a look. I'm not sure how many episodes this series is scheduled for but it looks like a 13 episodes series.
