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ファイト／ステイナイト 
October 31, 2006 | 
15 Comments
Sorry for the rather low-res quality of the images but hunting for raw has been a rather difficult experience today. This is why I haven't been able to create an entry for Kekkaishi episode 4. No matter how I tried, I can't seem to find a raw copy of the episode. However, I will post an entry for that episode as soon as I can secure a copy. I will also try to update the images for this episode once I get a better quality version of the raw. Anyway, this turns out to be a funny and nice little episode. It may not have the action from last week's episode but what it lacks it made up a lot in character development for the 4 main characters. This episode also reveals a little bit information in regards to Oland's past/origin. It'll be interesting to see how things go from here now that Pumpkin Scissors become interested in Invisible 9 and the secret behind those units.
October 24, 2006 | 17 Comments
If you were disappointed with the previous two episodes, I think this will make up for them. The action is slightly ramped-up and there are some interesting conspiracy abound in this episode. This episode also confirms that 901-ATT unit wasn't an invicible unit after all. I mostly just feel sorry for Oland because he always so willing to sacrifice his own life. I am glad to know that Alice starts having a mildly positive impact on his life but I am not sure if her presence is enough to get him away from his past, especially since there are factions who are keen on exploring his ability. Anyway, animation-wise, this episode slightly better than last week. In fact, I was quite impressed with the stylised artwork that the animators use to depict Oland's bloody past while he and his comrades mutter "Töten Sie" (Kill) while they march toward a few tanks.
The episodes looks a bit bad but I suppose this is to be expected. I kind of wish that every animation studio know how to divide their budget like Kyoto Animation or at least find a trick that makes the series look good in general. Thankfully this is not as bas as say, episode 3 of Welcome to NHK!. I think the real problem with this episode, however, is the story, which was written specifically to show that Alice believes in the war relief program. However, I think the viewers already know about this right from the start. What I really want to know is what her supervisor thinks about these jobs. Do they see it as another paper to shove? Where it doesn't matter whether or not Pumpkin Scissors can solve the problem or not.
I just realised that although Pumpkin Scissors sounds like an unusual name for a platoon, it is actually a perfect description of the group as well as the series in general. In the opening, there is a shot of a seemingly fresh pumpkin but when it is sliced open, it's clear that there is a cracked skull hidden inside of it. I think this is a representation of many elements in the series, where things are not what they seem on the outside. This includes Oland himself as well as the state of the empire. Metaphor aside, the thing that interest me the most is actually the relationship between Alice and Oland. I just realised that it's been a while since I actually root for a default pairing in a series. Anyway, this episode still looks as good as the first episode so I'm hoping this quality will be a consistent feature in the series. The only problems I have with the series so far are the villains, who so far have little to no personality.
Opening Theme: 「蒼き炎」 (Aoki Flame) by 高橋洋子 (Takahashi Youko)
Download: AVI format (28.4MB) | AVI mirror (28.4MB) | PSP format (14.5MB)
This is a pretty good first episode. Animation-wise, this seems to be GONZO's better effort. The story itself is quite dark mostly because of the mysterious background that surrounds the main character, Randel Orland. People have been comparing this to Full Metal Panic but I think story-wise, it's a lot closer to Kenshin in the sense that the focus is on a character who tries to move on with his new life but his dark past continues to catch up with him. The Pumpkin Scissors group essentially functions as Orland's link to humanity which he occasionally loses. The opening theme itself is pretty good but then again I've always been a fan of Takahashi Youko's songs like Cruel Angel Thesis. The ending theme is rather humourous which feels kind of strange since this episode has a dark tone to it. Voice acting wise, Shizuka Itou (Himawari in xxxHOLiC) and Kenta Miyake did a god job as their respective characters, Alice and Oland.