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.
ファイト／ステイナイト 
February 5, 2006 | 
36 Comments
This is such a weird ending. It's like halfway through animating the series, the writers/animators suddenly get the news that there will be a third season and they suddenly scramble to change whatever ending they originally had in mind. I mean, I don't really mind the ending but it doesn't feel as satisfying as the first season's ending. Probably because that one has a finality note in it while this one feels dangling and incomplete. I also think that some of the characters do not act rationally in the episode. Animation-wise, the episode features some interesting fight which is definitely better than the episode that preceeds it. I also don't mind the rather sombre music that accompanies said fight scene because the mood was meant to be sad and depressing at that point in the story. Overall, I've enjoyed this season as a whole but unfortunately the ending was a bit disappointing.
February 2, 2006 | 13 Comments
As far as penultimade episode goes, I feel that this is a rather muted experience. Maybe I'm just a bit angry that my favourite dolls are all losing to the main enemy but I feel that the whole fight was so uneven. It's strange to see Canaria being so powerless here while she seems to posses such a strong power back in episode 7. I also wonder if this episode would have been better had this series was scheduled either as 24 episode series or at least 13 episode series. As it is now, the series feels a bit rushed although it still manages to maintain its usual high standard of drama. Animation-wise, the battles in this episode look quite good although character design is rather inconsistent. There are times when some of the characters look like they were drawn while the animators were half-asleep.
January 13, 2006 | 60 Comments
This episode doesn't actually have that many action scenes. They seem to be reserved for next week's episode. Moreover, it's hard to believe that there are only two more episodes left. How will the writers be able to wrap this up neatly? For some reason, I thought there will be another episode after 12. In that case, I think they can end the series rather well. As it is now, however, I am not too sure. But here's hoping for the best. If it doesn't work, maybe the writers will consider a third season. Although in my opinion, third season will be rather moot since the majority of Alice Game issues have almost been dealt with in this season. I hope the series won't cop out in the end and reveals that 'Father' is actually just an imposter because that will seriously bring the writing quality down. As a final note, it seems we're not going to see Odille in the anime.
December 16, 2005 | 28 Comments
Once again this series continues to impress me. In this episode, we get to see some character development, a light comedy, some interesting fight scenes, and an unfortunate tragedy. I always feel that I don't waste my time watching each episode because there is always something interesting within the episode itself. Having said that, I can't help but wonder if the writers will be able to end the series with only 3 episodes left to go. Speaking of episodes, the next episode, Tomoe, won't actually be screened until the 12th of January next year. I think TBS has other program running during the Christmas period. Having said that, if all goes well, I will have a nice present for Rozen Maiden fans next week. If that doesn't work, I'll just post an alternate present but either way, I'll try to come up with something.
December 9, 2005 | 31 Comments
I've been re-watching the opening scene so many times lately because the animation sequences simply fascinate me. However, in doing so I got strange ideas about the ending. At one point I thought maybe it'll end with Shinku waking up in a rose-covered bed and realising that she is now a human just like the opening. However, as she gets out of her room and goes down the stairs, she finds a bunch of discarded and lifeless doll of Suiseiseki, Souseiseki, and the others. In other words, she becomes Alice and her sisters have been turned into junk just like in the opening. I have to say that the thought really disturbed me and I wondered if people would object violently should such ending actually happens in this show. Anyway, this is an awesome episode that I think explore such possibility. If the show keeps up its quality right to the end, I think this may become one of the top three series that have been released this season.
December 2, 2005 | 21 Comments
It's hard to believe that there are only 5 more episodes before this series reach its end. I wonder if it's enough to resolve everything? In fact, I was a bit afraid when I first saw the preview for this episode. I thought the series was going to waste another episode on a filler. Much to my relief, however, this turns out to be more than just a comedic filler. There is actually a heavy plot thread running throughout this episode. This episode is also interesting because we finally get to see what other dolls such as Souseiseki and Canaria think about the Alice Game itself. All in all, I think this is another solid episode for the series even if it is slightly outclassed by the previous episode. But then again, it's probably quite difficult to come up with an episode that is better than last week's.
November 25, 2005 | 26 Comments
This is probably the best 2nd season episode thus far. This episode shows that this show actually has a lot of talented people working for it. Everything from animation, acting, storyline, and down to music is perfect here. Anyone who's afraid that Suigintou's revival is going to be handled poorly can relax a bit now. Her revival was so much better than I thought possible. I will talk about this a bit later though since it's a bit spoilery to discuss in this area. I can, however, talk about the music, which sounds awesome, especially Kamp, the song that plays during Suigintou and Barasuishou confrontation. The style sounds a bit like Kajiura Yuki's music but I don't think it's actually her who composed the song. If you're interested in the song, Flareon mentioned in the comment area that the song is actually included in the ED Single.
November 18, 2005 | 10 Comments
Rozen Maiden träumend 6: Angel - Preview (MP4, 4.7MB, for PSP/Quicktime) - Mirror
I get the impression that some people are more interested to see the preview for episode 6 than this episode itself. So if you don't mind a little bit of spoiler, feel free to download the small MP4 file that I provided above. I'd also like to use this opportunity to pimp my re-done old episodes. TBS has actually been screening this series in the pan and scan format and BS-i gets to be the one that screens the awesome widescreen version. Unfortunately the widescreen is not available 3 weeks after the original airdate and I can't wait that long to watch the series. The solution? I'll just redo the screenshots in widescreen format a few weeks later. I've done this for the first episode as well as the opening intro video. There is also a Pan and Scan vs. Widescreen comparison for this series if you want to see it.
November 11, 2005 | 7 Comments
This turns out to be a very good episode that contains equal amount of character development and action scenes. The animation is also a lot better here with some nice movement during the first round of Alice Game. Story-wise, this is mainly a showcase episode for Suiseiseki's character development. But Shinku's regret for destroying Suigintou that was shown in the first episode gets carried over to this episode as well. Similarly, Jun's progressive character development also reaches a new level here and shows that deep down he really is a kind and caring person. This is probably the second series in the year where I feel that the main protagonist has grow a lot during the entire season of a series. The other character, in case you're interested, is Takemoto from Honey and Clover.
November 4, 2005 | 13 Comments
I'm sorry for taking longer than usual to write this but I'm a bit feverish at the moment and it feels as if I have a painful 'Mushi' on my throat. Oh well, one more series and I can go to bed. Anyway, if it weren't for the arrival of Canaria, this would feel a lot more like a filler episode. This episode also forces me to realise that Canaria really is moulded from the same personality prototype assigned to HinaIchigo. That means she's a klutz and a bit annoying to boot. Thankfully the animation in this episode remains as consistent as the first two so despite its flaws, the episode remains largely enjoyable. It also helps that Rozen Maiden's comedy scenes are always of the sarcastic and dry types so they are more amusing than annoying.
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 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 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.
