Springtime for Hitler ‘08

Niwa poked me a little to get me to write some impressions on this spring’s anime series, and after watching at least two episodes of each of the following, I am now ready to do so.

Watchlist

Allison to Lillia
Basically, this is the 50’s or 60’s adventure novel by a completely forgotten author that you picked up in your grandparents’ library during your summer vacation. It wouldn’t be terribly exciting if it were supposed to be an epic blockbuster movie, but being what it is, it’s incredibly refreshing and quaint. I appreciate the fact that the chara design looks neither retro nor fashionably moe. As for the plot, it shouldn’t technically be this entertaining, but it is, somehow. I suppose the bloggers who said it wasn’t anime-like were right in that I really feel like I’m reading a book…but it doesn’t bother me.

Blassreiter
Prelude to Despair + The Cost of Glory = COST OF DESPAIR = make-up budget for the whole cast (YAY KOHL) + part of our souls. Therefore I can’t quit it. Simple math, people.

Chi’s Sweet Home
Will melt the most hardened and cynical heart.

Code Geass R2
It’s here. It’s providing the lulz. It’s providing the lulz “we didn’t even know we needed,” as Shiori put it so accurately. ‘Nuff said. (As long as Kallen doesn’t get too much screen time…)

Fireball
RANDOMLY BIZARRE AND BIZARRELY RANDOM. I kind of like it. Also, shortest episodes ever.

Kure-nai
Is pretty, has something which looks like a plot, and a little loli brat who somehow ain’t all moe, but is still adorable. Also, a cast of supporting female characters who seem quite awesome. Me likey.

Macross Frontier
I hadn’t seen good space opera in some time. And I hadn’t seen space opera WITH ACTUAL SINGING in forever. In short, singing (that doesn’t hurt my brain like Red Garden), SPACE, faux!Kanda, cute loli, “LOL SOMEONE CHANNELING MYLENE FARMER HERE” (that was my brother speaking), epic orchestral soundtrack and good animation…I would watch it even if it had only some of these things.

Real Drive
It may or may not make sense. But it’s HEALTHY, and involves people diving into the collective mind (?) and stuff. They had me at diving. I’m probably still not over my childhood crush on Jean-Michel Cousteau. orz

Soul Eater
I think I might not be as excited over it as a lot of people seem to be, but it’s still quite entertaining.

Toshokan Sensou
L-LOVELY COMPLEX, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? It seems you were bathed in crack, dried then polished by the folks at Production IG. It’s a bit scary, and very silly, but sort of amusing.

Vampire Knight
I’m still so relieved at hearing Yui Horie instead of Mamiko Noto that I didn’t quite pay attention…oh, right, yes. It’s still ridiculous (that ED!), addictive, and ridiculously addictive…but slightly less hot. And I still don’t care for Zero.

xxxHOLiC: Kei
Yeah, I’m still a whore for Mokona (and Yuuko).

May Drop List

Crystal Blaze
Quite WTF so far. But I have a weakness for stupid detectives and naked women strolling around. We’ll see.

Himitsu
Man, with those lips, the promo pictures had me assuming that Maki-san was a FEMALE copper. I was a bit disappointed, but I still have to know what happened to the PRESIDENT before I decide that I don’t have time for this show. Probably.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama
Somewhat lackluster, and Kou is rather annoying, but I do like Kuu and her fabulous furry gender-bending. I’m hoping either for plot or for DEEP slice-of-life lessons. IDK.

Dropped

Kanokon
TOO SLUTTY.

Monochrome Factor
Well, there’s no such thing as “too gay” or “too ridiculous,” is there. I got bored, I guess.

Nabari no Ou
They’re ninjas. Ninjas with a soundtrack made for star-crossed turn-of-the-century lovers. “Oh, Maximilien, what will become of us~?” is what I hear when they’re saying lines such as “careful, there are two others on your right!”. GOOD ORCHESTRATION ISN’T ALWAYS APPROPRIATE ORCHESTRATION, YA RLY. And yes, you just read that I can’t watch this because of the music.

Nijuu Mensou no Musume
I suppose I tried it because of Aya Hirano? Too retro for me, of course.

Special A
Twelve episodes or so of shoujo shenanigans are fine, but I think it needs to be at near Lovely Complex-level to captivate me for longer than that. Besides, Kei is not being a douche in a fun way (episode 2, I’m looking at you).

To-LOVE-Ru
TOO SILLY.

Tower of Druaga - the Aegis of Uruk
TOO BORING.

Zettai Karen Children
I had a look at this on a day of loli deprival (yes, I have those). But I didn’t survive the chara design.

ADVENTURE!

To Heart: The Highlights

Being a good little harem fan, I have dutifully watched the infamous stepping stone for game adaptations. Here be a recap…of sorts. (Spoilerish.)

Episode 1. Fatigué d’être fatigué.

Episode 2. Shiho: yells like an old landlady, crushes on blokes like a twelve year-old.

Episode 3. Oops, I got your uniform dirty–let me tap that ass to make it all better!

Episode 3, ct’d. “Hey, how about a threesome with Akari over here? - I thought you’d never ask!”

Episode 4. Random loli gets pwned.

Episode 5. Handjobs are easy!

Episode 6. Random loli #2 gives us gratuitous man-love subtext.

Some of it quite disturbing. Ogiue = superior.

Episode 7. I’m sorry, Masashi…if only you had a soul.

Episode 8. Akari freaks me out.

MAKE IT STOP!

Episode 9. At least she’s a lousy stalker.

Episode 10. You just can’t clean properly without a special attack.

Episode 11. REASONABLE HAREM LEADS SHOULDN’T TALK TO STRANGE OLD MEN IN PARKS.

Episode 12. Shiho…tough love doesn’t mean your man should send basket balls in your face. YA RLY.

Episode 13. Shiho backs down when faced by the Mighty Osananajimi. WISE MOVE.

Wishing for a Nice Boat.

Conclusion: it’s not a bad show. However, it is awfully slow, and quite random at times. I suppose that it was extraordinary in its time, when it was groundbreaking; but considering all the harems that followed, I couldn’t possibly put it in the top list. In the end, it remains a somewhat interesting, somewhat funny bit of anime history.

Bring it on!

I’m ready
I’m ready for the laughing gas
I’m ready
I’m ready for what’s next
I’m ready to duck
I’m ready to dive
I’m ready to say
I’m glad to be alive
I’m ready
I’m ready for the push

- Zoo Station

 

Happy New Year, folks.

Opening credits exercise.

My teacher disliked it, because he thought the music was too fast compared to the ’stillness’ of the animation. Considering my version is about as fast as the original song, I’d say it can work for anyone who’s used to Japanese animation being generally, well, kind of still. Especially in OPs and EDs.

Feel free to concrit, however.

Cheap

SCENE. Jeudi matin. Une boulangerie, vers 11 heures. K. entre, se donnant l’impératif de ne manger qu’une viennoiserie, contrairement à ses habitudes.

CLIENT A, sortant en coup de vent, un caisson contenant une douzaine de croissants et pains au chocolat dans les bras : Les gars seront contents ! Merci, bonne journée !

CLIENT B : J’aimerais six gâteaux.

CLIENT C : Je vais prendre la formule déjeûner, avec deux sandwichs supplémentaires.

CLIENT D, se grattant la barbe : Trois pains de campagne, un aux noix, deux brioches…

VENDEUSE A : Ce sera tout ?

CLIENT D : Hm, rajoutez donc un multi-céréales et une baguette… est-ce que les boules sont d’aujourd’hui ? — Une boule aussi, s’il vous plaît.

VENDEUSE B, au CLIENT B : Ca vous fera 17,90 €. Je vous les mets dans une grande boîte ou bien deux moyennes ?

K. : …uncroissantsilvousplaît.

Rien de tel que ce genre de situation pour nous sentir plus proches de Rousseau et son fameux complexe de Pâtisserie. Lame!

They Went Too Far, Says Keanu Reeves - I Want My Normal Hair Back

I was rather surprised to find Bram Stoker’s Dracula quite enjoyable. All in all, after comparing it with Coppola’s version, the book is a lot more action-driven (despite the expected 19th century pace), and a lot less slutty. I don’t mean that there’s nothing sexual about it, since we are indeed talking about vampires, but the atmosphere is really typical of the fantastique genre as I loved it…in Maupassant, for instance. Granted, with all the vampire-related cultural background one has today, there’s a fair number of passages wherein the characters look incredibly stupid as they fail to notice the blood-sucking that’s going on, but all is forgiven as we near the end, and instead of dragging on and on like so many other works of that time, said characters actually get their shit together and bring down TEH COUNT in a very Hollywood-like fashion (funny how it doesn’t feel that way at all in the movie, but that is easily explained by the one big change - the addition of TEH ROMANCE, which is not a bad idea but affects the meaning of the story in ways that can be and probably have been endlessly discussed).

I naturally grew more indulgent towards these characters as I read on, though, for quite a few are admirable. Van Helsing, of course, who was pretty much his own self in the film thanks to Anthony Hopkins; Quincey Morris, because you can’t help loving the OMG AMERICAN named Quincey; Mina Harker, who seriously kicks some ass; Renfield the nutjob; troubled Dr. Seward and his phonograph. The diary-based narration becomes kind of hilarious when it results in bringing most of these people to share their intimate thoughts, or, in other words, have one big voyeurism party for the sake of hunting old Dracula. Even short-lived Lucy (the most irritating factor in the film) and grey-hair Jonathan are decent enough (does he ever get his normal hair colour back?!); only Lord Holmwood is sadly insipid.

Now, to make my life complete, it’s up to Gonzo to cook up another crazy adaptation and make a shrine to Engrish in the character of Quincey. It would also be nice to have Mina Harker (not voiced by Noto Mamiko, plz) as the heroine, as Coppola did - only not having wet dreams about Gary Oldman (although that is respectable in its own way…). Lucy could be the sacrificed loli, and Dracula could do either with or without TEH MOUSTACHE, as long as his harem gets a bigger role. Wouldn’t that be nice? Think it over with a glass of absinthe, dear readers.

Martin Sheen was President of the United States for seven seasons and I was left out of the loop…

For the record, Caroline is to blame for my recent fixation on The West Wing. My brother had talked about this show before, but hadn’t pimped it well enough for me to watch it; whereas now I’ve been dreaming about it for weeks — most notably about the disappearance and assassination of Josh Lyman, which has hopefully never happened on the actual show.

That said, Josh is definitely not the only character I have a mad fangirl crush on, because they’re all awesome. Seems logical, really. They’re da men, they’re “these women,” and they have a Big Block of Cheese Day. What more is there to say?

Actually, just these two things. First, that I don’t mind the good old trick of having characters walk along corridors all the time, as long as the dialogue keeps being this good and as long as the writers let us know that they know they’re not fooling us there (”Where are you going, by the way? — Er, I was following you.” — and yes, I know they also did that little skit on Stargate: Atlantis, but it just never gets old for me). Secondly, that I yearn for a fat piece of meta explaining how characterisation on TWW is all about how each character pronounces the word okay. I can’t help thinking how meaningful that tiny leitmotiv is.

And to wrap it up, have some fanservice.

Wa-wa-wa-wasuremono…

Hello, folks.

I can’t say for sure that I’m definitely back on the blogging scene on this particular site, but I am giving it a try. We’ll see.

I’m leaving tomorrow to spend a few days with Caroline after an already quite eventful summer (first Japan Expo and fourth con; much travelling and wibbling with Aroe), and I plan to bring her slightly outdated Swedish jam and Psycho Beach Party, because I’m that kind of friend.

Hopefully, I’ll be back with inspiration. Until then… toodles.