Hidan no Aria

In response to the worsening crime rate, Japan creates Tokyo Butei High, an elite academy where "Butei" or armed detectives hone their deadly skills in hopes of becoming mercenary-like agents of justice. One particular Butei is Kinji Tooyama, an anti-social and curt sophomore dropout who was once a student of the combat-centric Assault Division. Kinji now lives a life of leisure studying logistics in order to cover up his powerful but embarrassing special ability. However, his peaceful days soon come to an end when he becomes the target of the infamous "Butei Killer," and runs into an emotional hurricane and outspoken prodigy of the highest rank, Aria Holmes Kanzaki, who saves Kinji's life and demands that he become her partner after seeing what he is truly capable of.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kanzaki, Aria Holmes Main

Kugimiya, Rie Japanese

Tooyama, Kinji Main

Majima, Junji Japanese

Mine, Riko Main

Ise, Mariya Japanese

Hotogi, Shirayuki Main

Takahashi, Mikako Japanese

Reki Supporting

Ishihara, Kaori Japanese

d'Arc, Jeanne Supporting

Kawasumi, Ayako Japanese

Mutou, Gouki Supporting

Kondou, Takayuki Japanese

Tsuzuri, Umeko Supporting

Asano, Masumi Japanese

Shiranui, Ryou Supporting

Eguchi, Takuya Japanese

Nakasorachi, Misaki Supporting

Kanemoto, Hisako Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Nozaki, Keiichi Producer

Matsukura, Yuuji Producer

Hayashi, Youhei Producer

Reviews

May 28, 2011

DangoSadge

Recommended

Hysteria Mode... It's like 'Pervergy' (pervert energy) but doesn't make your hair spike up in such ridiculous proportions.

Joining me for today's review and providing commentary is none other than Master Yoda. Great to have you with me here today Master Yoda.

"To pleasure with you, it is my work"

Umm.. I think you mean "It is my pleasure to work with you" but somehow that came out wrong... Anyways, onwards to the review!

Hidan no Aria, or by it's English title Aria the Scarlet Ammo was one of the many anticipated anime this year. Heck, even some fanboy/girl even created a page for the series on facebook ... even before it started airing, while other fan claim it as "One of the Best Anime of all Time"
Even Master Yoda took the liberty of contributing by subbing a few of the episodes for the series.

"Subbing the anime, enjoy I have..."

Well I'm sure you do. But I can't say much for the audience though...

The concept of the series is quite popular among some factions of the audience in this modern era. An academy for training Butei (mercenaries but with a code of honor). Girls falling from the sky. Strong heroines. Absurd gun fights and explosions. And last but not least, HAREM! Everything an average youthful men wants but fail to achieve due to our constricting ties to reality. The premise itself made an interesting core for the story. But the question is, did it live up to the light novel's expectations?

Art wise, it is far from being perfect but nevertheless is sufficient to provide detail on the author's perspective of what a world that is run by secret organizations, mercenaries and assassins. I have no problem with the sound as well as the BGM composed was befitting of an action genre anime with a tint of comedy.

"Not if anything to say about it, I have! Seen better animation for action I have"

For the last time Yoda, you can't compare your movie animation to an anime animation. That's like comparing a light saber to a banana. But gives you heartburn but a different kind.

List of Characters

Aria H Kanzaki..
Contrary to popular beliefs, the H in Aria's name is Holmes NOT "H" for ECCHI! I'm saying this for the first and last time. I mean, what parent would give their daughter the name, 'Aria Ecchi Kanzaki"? And Holmes is spelled H-O-L-M-E-S not `Olmes. She's not a gangsta. You hear me Yoda?

"Your mother, word to.."

You know when you mix gangsta talk and Yoda talk, it just makes no sense..

Aria is supposedly the 4th generation descendant of Sherlock Holmes. A generic Tsundere (of course will come with an iron board chest) I find nothing particular interesting about her character in the anime. She's as generic as it gets when it comes to Tsundere female lead. Ok, so that covers the Tsundere Flat Chested Girl Fetish audiences. Treating the male lead as a slave, calling him 'idiot' for no apparent reason and of course being such a huge cock blocker. But she is, not, without some positive values. She is portrayed as strong willed and independent. She goes out of her way to prove her mother's innocence as well as following her advice on finding her "Watson" or in other words a partner.

And thus we have Kinji Tooyama, the Watson to Aria's Holmes.
Kinji Tooyama is conditionally weak and a coward. Oh no. Well this isn't really new. If you're a proud owner of a harem you should be prepared to be stripped of all your dignity and strength. That's the basic foundation of a "Class II Harem" But I said "conditionally weak because he has Hysteria Mode! His urge to protect women causes him to awaken to his the manly and elegant side. He chooses to escape from the Butei world after his elder brother was killed performing his duty but was badmouth by the community. Thus it would take a bomb on a bike, a bomb on a bus and a bomb on a airplane to change his mind and decide to serve as Aria's partner as a Butei.

And what Harem wouldn't be completed without a neglected childhood friend. Shirayuki Hotogi, she's sort of like a miko so yeah I guess that covers the audience with a miko fetish. She is one of the very few characters that possess psychic abilities.

"Within this young one, force is strong..."

Right... So Shirayuki is of course portrayed as the one who showers her unconditional love to our male harem lead. Which could only mean one thing. YANDERE!!! It's been a long time since I've seen a Yandere in a harem. Yanderes serves as an important mechanism in a harem.
It is indeed refreshing to see someone who could do the job for me, killing the main harem lead if he becomes such a nuisance.

So that's it for some of the main characters in the series. Wait, I know what you're thinking..

"THIS ISN'T TORADORA SEASON 3???!!!"
What gave you the slightest idea that it was, Mr.CAPSLOCK Warrior?

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WAS HAREM ANIME! THERE'S ONLY TWO GIRLS. YOU LIED TO ME! YOU SUCK AS A HAREM KING! STOP TRYING TO BE FUNNY! IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT!!"
Well, I wouldn't want to spoil the best moments in the novel and anime so I guess you have to figure out which other girls are in his harem. But I'm telling you it's not that hard to figure out... Basically any girl who had more than 3 conversation with the male harem lead in a harem genre anime will be automatically (and magically) fall in love with him.

So did the anime live up to it's expectation and hype? I would probably say no. However, it doesn't mean it was a failure. The novel had great aspect and content that if utilized in the anime would make it worth while to watch. Even though the whole youths in combat, mercs and assassins, ability users concept is pretty used many times.

Another interesting aspect about the series is that it follows a common trend in animes is to cameo famous historical figures names as characters. Well I won't spoil to you who appears and not.
But I will tell you who doesn't
-Georgia WashMyThongs
-Christy CallMahBust
-Napoleoni Bonerpart
And other ideas names on historial figures being girly-fied? Feel free to comment on my profile.

"Girl version of my name, Yodarina, it would be..."
I wouldn't be interested in a girl version of you anyways yoda

If you like gun duels, explosions, destruction and of course a follower of the Way of the Harem, all sandwich in supposedly labelled school life type genre? then you might find Hidan no Aria worthwhile. And if you like Yoda's fansub you could also request him to sub other animes.
Thanks for reading!

Haremu Kingu,
Singing Off!

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jul 4, 2011

Skadi

Mixed Feelings

I really am trying to not become one of those cynical anime watchers who think the best has already come and never will again, but you’re really trying my resolve this year Japan. Hidan no Aria was a show that for whatever reason I had a great deal of excitement and anticipation for. I was won over by the early pre-production artwork without knowing really anything at all about what it was going to be about or the source materials. When I learned the seiyuu cast and the plot synopsis I was pretty sure what I was going to be in store ... for. In that sense I probably shouldn't have been disappointed at all.

What Hidan no Aria gives us as a premise is about as generic and played as it comes. A high school boy... sigh why is it I always have to start it with that? Anyway he goes to Butai High School, a place where Japan teaches its youngsters to be assassins, thieves, and super powered shrine maidens. It’s like any other anime high school except the students all carry guns and katanas. No seriously it’s just like every other high school. So from there our hero, Kinji, suitably useless and powerless Japanese male gets involved right off the bat with the more dangerous female classmates who either want his body or him dead or more often both. Of course Kinji is able to tap into a hidden power of his own called "Hysteria Mode" which he enters from being sexually aroused. Really I'm serious here. I can't make this stuff up. Further nonsense ensues from this point and I honestly couldn’t make heads or tails of any of it from the beginning.

As with most anime of this type it likes to throw out tons of nonsensical and contradictory terminology and other assorted garbage. While in the beginning it doesn't seem like that much of a stretch it really starts to take a turn for the bizarre after a few episodes. That’s when we start having characters assigned names from other fictional and totally unrelated content. Such as Sherlock Holmes, Lupin IV, Jeane of Arc, and Dracula? It’s a mishmash of themes that have absolutely nothing in common with each other and make no sense when even applied to the story. It’s almost like the author of the story just picked random names from a library shelf and jammed them into his story as if they applied some sort of deeper meaning to it. The names don’t even have any bearing on how the characters act either. Jeane of Arc has ice powers, Dracula is a werewolf, and Holmes is a gun totting, dual katana wielding loli. Wuh? This only further confuses an already pointless and directionless story which doesn't seem to stick to one theme for more than a few episodes before meandering off into another direction. All in all it’s bad... REALLY BAD. Perhaps the worst excuse for a story I have seen in anything to date.

That brings us to the characters which really don’t far much better. Our hero Kinji is barely worth mentioning. Seriously when are they going to just stop giving the guys in anime names or even bother drawing on faces on them anymore? Just go ahead and give in to the otaku pervs and just complete the fantasy by having replacing them with faceless stick figures to allow them to complete their 2D on screen fantasy.

As for the girls the results are bad, even for a harem. Other than Aria the other girls are pretty much unmentionable. Aria is your standard loli tsundere. She says all of the things you would expect of her archetype and is performed brilliant by the undisputed seiyuu queen of this type, Rie Kugimiya. As much of a completely uninspired character or even acting performance that makes Aria up, it is Kugimiya that makes this series even remotely palatable to watch. Sure we have seen her do this role dozens of times before but I for one really never grow tired of it. In that sense it is a thoroughly Kugimiya type performance that is right in her wheel house and one that she completely hits out of the park. The real question is how many people are, unlike me, totally sick and tired of it?

J.C. Staff is usually pretty solid with their animation and production values and that doesn't really change here. But a lot like Kugimiya, I suspect a great many viewers are becoming weary of seeing the same damn thing over and over again. It would be nice to see them try to stretch themselves sometimes and be unafraid to take some risks. The one thing that really did stand out to me was how utterly silly the various girls hid their weapons. Take Aria, who is a tiny girl with an impossibly short skirt yet somehow manages to hid 2 enormous pistols under it and yet not be constantly seen when she is not drawing them. In addition to the even more ridiculous dual katanas she hides, under her blouse. It seems Aria's clothes are a lot like Doctor Who's TARDIS: bigger inside than it appears from the outside. Not that this is the first time anime has played with physics before but this really seemed to stretch the realm of believability.

From an acting and sound standpoint, Hidan no Aria is very good. As mentioned I think Rie Kugimiya was in her element and delivered a very enjoyable performance. The rest of the cast played their parts as expected. The music was pretty exciting and good. I especially enjoyed May'n Scarlet Ballet.

I actually found a great amount of this series to be amusing, mostly because I am a Kugimiya fangirl. As nonsensical and clichéd as everything about this anime was there was plenty of amusement to be found in watching the characters act this way. But at the same time I am fully aware that pretty much everything else about this show is terrible. For that reason I can’t recommend it to anyone.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 2, 2011

kindergraph

Not Recommended

There was a time when I, too, had faith in J.C. Staff. I still do, actually. I’m stubborn. But try as I might to cling fondly to the days gone by, to classics like Azumanga Daioh and Excel Saga, even guilty pleasures like Shakugan no Shana, it seems that J.C. Staff is relentless in their efforts to drive me away. An admirable mission, that.

So here is Hidan no Aria. I’ll confess. I was excited. I have a soft spot for action harems, loathe though I am to admit it. I’m one of the last cynics in anime fandom who doesn’t completely loathe Rie Kugimiya (she’s ... not bad, she’s got range; it’s not her fault the squeal is what sells, and everybody’s got to pay the bills). Takashi Watanabe of Boogiepop and Shana was directing, and early promotional artwork looked…well, not promising, but certainly not the worst of the genre. I didn’t get my hopes up, but I expected the kind of show I could guiltily binge on and then tell all my friends I hated to keep up the elabourate façade that I am a man of taste.

All this is just so you know that I gave Aria a fighting chance.

With all that said, it’s bad. I mean it’s really bad. Not Togainu no Chi bad, but nowadays my attention can only be diverted from erotic fanfiction and 80’s movies to tear an especially terrible Japanese cartoon a new arsehole, because I like easy targets. So that’s the terminology we’ll settle on—especially terrible. And it is. It is a new low for J.C. Staff.

But I’ve beat around the bush long enough. Let’s get to the point.

The world of Hidan no Aria is one where the Butei, an elite international martial organisation, trains its members at the high school level. That’s right. In this world, international treaties on child labour are unheard of, and hundreds of parents see no issue with sending their children to a school where the use of firearms is not only commonplace, but required. Furthermore, the students of Tokyo Butei High—quite unlike my high school classmates, most of whom, by the time graduation rolled around, had yet to master the delicate art of pissing straight—perform incredibly well in this environment. Oh, but it’s not just the coursework they have to worry about. Butei High students must apply their lessons to real life when they are targeted by the Butei Killer—a criminal who sends high-speed Saw-esque murder puzzles after the teenage students. This individual has yet to be apprehended, as Butei graduates and all other law enforcement agents have better things to do than bother with a serial criminal with a rigidly-defined M.O. who regularly targets minors, and endangers civilians in the process. Yep.

Now, I wouldn’t still be watching anime if I had issues with suspending my disbelief, but would it really have been so hard to age the cast up four or five years, to college-age? The plot would remain practically untouched, and, really, it’s got nowhere to go but up. But I digress.

The rest of the plot involves a lot of looking at girls’ underwear (whether it is on their bodies or off), and some nonsense about Sherlock Holmes and other fictional characters (and at least one out-of-place historical figure) that is so astonishingly, mind-numbingly stupid that I have no words for it. Aspiring writers, hark! Don’t always stick with the first idea you get, because it is usually righteously fucking ridiculous.

The animators seem to stumble over the character designs despite the fact that they are not terribly complex. Characters are frequently off-model, and their movements are stiff and awkward. Their hair moves bizarrely, even by anime standards: when disturbed it jumps up suddenly at an odd angle and waves around for a while before jumping back into place. Fabric works much the same way. Inbetweens are practically non-existent, leading to movement that looks like jumpy cardboard rather than a fluid transition from one position to the next. Furthermore, all of J.C. Staff’s recent productions have had this weird kind of Gaussian-blur layer over every frame, making the outlines blurry and subdued. The animation isn’t awful, per se, but it’s mediocre at best.

I don’t have much to say on the show’s score. It’s boring. The themes are fast-paced, but forgettable and generic, while most of the background music kind of blurs together. The purpose of a soundtrack is to elicit emotional response and set the mood for a scene. Aria’s music is just kind of there because they had, like, way too much money and thought it would be cool to buy a composer. The vocal work is...well, you know what you’re getting. Rie Kugimiya puts on the sort of performance she is infamous for, Junji Majima is a forgettable harem lead, and the rest of the cast could all switch places and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

The real beauty of Aria (and I mean that in the most bitter, sarcastic, miserable way) lies in its titular character. Aria H. Kanzaki is evil. I really mean it. She is a special kind of sadistic, childish evil, unfettered by the cautious try-hard some authors exhibit when writing adults. She is rotten to the core. She is spoilt, murderously violent, infinitely selfish, and utterly loathsome. If she were the antagonist, I might even be giving this show a positive review. I would be forced to tip my hat to an author so skilled at manipulating his readers that he can craft a character that summons such immediate distaste in everyone. I’m not a violent person, but I’d say she needs a bit of discipline in the form of a high-speed baseball bat to the mouth.

But she’s not the antagonist. She’s not even an easily-overlooked secondary character. Her name’s in the title. And we are supposed to love her. We are supposed to pile our disposable income on Blu-Rays and posters bearing her visage, on models of her likeness to sit precariously upon our shelves so that we can steal a peek at her plastic panties.

Aria H. Kanzaki is really the lowest the tsundere phenomenon can go. I don’t have anything against tsunderes, really. In fact, when written carefully and realistically, they are some of my favourite characters. Aria is not a tsundere. She’s a psychopath and a bully. She is hysterical, she is capricious, she is downright mean—she is everything that might lead a man (were he so inclined) to roll his eyes and scoff and say, “Women! Am I right?”

Which is a good segue into my next point.

I’m not mad at Aria, because she is a fictional character, and that would be silly. I am mad, however—frothingly so—at the author. Chuugaku Akamatsu has written a character who he believes to be a sympathetic woman. The audience is supposed to watch her temper tantrums and violent fits the same way we might watch an angry child, despite the fact that Aria is more than old enough to know better. Her fits of rage aren’t horrifying—they’re cute! This sort of behaviour is just the thing the author—and, he perceives, his audience—expects out of a woman.

Now, we could say that Aria’s temper—and, by extension, the exceedingly childish behaviour of most of the rest of the female cast—is just the author clumsily trying to write a realistically flawed character. People aren’t perfect, after all, and violently temperamental women (and men) do exist!

But I’m not stupid, and, hopefully, neither are you.

The author’s intent matters. The target audience matters. The moe phenomenon matters. Japanese society and its views on women matter. The context matters.

Look. I’m not saying that you’re a bad person if you enjoyed Hidan no Aria. Do what makes you happy. I’m not saying that you’re a bad person if you enjoy any fiction that carries some unfortunate implications in its characterisation of women, people of colour, GLBT people, or any minority—it’s perfectly possible for a story that is otherwise well-written to stumble a bit when it comes to political correctness (and I hate that fucking term, because it implies that treating other people like human beings should be done out of obligation and not common sense), and this is okay, as long as it is discussed. And I’m not trying to take away your titty anime. There are plenty of shows that reward the viewer with gratuitous unmentionables while at the same time sporting a cast of realistic, relatable, well-written female characters. In fact, if Hidan no Aria was a good show that happened to have a horrible female lead, I might not even mention it. Well, maybe in passing.

But Hidan no Aria is bad, and I hate it, and writing this review feels like a weight off my shoulders after nearly five hours wasted on this garbage. So I will mention it. And I did. And I think I’m done now.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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