June 7th, 2008
2008 Summer Anime Picks
Anime Relations: Zero no Tsukaima, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo, Strike Witches, Telepathy Shoujo Ran, Slayers Revolution, Sekirei, Mugen no Juunin, Ikkitousen: Great Guardians, Mission-E, Koihime†Musou
Damn. Its summer already. I haven't even caught up on all the Spring shit I was trying to follow. Ugh. Oh well. Thankfully, by its nature, Summer (like Winter) is light on new stuff. ...Sorta. So! Having found a place that does anime summaries (in addition to snobbish like opinions for each anime), let's begin.
Ikkitousen: Great Guardians
Summary: First season introduction- Seven schools are constantly ‘at war’ with each other, and the students within - both male and female - have become skilled fighters and constantly battle with rival schools. Their lives and fates are guided by strange jewels that contain the spirits and destinies of warriors from the Sangokushi period. One girl, Sonsaku Hakufu, has recently moved to Japan and is apparently destined to unite the schools as her counterpart united seven countries long ago. But, like all heroes, there is a darker side to her fate, and as always there is a constant struggle by those around her to break the chains of their own destinies and make their own lives. (From AniDB)
Why I'm Interested: Mainly 'cause I watched the first season. I probably won't follow it right off though, 'cause I skipped over the second. Which brings up a great point. Ikkitousen is basically intense fight scenes that result in the female characters getting their clothing torn so we can see as much of their naughty bits as possible during the time slot its being aired in. Most attempts at plot kinda...well, fall apart. So I can't help but ask...what the hell was the point of this season? I mean, I watched the first and didn't even feel there was a need for a second! Don't get me wrong. It was entertaining enough so that I'll definitely give S2 a try, but still...of all the series they could've given a second season to that NEEDED it...including Oh! Great's "Tenjou Tenge" and "Air Gear" series, or even series they could've given it to that don't really need it but was a good enough series that it deserved to be revisited (Mai-HiMe)....WHY this one??? Can someone tell me? Please?
Will I go past five episodes? Ehhh...with broadband? Sure. But there's no way I'm going to force my poor modem to try and download 13 episodes of something that'll probably only get a 7 from me.
Telepathy Shoujo Ran
Summary: Ran is a bright and energetic first-grader in junior high school who possesses supernatual abilities. Together with Midori (her friend who also has supernatural powers) and Rui, the threesome are constantly embroiled in mysterious circumstances. Ran is troubled by her powers because it seems to spark off the ill intentions of people in contact with her. However, with the support of her family and peers, Ran learns to deal with her ‘other’ side and accepts who she is. The threesome also learn how to team up as a whole and solve these mysterious events. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I like the occasional mystery. Of course if it gets too shoujo-y, I'm out. But the base concept sounds appealing enough.
Will I go past five episodes? All depends. Most likely this will be a hate it or love it-type show.
Slayers Revolution
Summary: This season’s story takes place at the time when Lina and Gourry start a new journey to look for Gourry’s new sword with the power of magic. It will also include a new character named Pocota who is said to have cast a Dragon Slave using the Sword of Light. Sylpiel and Prince Phil are also reported to appear. (Moetron)
Why I'm Interested: SLAYERS BITCH! Lina Inverse is fucking full of win that I have no doubt she just threatened someone with Dragon Slave to make a new season because she felt she wasn't being worshipped enough. Take THAT, Haruhi fans! I haven't even watched all of the first three seasons and I love this universe SO much. Now its got updated animation and STILL has the amazing Seiyuu legend Megumi Hayashibara voicing Lina? Fuck...depending on how much its connected to the last three series, I may watch this even without having seen the first three. (And if you're not interested in watching this classic--you fail. We're taking your anime fan badge and forcing you to watch 6,000 hours of Pucca, Spongebob, and whatever other shitty American cartoons I can think of.)
Will I go past five episodes? Most definitely...eventually.
Strike Witches
Summary: When a mysterious force suddenly attacks the world, only the girls who have magic can fight against them. They install weapons in their own bodies and fight in the sky, the land, and the sea. The battle to protect the world begins.
Why I'm Interested: Well, first off, I'm not sure how anyone could think I'd avoid nearly ANY series with a description that ends with "the battle to protect the world begins". But aside from that, we all have our own definitions of what can be seen as awesome. Some people like monkies/gorillas. (I never, EVER got this. I presume its something about you humans close relation to them.) Some people like shounen-ai. Some people like shows about quirky shit like baking bread. I think a lot of ideas are awesome, and its an ever-expanding list. The newest addition? Lolis who are part-loli, part jet-planes. Fucking pwn.
Will I go past five episodes? Prolly not. Plate's already full and I'm having trouble keeping up with what I already have.
Mission-E
Summary: Sequel to the previously aired Code-E, set five years after the final episode in near-future Japan. It will feature a new a new lead named Maori Kimizuka, who will join Ebihara Chinami, the lead from the first season. Both are TYPE-E users adorned in the above pictured rainbow uniforms, and wield supernatural abilities. OZ, the place Chinami and Maori work at, aims for the the adaption of TYPE-E users into society, are in hostility with the “Foundation” who advocate the isolation and control of TYPE-E users that those men belonged to. (AS)
Why I'm Interested: I was already partially interested in Code-E (about a girl who emits electromagnetic waves when her emotions go wild...just quirky enough to be entertaining), but it sounded very slife of life and I very rarely fuck with that. (Clannad's an exception.) But then I learned Mission-E was decidedly more action-y, so now I'm both interested in Mission-E and more interested in Code-E due to the obvious change in tone it had to go through to lead to this. Plus those outfits are sleek.
Will I go past five episodes? Gotta go back and watch Code-E first.
Blade of The Immortal
Summary: ...Really? You NEED a summary for this shit? Its fucking legendary! *sighs* Oh well. Here: Manji is a crass, violent samurai with a special ability: he cannot die. Cursed with immortality by the nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, he has grown weary of his ageless life. The only way to lift the curse is to slay 1,000 evil men. So Manji wanders Japan, shedding the blood of the wicked on his quest to finally die. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: Its REALLY not my kind of show, but fuck man....Blade of the Immortal is JUST legendary enough for me to give it a try. The main character can't be all that bad a guy since he's only going after evil fucks, so what the hell. Still. I can hear the bitching all the way from the future if this series doesn't turn out EXACTLY like the manga.
Will I go past five episodes? Most likely...eventually.
Koihime†Musou
Summary: Based on BaseSon’s adult PC adventure game “Koihime Musou”, set in the style of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. (Extra Summary 'cause that kinda sucked: What did I just say at the top of this thing? Japan does ENDLESS variations on Rot3K. This is the other end of the spectrum. Ikkitousen is Rot3K with LOTS of T&A...this will be the version with lolis.)
Why I'm Interested: I'm watching this just to see if my mind can actually process a loli version of fucking Lu Bu. Lolis = Adorable, cute things that give you the inexplicable urge to hug them whenever you look at them. Lu Bu = Fucking crazy bad-ass who can fuck up entire armies solo or brutally kill people on his own side if you look at him wrong. They really don't mix and I'm sure a LOT of fans will go into meltdown watching this. (Also. Since this one seems to be set in the past, it'll probably be closer to the source material than Ikkitousen, which is nice.)
Will I go past five episodes? I sure as heck intend to try...
Sekirei
Summary: Minato is a total loser. He’s failed to make it into college twice, he’s unpopular with women, and he’s unemployed. But suddenly one day he met a girl dashing inhumanely fast down the road he walked, chased by 2 bandits with electrical powers. From that day on Minato’s life changed forever. The Girl, Musubi was not any ordinary girl she was a “Sekirei”, and suddenly she just bestows Minato with the power of an Ashikabi, one of a mysterious set of “masters” in an awesome battle royale between hordes of cute girls (and males) with individual special powers called “Sekirei’s”. Eventually Minato’s true capabilities will release his useless self into truly understanding all of the Sekirei’s that he embarks to gather, and his own strength. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: Dammit. I'm torn. I'm sure I've said somewhere. If there's ONE anime stereotype/genre I never liked, it was the "milquetoast guy ends up with a harem of girls but doesn't fuck any of them because he's a total pussy". But its entirely possible there will be a couple of bad-ass fights in this, and there's already a bunch of hot chicks in it. In addition I'm told the plot of the manga eventually goes somewhere plot-wise, so presuming its at least 26 episodes, I have to at least give it a try.
Will I go past five episodes? Uhm..50/50 chance.
Zero no Tsukaima
Summary: First season introduction- Meet Louise, a budding magician. The students at the Tristein Academy call her “Zero Louise”, due to her current record of zero successes with magic. In fact, her magic tends to go spectacularly wrong. Now, as an important test of her aptitude for magic, she must summon a familiar to be her servant. At this critical moment, she summons up all her magic and wishes for a familiar that is “devoted, beautiful and powerful”, and gets… Hiraga Saito, an ordinary Japanese boy. It’s difficult to say who is more surprised and dismayed, but the rules don’t allow for second attempts. Louise is stuck with her strange familiar, and he with her. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I'm naturally attracted to magic shows. Plus I read part of the manga and it was just downright hilarious. Of course, there's a problem...
Will I go past five episodes? Yup, you guessed it. Haven't even seen the first season. Might be a good idea to watch S1 and S2 first.
Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo
Summary: The story revolves around Ryōko Yakushiji, a 27-year-old multilingual investigator that graduated from Tokyo University’s elite Department of Law, and the bizarre cases she faces while working for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Yakushiji not only has to deal with supernatural beings in her line of work, but also her rival Yukiko Muromachi, another equally talented and beautiful police investigator. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: Eh....it sounds kinda like TOKKO, which started off interesting but quickly got boring. Still. I get a feel off it that tells me it might be interesting. So I'll give it a shot.
Will I go past five episodes? The better question is whether or not I'll drop the thing entirely after five episodes. Hope not.
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
Summary: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu centers around Ayase Yuko and Nogizaka Haruka. Yuto is seemingly ordinary, but Haruka is attractive, intelligent, and rich, which prompts other students to idolize her and even give her French nicknames like “Nuit Étoile” (The Silver Star of the Night) and “Lumière du Clavier” (The Shining Princess on the Piano). One day, Yuko wanders into the school library in order to return a book and accidently stumbles upon Haruka’s deepest, darkest secret: she is a diehard fan of anime and manga, in other words, a regular otaku. Promising Haruka to keep this a secret, Yuko becomes her advisor and confidente of some sort and hangs out with her more, though earning some viciously envious glares from his fellow schoolmates. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I'm naturally attracted to anime that, well, talks about anime. Its sort of looking at it from the inside looking in, plus I like seeing how the Japanese view their own otaku world. (I get the feeling they're not as critical of anime as we are.)
Will I go past five episodes? Depends on how well it walks the line between romantic comedy and Genshiken-type anime. If it does it well enough, yeah eventually.
Special Mention:
World Destruction
Summary: The game centers on a youth named Kirie Irunisu who secretly possesses the power to destroy the world. He is forced to join a party that aims not to save the world, but to eradicate it and start anew. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I'm not. I just wanted to point out that fortunately as a Hero I'm not allowed to kill or I would make the creator suffer a horrible, horrible death. KNOCK THIS SHIT OFF! What's sad is that video game adaptations usually suck, but I guarantee this one becomes a "sleeper hit". Ugh.
Ikkitousen: Great Guardians
Summary: First season introduction- Seven schools are constantly ‘at war’ with each other, and the students within - both male and female - have become skilled fighters and constantly battle with rival schools. Their lives and fates are guided by strange jewels that contain the spirits and destinies of warriors from the Sangokushi period. One girl, Sonsaku Hakufu, has recently moved to Japan and is apparently destined to unite the schools as her counterpart united seven countries long ago. But, like all heroes, there is a darker side to her fate, and as always there is a constant struggle by those around her to break the chains of their own destinies and make their own lives. (From AniDB)
Why I'm Interested: Mainly 'cause I watched the first season. I probably won't follow it right off though, 'cause I skipped over the second. Which brings up a great point. Ikkitousen is basically intense fight scenes that result in the female characters getting their clothing torn so we can see as much of their naughty bits as possible during the time slot its being aired in. Most attempts at plot kinda...well, fall apart. So I can't help but ask...what the hell was the point of this season? I mean, I watched the first and didn't even feel there was a need for a second! Don't get me wrong. It was entertaining enough so that I'll definitely give S2 a try, but still...of all the series they could've given a second season to that NEEDED it...including Oh! Great's "Tenjou Tenge" and "Air Gear" series, or even series they could've given it to that don't really need it but was a good enough series that it deserved to be revisited (Mai-HiMe)....WHY this one??? Can someone tell me? Please?
Will I go past five episodes? Ehhh...with broadband? Sure. But there's no way I'm going to force my poor modem to try and download 13 episodes of something that'll probably only get a 7 from me.
Telepathy Shoujo Ran
Summary: Ran is a bright and energetic first-grader in junior high school who possesses supernatual abilities. Together with Midori (her friend who also has supernatural powers) and Rui, the threesome are constantly embroiled in mysterious circumstances. Ran is troubled by her powers because it seems to spark off the ill intentions of people in contact with her. However, with the support of her family and peers, Ran learns to deal with her ‘other’ side and accepts who she is. The threesome also learn how to team up as a whole and solve these mysterious events. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I like the occasional mystery. Of course if it gets too shoujo-y, I'm out. But the base concept sounds appealing enough.
Will I go past five episodes? All depends. Most likely this will be a hate it or love it-type show.
Slayers Revolution
Summary: This season’s story takes place at the time when Lina and Gourry start a new journey to look for Gourry’s new sword with the power of magic. It will also include a new character named Pocota who is said to have cast a Dragon Slave using the Sword of Light. Sylpiel and Prince Phil are also reported to appear. (Moetron)
Why I'm Interested: SLAYERS BITCH! Lina Inverse is fucking full of win that I have no doubt she just threatened someone with Dragon Slave to make a new season because she felt she wasn't being worshipped enough. Take THAT, Haruhi fans! I haven't even watched all of the first three seasons and I love this universe SO much. Now its got updated animation and STILL has the amazing Seiyuu legend Megumi Hayashibara voicing Lina? Fuck...depending on how much its connected to the last three series, I may watch this even without having seen the first three. (And if you're not interested in watching this classic--you fail. We're taking your anime fan badge and forcing you to watch 6,000 hours of Pucca, Spongebob, and whatever other shitty American cartoons I can think of.)
Will I go past five episodes? Most definitely...eventually.
Strike Witches
Summary: When a mysterious force suddenly attacks the world, only the girls who have magic can fight against them. They install weapons in their own bodies and fight in the sky, the land, and the sea. The battle to protect the world begins.
Why I'm Interested: Well, first off, I'm not sure how anyone could think I'd avoid nearly ANY series with a description that ends with "the battle to protect the world begins". But aside from that, we all have our own definitions of what can be seen as awesome. Some people like monkies/gorillas. (I never, EVER got this. I presume its something about you humans close relation to them.) Some people like shounen-ai. Some people like shows about quirky shit like baking bread. I think a lot of ideas are awesome, and its an ever-expanding list. The newest addition? Lolis who are part-loli, part jet-planes. Fucking pwn.
Will I go past five episodes? Prolly not. Plate's already full and I'm having trouble keeping up with what I already have.
Mission-E
Summary: Sequel to the previously aired Code-E, set five years after the final episode in near-future Japan. It will feature a new a new lead named Maori Kimizuka, who will join Ebihara Chinami, the lead from the first season. Both are TYPE-E users adorned in the above pictured rainbow uniforms, and wield supernatural abilities. OZ, the place Chinami and Maori work at, aims for the the adaption of TYPE-E users into society, are in hostility with the “Foundation” who advocate the isolation and control of TYPE-E users that those men belonged to. (AS)
Why I'm Interested: I was already partially interested in Code-E (about a girl who emits electromagnetic waves when her emotions go wild...just quirky enough to be entertaining), but it sounded very slife of life and I very rarely fuck with that. (Clannad's an exception.) But then I learned Mission-E was decidedly more action-y, so now I'm both interested in Mission-E and more interested in Code-E due to the obvious change in tone it had to go through to lead to this. Plus those outfits are sleek.
Will I go past five episodes? Gotta go back and watch Code-E first.
Blade of The Immortal
Summary: ...Really? You NEED a summary for this shit? Its fucking legendary! *sighs* Oh well. Here: Manji is a crass, violent samurai with a special ability: he cannot die. Cursed with immortality by the nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, he has grown weary of his ageless life. The only way to lift the curse is to slay 1,000 evil men. So Manji wanders Japan, shedding the blood of the wicked on his quest to finally die. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: Its REALLY not my kind of show, but fuck man....Blade of the Immortal is JUST legendary enough for me to give it a try. The main character can't be all that bad a guy since he's only going after evil fucks, so what the hell. Still. I can hear the bitching all the way from the future if this series doesn't turn out EXACTLY like the manga.
Will I go past five episodes? Most likely...eventually.
Koihime†Musou
Summary: Based on BaseSon’s adult PC adventure game “Koihime Musou”, set in the style of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. (Extra Summary 'cause that kinda sucked: What did I just say at the top of this thing? Japan does ENDLESS variations on Rot3K. This is the other end of the spectrum. Ikkitousen is Rot3K with LOTS of T&A...this will be the version with lolis.)
Why I'm Interested: I'm watching this just to see if my mind can actually process a loli version of fucking Lu Bu. Lolis = Adorable, cute things that give you the inexplicable urge to hug them whenever you look at them. Lu Bu = Fucking crazy bad-ass who can fuck up entire armies solo or brutally kill people on his own side if you look at him wrong. They really don't mix and I'm sure a LOT of fans will go into meltdown watching this. (Also. Since this one seems to be set in the past, it'll probably be closer to the source material than Ikkitousen, which is nice.)
Will I go past five episodes? I sure as heck intend to try...
Sekirei
Summary: Minato is a total loser. He’s failed to make it into college twice, he’s unpopular with women, and he’s unemployed. But suddenly one day he met a girl dashing inhumanely fast down the road he walked, chased by 2 bandits with electrical powers. From that day on Minato’s life changed forever. The Girl, Musubi was not any ordinary girl she was a “Sekirei”, and suddenly she just bestows Minato with the power of an Ashikabi, one of a mysterious set of “masters” in an awesome battle royale between hordes of cute girls (and males) with individual special powers called “Sekirei’s”. Eventually Minato’s true capabilities will release his useless self into truly understanding all of the Sekirei’s that he embarks to gather, and his own strength. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: Dammit. I'm torn. I'm sure I've said somewhere. If there's ONE anime stereotype/genre I never liked, it was the "milquetoast guy ends up with a harem of girls but doesn't fuck any of them because he's a total pussy". But its entirely possible there will be a couple of bad-ass fights in this, and there's already a bunch of hot chicks in it. In addition I'm told the plot of the manga eventually goes somewhere plot-wise, so presuming its at least 26 episodes, I have to at least give it a try.
Will I go past five episodes? Uhm..50/50 chance.
Zero no Tsukaima
Summary: First season introduction- Meet Louise, a budding magician. The students at the Tristein Academy call her “Zero Louise”, due to her current record of zero successes with magic. In fact, her magic tends to go spectacularly wrong. Now, as an important test of her aptitude for magic, she must summon a familiar to be her servant. At this critical moment, she summons up all her magic and wishes for a familiar that is “devoted, beautiful and powerful”, and gets… Hiraga Saito, an ordinary Japanese boy. It’s difficult to say who is more surprised and dismayed, but the rules don’t allow for second attempts. Louise is stuck with her strange familiar, and he with her. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I'm naturally attracted to magic shows. Plus I read part of the manga and it was just downright hilarious. Of course, there's a problem...
Will I go past five episodes? Yup, you guessed it. Haven't even seen the first season. Might be a good idea to watch S1 and S2 first.
Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo
Summary: The story revolves around Ryōko Yakushiji, a 27-year-old multilingual investigator that graduated from Tokyo University’s elite Department of Law, and the bizarre cases she faces while working for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Yakushiji not only has to deal with supernatural beings in her line of work, but also her rival Yukiko Muromachi, another equally talented and beautiful police investigator. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: Eh....it sounds kinda like TOKKO, which started off interesting but quickly got boring. Still. I get a feel off it that tells me it might be interesting. So I'll give it a shot.
Will I go past five episodes? The better question is whether or not I'll drop the thing entirely after five episodes. Hope not.
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
Summary: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu centers around Ayase Yuko and Nogizaka Haruka. Yuto is seemingly ordinary, but Haruka is attractive, intelligent, and rich, which prompts other students to idolize her and even give her French nicknames like “Nuit Étoile” (The Silver Star of the Night) and “Lumière du Clavier” (The Shining Princess on the Piano). One day, Yuko wanders into the school library in order to return a book and accidently stumbles upon Haruka’s deepest, darkest secret: she is a diehard fan of anime and manga, in other words, a regular otaku. Promising Haruka to keep this a secret, Yuko becomes her advisor and confidente of some sort and hangs out with her more, though earning some viciously envious glares from his fellow schoolmates. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I'm naturally attracted to anime that, well, talks about anime. Its sort of looking at it from the inside looking in, plus I like seeing how the Japanese view their own otaku world. (I get the feeling they're not as critical of anime as we are.)
Will I go past five episodes? Depends on how well it walks the line between romantic comedy and Genshiken-type anime. If it does it well enough, yeah eventually.
Special Mention:
World Destruction
Summary: The game centers on a youth named Kirie Irunisu who secretly possesses the power to destroy the world. He is forced to join a party that aims not to save the world, but to eradicate it and start anew. (ANN)
Why I'm Interested: I'm not. I just wanted to point out that fortunately as a Hero I'm not allowed to kill or I would make the creator suffer a horrible, horrible death. KNOCK THIS SHIT OFF! What's sad is that video game adaptations usually suck, but I guarantee this one becomes a "sleeper hit". Ugh.
Posted by SageShinigami | Jun 7, 2008 3:04 PM | 0 comments
April 20th, 2008
Spring Season Anime
Anime Relations: Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2, Druaga no Tou: The Aegis of Uruk, Wagaya no Oinari-sama., Kure-nai, Amatsuki, RD Sennou Chousashitsu, Blassreiter, To LOVE-Ru, Vampire Knight, Kanokon, Macross F, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, Soul Eater, Toshokan Sensou, Nabari no Ou, Monochrome Factor, Nijuu Mensou no Musume, Crystal Blaze, Top Secret: The Revelation
Yay! Its Spring! Wait...Spring kinda sucks. Yeah, everything's turning green, but I live in the South so shit's about to get incredibly warm and humid...soon to turn hot and humid. Which means sleepless nights, sweat-soaked clothes, and days where I feel like I'm about to pass out from the heat 'cause I don't use the AC in an attempt to "conserve energy". (Read: Save Money.) But the positive is that with the Spring comes many (hopefully) cool new anime to watch! Except I'm on dial-up so I have to limit myself to a scant few series...fuck. Why was I excited about Spring again? Ah well...nevertheless...here are my picks for the Spring season.
Amatsuki
Why I'm Interested: Okay, let's be serious. If you can't tell by now, it doesn't take much to please me. A decent action setting (like say...Edo-era) with decent art (see the link above), and the promise of a good mystery to keep me watching (has he been sent to the past, or another world, or what), pretty much has me drawn in. Plus, Jun Fukuyama (Lelouch) is voicing the main character and he's just dreamy. (Kidding, but dude IS damn awesome.)
Will I go past five episodes? Possibly...80-90% chance.
Blassreiter
Why I'm Interested: As easy as I am to please, I like new twists on shit. Zombies have been done six thousand times. Always against normal humans and the end result is always the same: "OMG ZOMBE URTH!!!111". Fuck that. Now. A straight out fight (rather than what most zombie stories devolve into, a battle of attrition) between zombies and humans and the humans have powers? I'm signed up.
Will I go past five episodes? Interesting as this sounds, probably not. Its directed by the same guy who worked on Gantz. (Ultraviolence and random scattered bodyparts galore..) Getting lost in this when there are so many better series (to me) coming seems like a waste.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
Why I'm Interested: 'Cause the first season was fucking awesome, despite the shitty cliffhanger. There are many plots left unfinished, and lots of questions left unanswered from the end of the first season so even though I'm worried this might suck, there's no way I'm skipping out on it. Yay for political drama and giant fucking robots named after characters in Arthurian lore and immortal hotties who are addicted to pizza hut.
Will I go past five episodes? Yes. Definitely.
Crystal Blaze
Why I'm Interested: To be honest, in this case, its less of "Why I'm Interested" and more of, "Why the hell not?" Anime is so often samurais and giant robots and lolis and deities that have forgotten their genders that its rare you get to see a detective show. Well, not entirely rare...the rare part is finding a GOOD detective show. Of course, whether this one's good remains to be seen.
Will I go past five episodes? Prolly not. Another one of those cases where there are better series coming out so this is somewhat of a waste.
Druaga no Tou ~the Aegis of URUK~
Why I'm Interested: Everyone has certain types of worlds they're more interested in than others. For some, its dystopian worlds. (I don't like those people much.) For others, its steampunk. For me, its fantasy worlds. Given that this isn't some shoujo series meant to shove as many androgynous pretty boys down my throat as possible, this anime is really a no brainer. Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be as amusing as Ragnarok: The Animation.
Will I go past five episodes? Hopefully. I'd give it about 85-90% odds.
Himitsu ~Top Secret~
Why I'm Interested: It takes a genius to have a wide range of interests like mine. (I'm so modest, aren't I?) I love fantasy stories, I love action tales, but I'm also a pretty big fan of detective stories too. Especially ones set in the future like this, as I think the scientific advances that could come in the next future years add spice to the genre. Depending on how they deal with the issues of how invading the minds of the dead affects humans and whatnot, it could turn out to be one of the best series of 2008. Or it could just become a NGE-spinoff, with all sorts of useless symbolism that goes nowhere. We'll have to see.
Will I go past five episodes? ....Eventually, sure. At the moment? Prolly not. From an artistic standpoint, it probably will be one of the better series of 2008, but I'm also in this for entertainment and this may be more about being a mindfuck than telling an interesting story. Meh to that.
Kanokon
Why I'm Interested: Fox. Girl. Honestly. When it comes to something like this, a non-serious comedic-type anime? All I need to know is that there's a foxgirl in it. I'm there.
Will I go past five episodes? Mmm...prolly not. I love comedy but I have a lot of other anime to catch up on.
Kure-nai
Why I'm Interested: Its just curious enough to be a "sleeper" anime of 2008. Of course, its also just unappealing enough to be one of the most boring anime of 2008. We'll see.
Will I go past five episodes? Shit, I might not even make it past to two! Nine hours is a long time for a thirty minute experience.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki
Why I'm Interested: Go back up to Kanokon. Replace any instance of the word "fox" with "cat"? And that'll be your answer.
Will I go past five episodes? Again. See Kanokon.
Macross Frontier (what is up with the Japanese and their need to CAPITALIZE shit?)
Why I'm Interested: I've always wanted to watch a pure Macross series, but most of them have been movies or short OVAs as opposed to a full series. Getting the chance to take one from the beginning, week by week, is a dream come true. I watched the first episode in December...beautiful animation, transforming robots, and interesting characters....what's not to like?
Will I go past five episodes? A fucking definite. This and Code Geass are two series I refuse to miss out on. Speaking of, the script is being worked on by the same guy who did Code Geass and Mai-HiMe, both of which are series that cracked my Top 10. Not finishing this series would be just plain wrong.
Monochrome Factor
Why I'm Interested: ...Really? I have no fucking idea. Always interesting to watch someone turn into a hero, but I get no specific feeling about this anime, which usually screams "medicore". Guess we'll see.
Will I go past five episodes? I doubt it makes itself stand out the way it should within the first five, so I'm thinking no.
Nabari no Ou
Why I'm Interested: Ninja, motherfuckers. There are three job occupations in the history of the world that own all others. The first is a knight. The second is a samurai, and the third is a ninja. (Actually they're all interchangeable. They pwn so hard you can't measure them with your tiny human brain.) So as long as Nabari no Ou has a decent plot, decent fight scenes, and doesn't become Flashback no Ou (which would be hard work...it'd have unseat Naruto), I'm SO there.
Will I go past five episodes? I hope so...
Nijuu Mensou no Musume
Why I'm Interested: Its Lupin with breasts. Well, loli Lupin with breasts, but honestly how does that NOT make it better? :D Anyway, I just got a feeling about this series. And my intuition is so sharp it can cut reality in half. (Yes, I'm in love with hyperbole. So what?) Its even directed by a guy who worked on the Lupin franchise...what's not to like?
Will I go past five episodes? Uhm, good as this sounds, probably not. Other stuff to focus on. Like this next one...
RD Sennou Chousashitsu
Why I'm Interested: Basically its Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (which I loved) all over again. Same studio, same writer (!), and same kind of cyberpunk setting. All I need is a very hot, very scary woman like the Major to be either the star or a main character. But even without that, cyberpunk makes me happy.
Will I go past five episodes? I'm thinking there's a good chance, yeah.
Soul Eater - Date: April 7th
Why I'm Interested: Anime set around schools where they teach you shit besides The Great Gatsby, lies about American history (Christopher Columbus was fucking nuts--look it up), and what a cube root is are a requisite for me. The art's not much to look at but I'm thinking it looks better in motion.
Will I go past five episodes? ....Eventually, yeah. Not right now though.
To-LOVE-Ru
Why I'm Interested: You need something stupid now and again.
Will I go past five episodes? Heh. Do you really need to ask? (I know I'm easy to please...not THIS easy.)
Toshokan Sensou
Why I'm Interested: Heroes fighting back against an oppressive government. I like that. Only problem is, usually, Westerners do it and fuck it up 'cause at the end nothing's changed and the hope of things becoming better is extinguished. We're some depressing motherfuckers over here. :P But in Japan, there's actually a vague hope of things becoming, well...you know...BETTER. (Especially since its action/comedy.) When that's the case, I can't help but check it out.
Will I go past five episodes? If the first five don't fuck it up for me, yeah. I'll most likely stick with this one for the season.
Vampire Knight
Why I'm Interested: All I am saying...is give shoujo a chance.... Yeah. I'm usually holding up a cross (get it? 'Cause...the vampires and...ah fuck it) when someone mentions shoujo but I'm trying to give it a start, beginning with what I'm hoping is a decent action-shoujo series. If they fuck it up though...oh the bitching I will do...
Will I go past five episodes? If it doesn't suck...eventually. But mostly I'm concerned with others...like the one above and this next one...
Wagaya no Oinarisama
Why I'm Interested: After spending most of my late teenage years around people who believed they were either angels or demons (I have a weird life), I'm always interested to see stories focusing on immortal deities. And the idea of being SO old you've forgotten your gender...well that strikes me as so hilarious I just have to see what its about.
Will I go past five episodes? I'm thinking so, yeah.
I'll be re-editing this after having watched a few episodes of all these series (my poor, poor modem), to give more definitive opinions. I wouldn't expect that until about June or so, though. Also, I feel compelled to mention that I'm also interested in xxxHOLIC Kei and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's (not mentioned on that preview, but here's a link to its MAL article), but they're not on the list because in the case of one I've yet to watch the previous season and in the case of the other nobody's going to sub it anyway. Stupid stuck-up fans that don't wanna sub Yu-Gi-Oh....
Amatsuki
Why I'm Interested: Okay, let's be serious. If you can't tell by now, it doesn't take much to please me. A decent action setting (like say...Edo-era) with decent art (see the link above), and the promise of a good mystery to keep me watching (has he been sent to the past, or another world, or what), pretty much has me drawn in. Plus, Jun Fukuyama (Lelouch) is voicing the main character and he's just dreamy. (Kidding, but dude IS damn awesome.)
Will I go past five episodes? Possibly...80-90% chance.
Blassreiter
Why I'm Interested: As easy as I am to please, I like new twists on shit. Zombies have been done six thousand times. Always against normal humans and the end result is always the same: "OMG ZOMBE URTH!!!111". Fuck that. Now. A straight out fight (rather than what most zombie stories devolve into, a battle of attrition) between zombies and humans and the humans have powers? I'm signed up.
Will I go past five episodes? Interesting as this sounds, probably not. Its directed by the same guy who worked on Gantz. (Ultraviolence and random scattered bodyparts galore..) Getting lost in this when there are so many better series (to me) coming seems like a waste.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
Why I'm Interested: 'Cause the first season was fucking awesome, despite the shitty cliffhanger. There are many plots left unfinished, and lots of questions left unanswered from the end of the first season so even though I'm worried this might suck, there's no way I'm skipping out on it. Yay for political drama and giant fucking robots named after characters in Arthurian lore and immortal hotties who are addicted to pizza hut.
Will I go past five episodes? Yes. Definitely.
Crystal Blaze
Why I'm Interested: To be honest, in this case, its less of "Why I'm Interested" and more of, "Why the hell not?" Anime is so often samurais and giant robots and lolis and deities that have forgotten their genders that its rare you get to see a detective show. Well, not entirely rare...the rare part is finding a GOOD detective show. Of course, whether this one's good remains to be seen.
Will I go past five episodes? Prolly not. Another one of those cases where there are better series coming out so this is somewhat of a waste.
Druaga no Tou ~the Aegis of URUK~
Why I'm Interested: Everyone has certain types of worlds they're more interested in than others. For some, its dystopian worlds. (I don't like those people much.) For others, its steampunk. For me, its fantasy worlds. Given that this isn't some shoujo series meant to shove as many androgynous pretty boys down my throat as possible, this anime is really a no brainer. Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be as amusing as Ragnarok: The Animation.
Will I go past five episodes? Hopefully. I'd give it about 85-90% odds.
Himitsu ~Top Secret~
Why I'm Interested: It takes a genius to have a wide range of interests like mine. (I'm so modest, aren't I?) I love fantasy stories, I love action tales, but I'm also a pretty big fan of detective stories too. Especially ones set in the future like this, as I think the scientific advances that could come in the next future years add spice to the genre. Depending on how they deal with the issues of how invading the minds of the dead affects humans and whatnot, it could turn out to be one of the best series of 2008. Or it could just become a NGE-spinoff, with all sorts of useless symbolism that goes nowhere. We'll have to see.
Will I go past five episodes? ....Eventually, sure. At the moment? Prolly not. From an artistic standpoint, it probably will be one of the better series of 2008, but I'm also in this for entertainment and this may be more about being a mindfuck than telling an interesting story. Meh to that.
Kanokon
Why I'm Interested: Fox. Girl. Honestly. When it comes to something like this, a non-serious comedic-type anime? All I need to know is that there's a foxgirl in it. I'm there.
Will I go past five episodes? Mmm...prolly not. I love comedy but I have a lot of other anime to catch up on.
Kure-nai
Why I'm Interested: Its just curious enough to be a "sleeper" anime of 2008. Of course, its also just unappealing enough to be one of the most boring anime of 2008. We'll see.
Will I go past five episodes? Shit, I might not even make it past to two! Nine hours is a long time for a thirty minute experience.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki
Why I'm Interested: Go back up to Kanokon. Replace any instance of the word "fox" with "cat"? And that'll be your answer.
Will I go past five episodes? Again. See Kanokon.
Macross Frontier (what is up with the Japanese and their need to CAPITALIZE shit?)
Why I'm Interested: I've always wanted to watch a pure Macross series, but most of them have been movies or short OVAs as opposed to a full series. Getting the chance to take one from the beginning, week by week, is a dream come true. I watched the first episode in December...beautiful animation, transforming robots, and interesting characters....what's not to like?
Will I go past five episodes? A fucking definite. This and Code Geass are two series I refuse to miss out on. Speaking of, the script is being worked on by the same guy who did Code Geass and Mai-HiMe, both of which are series that cracked my Top 10. Not finishing this series would be just plain wrong.
Monochrome Factor
Why I'm Interested: ...Really? I have no fucking idea. Always interesting to watch someone turn into a hero, but I get no specific feeling about this anime, which usually screams "medicore". Guess we'll see.
Will I go past five episodes? I doubt it makes itself stand out the way it should within the first five, so I'm thinking no.
Nabari no Ou
Why I'm Interested: Ninja, motherfuckers. There are three job occupations in the history of the world that own all others. The first is a knight. The second is a samurai, and the third is a ninja. (Actually they're all interchangeable. They pwn so hard you can't measure them with your tiny human brain.) So as long as Nabari no Ou has a decent plot, decent fight scenes, and doesn't become Flashback no Ou (which would be hard work...it'd have unseat Naruto), I'm SO there.
Will I go past five episodes? I hope so...
Nijuu Mensou no Musume
Why I'm Interested: Its Lupin with breasts. Well, loli Lupin with breasts, but honestly how does that NOT make it better? :D Anyway, I just got a feeling about this series. And my intuition is so sharp it can cut reality in half. (Yes, I'm in love with hyperbole. So what?) Its even directed by a guy who worked on the Lupin franchise...what's not to like?
Will I go past five episodes? Uhm, good as this sounds, probably not. Other stuff to focus on. Like this next one...
RD Sennou Chousashitsu
Why I'm Interested: Basically its Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (which I loved) all over again. Same studio, same writer (!), and same kind of cyberpunk setting. All I need is a very hot, very scary woman like the Major to be either the star or a main character. But even without that, cyberpunk makes me happy.
Will I go past five episodes? I'm thinking there's a good chance, yeah.
Soul Eater - Date: April 7th
Why I'm Interested: Anime set around schools where they teach you shit besides The Great Gatsby, lies about American history (Christopher Columbus was fucking nuts--look it up), and what a cube root is are a requisite for me. The art's not much to look at but I'm thinking it looks better in motion.
Will I go past five episodes? ....Eventually, yeah. Not right now though.
To-LOVE-Ru
Why I'm Interested: You need something stupid now and again.
Will I go past five episodes? Heh. Do you really need to ask? (I know I'm easy to please...not THIS easy.)
Toshokan Sensou
Why I'm Interested: Heroes fighting back against an oppressive government. I like that. Only problem is, usually, Westerners do it and fuck it up 'cause at the end nothing's changed and the hope of things becoming better is extinguished. We're some depressing motherfuckers over here. :P But in Japan, there's actually a vague hope of things becoming, well...you know...BETTER. (Especially since its action/comedy.) When that's the case, I can't help but check it out.
Will I go past five episodes? If the first five don't fuck it up for me, yeah. I'll most likely stick with this one for the season.
Vampire Knight
Why I'm Interested: All I am saying...is give shoujo a chance.... Yeah. I'm usually holding up a cross (get it? 'Cause...the vampires and...ah fuck it) when someone mentions shoujo but I'm trying to give it a start, beginning with what I'm hoping is a decent action-shoujo series. If they fuck it up though...oh the bitching I will do...
Will I go past five episodes? If it doesn't suck...eventually. But mostly I'm concerned with others...like the one above and this next one...
Wagaya no Oinarisama
Why I'm Interested: After spending most of my late teenage years around people who believed they were either angels or demons (I have a weird life), I'm always interested to see stories focusing on immortal deities. And the idea of being SO old you've forgotten your gender...well that strikes me as so hilarious I just have to see what its about.
Will I go past five episodes? I'm thinking so, yeah.
I'll be re-editing this after having watched a few episodes of all these series (my poor, poor modem), to give more definitive opinions. I wouldn't expect that until about June or so, though. Also, I feel compelled to mention that I'm also interested in xxxHOLIC Kei and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's (not mentioned on that preview, but here's a link to its MAL article), but they're not on the list because in the case of one I've yet to watch the previous season and in the case of the other nobody's going to sub it anyway. Stupid stuck-up fans that don't wanna sub Yu-Gi-Oh....
Posted by SageShinigami | Apr 20, 2008 9:50 PM | 0 comments
February 26th, 2008
Favorite Anime/Toku Openings and Endings
Jacked from Pixeleen. (Who stole it from someone else, rofl.)
To make it simple I'm only using anime I've seen in the past year or so. Otherwise it'd never end!
Openings
1. Ash Like Snow - Gundam 00 2nd (the brilliant green)
2. D-tecnolife - Bleach 2nd (UVERworld)
3. Daybreak's Bell - Gundam 00 1st (L~Arc~En~Ciel)
4. Go Tight! - Sousei no Aquarion 2nd (AKINO)
5. Shining Days - Mai Hime (Minami Kuribayashi)
6. COLORS - Code Geass 1st (FLOW)
7. Aozora no Namida - Blood+ 1st (Hitomi Takahashi)
8. Ichirin no Hana - Bleach 3rd (High and Mighty Color)
9. Chain - Air Gear (BACK-ON)
10. Sousei no Aquarion - ...Sousei no Aquarion 1st (AKINO)
Close call: Kurenai - Night Wizard (Miyazaki Ui)
Endings
1. Dancing in the velvet moon - Rosario + Vampire (Mizuki Nana)
2. Kimi ga Sora Datta - Mai-HiMe (Aki Misato)
3. Friends - Gundam 00 2nd (Stephanie)
4. Houkiboushi - Bleach 3rd (Youhna)
5. Kujikenaikara - Slayers (Masami Okui and Megumi Hayashibara
6. Extrication - Lost Universe (Megumi Hayashibara)
7. Tip Taps Tip - Eureka 7 (HALCALI)
8. FATE - Ikkitousen 2nd (Asano Masumi)
LMAO, totally out of new good ones for endings. I guess I just don't like endings as much, they're usually soft, somber ballads...which are boring normally but even moreso when you don't speak the language. :D
Still, in place of that...
Favorite Tokusatsu Endings...
1.) Full Force - Kamen Rider Kabuto 1st (Rider Chips)
2.) Another day comes - UltraSeven X (Pay money to my pain)
3.) Take it a try - Kamen Rider Blade 3rd (Morimoto Ryuji)
4.) Double Action - Kamen Rider Den-O 1st
5.) Kakusei - Kamen Rider Blade 1st (Ricky)
There. All done! That said, this whole list is really in no particular order.
Posted by SageShinigami | Feb 26, 2008 4:40 AM | 2 comments
December 12th, 2007
Stop Complaining About Random Friend Requests!
Okay, this has been irking me for a while now. What is with all the people whining about random friend requests? I get the purpose of all these social networking sites, but I think they're starting to spoil some people.
Listen very carefully while I impart a small bit of knowledge, folks: The internet is not the real world. And while I know some idiots would use that as an excuse to do stupid things, that doesn't mean the rest of us can't use that fact positively.
The truth is, I'll probably never meet most of the people I've met online. (...Actually aside from friends I've made, I'm pretty sure I don't want to, but that's a topic for another day.) But the beauty of the internet is that you can make friends with people from across the globe--from places you've never been before.
To be fair, some people do have a point. I love shonen series. I love giant robots. You can see this from my profile. So if you know that and you're a member of the "I hate shonen series" or "I hate mecha shows" groups, why on Earth would you add me? Its clear we probably have nothing in common, and you're just doing that to "collect" friends. I don't approve of that.
But if our compatibility rating is like .25, we share like 60 anime, and three of my top five match three of yours, add me! Please! I don't care if I've never heard of you, never spoken to you on the forums, whatever. Add me; I need the friends. :D
Just asking others to think about that before tossing in their profile how they don't add people as friends unless they've known you for like five years or something. :P
Hm. Not as long as I thought. Oh well. I was never a fan of inflating stuff, so I'm done. ^_^
Posted by SageShinigami | Dec 12, 2007 2:53 PM | 3 comments