fruitfly's Blog

Anime Relations: Shiki

It has been a long time since I've seen a good vampire series, anime or otherwise, and so far this one is quickly becoming a favorite. The subject matter is dealt with with incredible grace; the word "vampire" is not even said until the sixth episode. In a society that has recently become inundated with this particular sub-genre and seems to feel the need to shove it down your throat, I really appreciate that.

The way the characters react to what is happening to them is refreshingly realistic. People seem to understand the gravity of the situation and react naturally based on their characters. For example, a young boy isl gung-ho about hunting vampires, until he realizes that he may actually have to do so and is reasonably overwhelmed by the idea. Each character acts in a different way appropriate to their personality.

On that note, so far there is not one main character that I dislike. Even the one over-the-top character that is Shiki's least relatable cast member has endeared himself to me with his personal take on things. I have a feeling that as the series continues we'll see a real turn around in his character as things continue.

I would certainly recommend this series to anyone who is a die hard fan of vampire stories and is all right with the grittier, less sparkly side of things.

Anime Relations: Angel Beats!

I am attempting to be a little more current in my anime watching: I'm still behind a season or two due to my inability to wait every week to know what happens next. Still, I'm trying.

Angel Beats is a series that has gotten a decent amount of buzz on the web, mostly for making people cry, and feeling masochistic I decided to pick it up. I didn't like the first episode and immediately feared that this would turn out to be another cliched school drama with stale comedy interspersed, but the unique premise kept me watching. I'm glad I did, as now I see that the things I initially saw as cliche are used as parody, and the seemingly shallow character archetypes hide deeper, meaningful characters that are gradually uncovered each episode.

I think this is going to be a sleeper hit for me. The more I watch it, the more I find myself enjoying it. I'm very much reminded of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and that is not at all a bad thing (in fact, if I recall correctly, I started out disliking that series, too.)

Onward!