FIF#23-Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

Long ago in a land forgotten by time, the desert spreads vast and giant towers known as “Dungeons” tower over all.  Some believe these unexplored monoliths hold great power and wealth and many seek to claim it for themselves.  Alibaba is one such dreamer, working for the scum of the city to attain money to begin his journey.  When he crosses paths with an odd young boy named Aladdin, Alibaba finds the chance he’s been looking for.  Partnered with a beautiful slave and armed with Aladdin’s powerful Djinn best friend, Oogo, Alibaba dares to venture into the Dungeon he’s sought to enter his whole life.  The only thing scarier than the law of the land chasing after them, are the secrets and dangers lurking within this ancient tower from which none have ever returned.

Magi can be a pretty deceitful title.  With a setting that looks like Agrabah and characters with names like Alibaba and Aladdin, you almost expect a Disney like Anime of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights.  And sure, the animation is cutesy and Aladdin is just too freaking adorable…but wow is he a tiny little pervert.  Actually, boobs seem to be on everyones mind for at least one second in the first episode.  Hell Aladdin even makes fun of Alibaba’s fat boss cause he think he has boobs.  I had to shake my head and get my bearings after that moment.  This was definitely not what I expected when I chose to watch the first episode. 

Aladdin may be the best part of the first episode of this series.  He’s a lot like Goku from the original Dragon Ball if he was living in a desert setting and actually knew something about girls.  His child like wonder is matched only by his strong heart and desire to help others and make friends.  He sees right through Alibaba’s roll with the punches mindset and constantly calls him out.  I’m surprised it took Ali so long to get his act together.  After refusing to disobey his bosses orders TWICE, he actually draws the line at sacrificing a young girl to save money making wine.  I mean, whew, I doubt he’d stoop so low but if he did, I’d be done with this series.  We saw a little bit of the Red haired (or is it pink?) slave girl but didn’t really get much of a name.  The opening intro mix sees her capable of pulling off incredible feats of fury but you wouldn’t get that seeing her looking so fragile.  Maybe she gets better as time goes on?

As much as I’m curious about these “Dungeons” im wondering if we’re going to spend all season (yes I said season.  This series is the first of three) traveling to the top of the tower (Could this be the titular Labyrinth of Magic?).  It feels a lot like a retelling of the first season of Sword Art Online.  Now the adventure could get pretty entertaining but then again I feel like it could stall like Sword Art did once or twice.  If the series is drawing on Arabian Nights as much as I think it is, then there’s a whole universe of excitement that could befall Aladdin and Alibaba.  Could they all be in this tower?  I don’t know but it’s a lot of potential I don’t want to see squandered.

So, while the unexpected sexy moments and humor caught me off guard, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic had enough fun to get me curious.  Aladdin is a lot of fun to watch and I would like to know what is inside that Dungeon and if there really is treasure waiting for Alibaba.  Like I said, this is only the beginning of a long series: The Kingdom of Magic and The Adventures of Sinbad follow this one.  But I’m hopefully Labyrinth of Magic can stand on it’s own without being all set up for better things.  One things for sure, Disney’s Aladdin has nothing on this Anime wild child who could die happy, face buried in the bosom of a beautiful woman…yeah still could never see that coming.

 

T5W#59-Top 5 Observations from the Ghost in the Shell Teasers

Studios can be pretty crafty sometimes.  Last week, during the Season Finale of the USA hit series, Mr. Robot, 5 separate mini TV spots for the upcoming Live Action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell were shown.  Could this mean we’ll have an actual trailer soon?  I hope so.  Because those 5 clips were the very first bits of footage we’ve seen from the film.  My feelings are mixed but overall, ive got a good feeling.  We’ve come a long way from the controversial first image of Scarlet Johannson as Motoko Kusinagi.  Now we’re one step closer to seeing this bad boy in its completed form.  Ghost in the Shell has always been a special spot in my Anime fandom (up there with Mobile Suit Gundam and Dragon Ball Z).  So I’m keeping my fingers crossed this movie can work.  Anyway, figured I’d share my Top 5 Observations from those teaser snippets.  This could be the American Anime adaptation that wipes our mouths clean of the foulness of Dragon Ball Evolution…oh who am I kidding, that bad taste isn’t going away any time soon.

 

#5-Beat Takahasi as Aramaki

Aramaki is a tough role to cast.  When I heard he was being played by the legendary Takeshi Kitano, aka Beat Takahasi, I got stoked.  You might recognize him from Spike TV’s MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge-his character is Vic Ramano in the parody) as well as both Battle Royale films.  Seeing him for the first time in his Aramaki role is…kind of weird really.  The hairstyle throws me off quite a bit.  At first I was also not sure about Aramaki handling a gun…until I remembered him in action in Ghost in the Shell: Arise.  How this goes will be as curious as the rest of the movie.  But I have faith in Takeshi Kitano.  He was already a bad ass, if kind of crazy, teacher.  I’m sure he’ll do just fine as the Chief of Section 9.  Plus if he’s rocking a revolver, means we might get to see him in the field in action.

 

#4-Motoko looks a little nervous

The final teaser of this set shows Motoko wandering down a dark corridor, gun drawn, clearly heading towards something dangerous…and she’s looking a little nervous I think.  Pretty much every interation of Motoko’s character in Anime has shown her to be a cold as ice warrior, with very little fear in anything she does.  Granted, Arise has shown Motoko as younger, less experienced and thus a little rough around the edges.  This is different though, this feels like it will be a very different Motoko than we’re used to.  I could be looking at this all wrong though.

 

#3-“What are you?”

Now this is a curious question to ask in a world like this.  Is Motoko somehow different than most cyborgs?  Who is the girl asking this question?  Still, it’s a three word question that is most closely associated with the world of Ghost in the Shell.  In a world where cybernetics are the norm and the line between Human and Machine blurs daily, what is normal?  What is Human?  What does it mean to exist?  Motoko faces questions like these on a regular basis.  Given her origins in Arise, it makes sense.  But we don’t know where Motoko comes from in this new movie.  What is she?  I cant wait to find out.

 

#2-Oshii like Visuals

 

Seeing the robot Geisha walking down the corridor feels very inspired by Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.  It feels very Anime, complete with a mysterious vibe you can easily spot in either of Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell films.  I really hope this means that they’re sticking to that visual kind of style with this film, translating it from Anime to live action.  Some of the 1995 GITS films best moments were some of the slower ones, featuring grand looks at the city and a minute of thoughtful contemplation while we watched the cast make their way from Point A to Point B.  In short, this movie doesn’t look like it’s ignoring it’s Anime or Manga routes and is looking to keep them alive and well…which brings us to one moment in particular.

 

#1-That bed shot

This moment alone has sold me on this movie having a chance.  It’s not a dead on replica of an infamous shot from the beginning of the original movie.  But it’s close, real close.  Actually, if you look at any iteration of Ghost in the Shell: the movies, Stand Alone Complex or Arise, you’re going to see shared scenes popping up with their own spin in their own separate universes.  The opening of the 1995 movie is retooled and shown in both SAC and Arise and both are just as good as that iconic scene, making it their own but not ignoring what came before.  If I can see more shots like this in any upcoming preview, then this film just got bumped up the list of my Most Anticipated Films of 2017.  In 2004, I named Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence my top movie of the year.  Could this film accomplish that same feat?  Could this be the big win Live Action Anime in America needs?  Who knows.  But I’ll be there March 2017 to find out.

 

And you better believe there will be a review here too.

Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail

Ronanapur’s darkest day has come.  The glasses sporting maid with a lot of guns, Roberta, has returned and she’s raising all hell in her quest to avenge the death of her master.  However, when the identity of her targets are revealed to be U.S. Military Operatives, the powers that be in Ronanapur brace for a crisis unlike any the dirty city has ever seen before.  The Lagoon Company is contracted by Roberta’s new young master, Garcia, to find Roberta and bring her home.   But blinded by vengeance and hopped up on pills and bloodlust, Roberta is on a one way ticket to destruction and nothing, not even Revy and the combined might of Ronanapur’s best killers, may be able to stop her.

Much like the series that came before it, Roberta’s Blood Trail, the third season of Black Lagoon, has the challenging task of following up its creatively ambitious and amazing predecessor with something creative to expand the world and yet keep viewers entertained.  In a lot of ways it does this well, in fact it does it better than ever, but some aspects could have been maybe a little bit better.

While this is a continuation of the Black Lagoon series (it even continues the episode count where The Second Barrage left off, these are Episodes 25-29 btw) this is a shorter OVA and thus allows the franchise to break away from some of the chains that might have been holding it down…if there were any at all to begin with.  And while it may be hard to believe that the out of control violence of The Second Barrage couldn’t be topped…Roberta’s Blood Trail does this in spades.  Blood gushes and runs rivers, bullets fly and people are torn to pieces in ways that you probably would not have seen in the series.  Again, this comes from the zero limitations that OVA’s have in their productions.  The first two seasons tip toed then stepped over the line of “over the top”, Roberta’s Blood Trial blazes forward and leaves that line in the dust once the shooting starts and Roberta gets serious.

Speaking of Roberta, her character is clearly at the forefront of the story and the action but it is her decent into total madness that is the real catch of the series.  You feel for the poor assassin turned maid at first when she wants to seek revenge for the man who saved her from a life of blood and pain but that train of thought can change when you see how far that obsession takes her and just how far her crazed mind is taking her away from the young master she still cares so much about.  Roberta’s fang filled smile is one of the most haunting images in all of anime.  And speaking of haunting characters, Rock is the other big focal point of this OVA.  His chess game with the powers that be in Roanapur for the future of the island and its way of living is chilling and shows us a version of Rock never seen before.  He’s become almost a product of the environment and it soon becomes a question of how far will he be driven down this twisted path before he loses himself like Roberta has?  Adding more to it is Revy’s growing concern and fatigue with Rock’s troubles.  She’s good at kicking teeth in but how long will she stay by Rock’s side to protect him through what she sees as fruitless and futile ventures?  It’s fascinating and unique storytelling that keeps the viewer guessing what the final outcome of events will be right up to the final episode.  And since Roberta’s revenge is bringing dire consequences with it, it’s all hands on deck for Ronanapur’s best and most lethal.  Main cast members Dutch and Benny get more to do than they did in The Second Barrage and fan favorites from the last two seasons also get involved in their own way as all of Roanapur becomes a battleground. 

The rest of the OVA production save for the extra brutal action and some very sensual scenes is very reminiscent of what has come before.  The animation looks touched up a tad but otherwise it still looks like the series.  Which works to recreate a very familiar feel but may put off others expecting higher visual quality from an OVA production.  Still the story pacing and flow makes this feel like a full blown movie rather than an OVA so it more than makes up for any lack of leaps and bounds in the animation department.  If there is one downside to this series it’s that it can get a bit wordier than past seasons have been.  And while it is important that we hear all of the motivations behind this cast and learn what drives them, their conversations and when they take place can leave viewers begging for chaos to finally rain down.  But one of the biggest lows in an otherwise amazing season is the lack of a rematch between Revy and Roberta, who had a great mini rivalry back in the first season. 

Roberta’s Blood Trail is a great continuation of the Black Lagoon saga and it is grand and epic in its execution of story, animation and most of all action.  Each season of Black Lagoon keeps getting better and better, this being the best story yet.  And much like with the end of The Second Barrage, one can only hope this is not the last we see of this action packed fun fest.

9/10

 

FIF#22-Revolutionary Girl Utena

When she was a young girl, Utena Tenjou met a handsome Prince who comforted her in a time of great need.  Inspired by his kindness, Utena has aspired to be a Prince, not a Princess, when she grows up.  This brings a now teenage Utena to the Ohtori Academy.  It is here that she meets Anthy Himemiya, a meek girl who is being abused by her boyfriend in the Student Council.  When Utena steps in to defend her, she doesn’t realize the road that opens up to her.  What is the Student Council and what mysterious force do they answer to?  And with Anthy free from her abusive relationship, what destiny will unfold when she becomes Utena’s new charge?

This is a title I had been told I should watch numerous times.  I’ll admit, I tried once and I came in at about the mid point of the series, watched an episode or two…and stopped cause I was super confused.  Revolutionary Girl Utena definitely feels like a series that needs to be viewed from the beginning for anything to make sense.  Just watching the first episode though, there is that sense that youre not just watching any ordinary Anime.  And im not just talking about the girl who wants a position normally taken by a man (though seriously is anyone complaining about how Utena fills out the boys uniform? Pink hair, legs for days, just saying). 

Utena is billed as an action series in many respects.  You’ve got duels, sabers and magical powers.  Still, there’s a heavy intellectual air about the plot and the artistry.  The rose covered picture frame shots seemed more like they belonged in an English Dub recap session than a normal Anime, but theyre there for a reason im sure.  Same with the really creepy doll theater where two girls talk about gossip and events about to transpire.  This series can be a potential mind frak with all of it’s storytelling devices.  That also keeps it unique in many ways.

What of the titular Utena herself?  Well besides being a gorgeous heroine, she’s got the strength and mind to back up her good looks.  She’s got the heart of a hero, jumping in without a second thought to try and defend Anthy from harm.  She could care less about what a teacher thinks of her choice of wardrobe (her looking through the hand book to tell her there’s no rule against it was pretty funny).  I can see why Ms. Tenjou is one of the most beloved and recognized female heroines in the Anime universe.  Cudos to her sword game too.  There was no doubt in my mind she’d kick green hair guys ass.

The world Utena lives in…is going to take some getting used to.  This prim and proper and highly aristocratic setting contains a ton of people I’d personally want to punch for being so smug and elitist.  Utena’s green haired opponent in the first episode (yes he has a name but I don’t remember it), slaps Anthy without a care.  I was ready for a beating to come to him when Anthy wished Utena good luck in her duel.  Now if this were Ryuko Matoi in this duel, she’d tear this student council pretty boy a really bad new one then burn the school to the ground…but how Utena handles her battles with honor and grace befits her goals to become a Prince.  As for Anthy…I hope she is more than a damsel Utena needs to rescue (even if Utena’s ok with doing that as a would be Prince).  After seeing a great number of strong female leads, Anthy’s kind of a step back for me.  But who knows, that could change.

Will I continue with this legendary classic?  I’m not sure.  My nitpicks with the characters aside and not understanding some of the pacing and storytelling decisions, it’s not a bad show from first glance.  It is strange I choose two back to back shows with beautiful, pink hair lead characters.  I don’t know, if I can find a copy of the series I’ll give it a watch in full.  Until, I’ll file this under the ‘Maybe’ category.  Though I will say if Utena does become a Prince, she’d still have my sword, bow and axe at her disposal.

T5W#58-Top 5 Individual Anime Episodes (Part 2)

Didn’t intend for this to be a two parter.  Heck I did the first set of episodes a while back…18 features ago lol.  But I realize when making a list of your favorite Anime episodes, doing 5 is just fine.  But it wasn’t until well after that I thought to myself, there are a ton more individual episodes I adore among the plethora of Anime I have seen.  Actually, there is an episode on this list that is a brand new edition that “inception-ed” it’s the idea of doing a follow up Top 5 for this topic.   So without further ado, here are 5 more individual Anime episodes I would add to a playlist to show anyone who’s looking to get into the realm of Anime.  These are the single episodes I can plug in and get just as much out of as I would enjoying an entire 13-51 episode series…well 5 more of them anyway.

 

And for the previous list of entries, take a look here:

http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/t5w40-top-5-individual-anime-episodes.html

 

#5-Anew Returns (Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 20)

It surprises me when a show that does so little with a certain character can send them off in a way that makes you feel all sorts of unexpected feels.  I never cared for Anew Returner.  Even if it wasn’t my third or fourth time going through Gundam 00, everytime she pops up, you know she’s just there to be the Trojan Horse that tries to kill Celestial Being.  But strangely enough, I actually cared about her and Lock On’s relationship, more so cause Lock On figured out Anew was an Innovate and didn’t care.  Which makes this episode all the more heartbreaking.  Anew does die but man…Lock On’s grief is real.  This episode gets a spot most certainly for the post credits scene where Setsuna let’s Lock On beat him up while the others deal with the grief and let Lock On get his anger out.  Anew may not have been the best character.  But the relationship she had with Lock On was real.  And you felt that more in 30 good minutes than most of the series. The power of amazing writing.

 

#4-Tempestuous Temperaments (Samurai Champloo Episode 1)

As the spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop, and the fact that both shared the same director, Shinichiro Watanabe, Samurai Champloo had A LOT to live up to.  While the rest of the series is hit and miss (I might consider reviewing it next year actually), the introductory episode is about as perfect a pilot as you can get (maybe second to another entry on this list but we’ll get there).  In all honesty, if Champloo only had to be one mini feature, this would be the only episode I think you’d need to see.  The animation style is incredible, the action is superb, Mugen is a freaking bad ass (particularly in English voiced by Steve “Spike MOTHERF*****G Speigel” Blum) and it just flows so freaking well.  It sets everything up for other episodes to follow…and maybe that’s why this show sometimes falters for me.  But like I said, I might get to that. 

 

#3-New World (Death Note Episode 37)-SERIES FINALE SPOILERS!!!

This was the moment we had all been waiting for.  For 36 episodes, we’d watch Light lie, cheat and kill his way to becoming the “God of the New World”.  But then came Episode 37…and it all came crashing down in a wondrous 30min spectacle.  As much as I don’t like Near and wish L had been the one to bring Light to justice, Light’s epic breakdown is one for the ages.  For an episode that is heavy on dialogue, exposition and explanation, there is never a dull moment.  The jig is up and it’s all a matter of what Light is going to do with his last few moments.  There’s screaming, gun shots, lots of gushing blood and Ryuk being chill as his would be bff loses the game he’d controlled for so long.  As far as endings go, Death Note still has one of the best.  Even if you’ve heard how it ends, witnessing it with your own eyes is an experience all of it’s own.

 

#2-A Swim-Off in a Foreign Land (Free: Eternal Summer Episode 12)

Yeah, yeah, sue me.  When Haru is at the lowest point in his life and unsure of his future, what happens?  Rin drags his ass to Australia.  I feel like everyone’s been in this position in their life.  The future is upon us and we have no idea how what we want to do or how to get there.  Some of us are afraid of change or are unwilling to contemplate it.  Haru is the viewer and I felt every big of emotion going through his mind.  But more than that, we get to see Rin’s full of feels story about his time in a new land and how he ended up in a bad state when we first see him in Season One.  Throw in some fun at the expense of Haru and Rin’s girly sounding names and an uplifting finale and you see why I rate this show so high.  Also, I haven’t seen this episode in English but I think it’s best watched in Japanese if only to hear Rin communicate as best he can with his Home Stay Parents and playing Haru’s translator (im curious how they pull off this off in the English Dub).  Plus it’s always fun to see Japan bring in outside voice actors for English speaking roles, makes it all the more special to me.  This is a really great episode that will make anyone feel hopeful about looking towards their own futures.

 

#1-Asteroid Blues (Cowboy Bebop Episode 1)

Yet another Bebop takes a top spot. Cowboy Bebop is considered by many to be one the most perfect Anime in existence.  It’s hard to argue that, especially when a series so great starts with so perfect a pilot episode.  Right out of the gate, the music, the atmosphere, the fun, the darkness, the kickassery of Spike, there isn’t a single thing about Asteroid Blues that doesn’t get your attention.  And just when you think that Asimov, hopped up on a super drug, has the drop on Spike, cue the drums that kick off Yoko Kanno’s brilliant “Rush” track and Spike proves he was faking all along and could take Asimov with his eyes shut practically.  This isn’t the most lighthearted episode either.  Asimov is a dark character and the episode is intensely violent.  Later episodes would lighten the mood but the darkness was never a problem here.  In fact, im sure I said this about Ballad of Fallen Angels, but I say it with most certainty here: if you don’t like Asteroid Blues, you will not like the rest of Cowboy Bebop.  Come for the cool, stay for the Bell Peppers and Beef.  See you Space Cowboy.

Love Hina Part 5 Episodes 21-25

Just as Keitaro is about to tackle his entrance exams again and maybe confess his feelings for Naru, a huge revelation rocks the Hinata Inn.  Keitaro is not only torn between a promise to a certain girl and his feelings for another, but when his grandmother returns from her trip, his time as manager might be at an end.  Luckilly, Keitaro’s actually formed a life long bond with the Hinata’s occupants and they aren’t ready to let go of their manager without a fight.  Is this the end of the happy times at Hinata Hot Springs? Or is this the beginning of better times to come?

You know, after 24 episodes of slapstick and humor, ive finally reached a conclusion, something ive known for a while but haven’t really been able to say when it comes to this show…I don’t like Naru.  There are plenty of violent couples in Anime that get into disagreements through extreme misunderstandings.  My favorite of these couples is Kaname Chidori and Sosuke Sagara from Full Metal Panic.  Kaname may be prone to violent outbursts and slapping Sousuke around with a fan and fist…but she grows as a character, has great inner strength and never jumps to conclusions that often.  And also, if im being honest, the humor of Full Metal Panic is way better than Love Hina.  Naru Narusegawa may be a looker but it’s hard to see why Keitaro puts up with her.  All she has done for most of this series is shout at him, punch him, belittle him and do very little to earn his affection besides being possibly linked to a childhood promise. Hell, she even berates her little sister, Mei, before hearing that her little sister just misses her and wants to come home, no underlying reasons whatsoever.  I understand being unable to admit ones feelings is a constant trope in Anime and is saved usually for the end of the series.  To be honest, it’s worn on me a bit and by the time we got to the final act, I was kind of done with Naru and Keitaro’s love problems.  Worse yet, Mitsume is an even worse pick for Keitaro.  So it’s kind of a loss/loss for the poor guy even if Naru does get her act together by the end.

Speaking of the end, Love Hina has no ending in the TV seires, more like a bookmark.  I know that the story is concluded in a set of OVA sequels but I don’t really like it when Anime series make this kind of move.  I was alright with it for Eden of the East but while the series had a brilliant stop point, the movies were not as good.  So leaving Naru and Keitaro’s relationship unresolved, along with Keitaro’s quest to get into Tokyo U, feels like a complete let down.  So we’re left with the Hinata crew reuniting and that’s pretty much it.  It is nice to know the gang is sticking together though.  The supporting cast shined more than the core couple in these final episodes.  Motoko, Sarah, Kitsune, Su and Shinobu all acknowledged how much they’ve changed around Keitaro and need to have him around (personally I don’t think Shinobu has done much since she got to Hinata but she did admit she’s changed so I had to include her there).  Even Seta stepped up, at Sarah’s request no less, to beat some sense into Keitaro.  With friends like these, it makes the trip to Hinata all the more special…it just sucks most of these guys have been background a lot in favor of a romance that has had no real payoff. 

So there is a bonus episode on the DVD set that I have and while it doesn’t offer any additional conclusion to the story, it is pretty much what ive loved most about Love Hina.  It’s a side story focused on Motoko and the arrival of her sister.  That means a lot of swordplay, demon exorcisms and some fun with the potential pairing of Motoko and Keitaro, which I’ll admit is much better than Keitaro and Naru.  Motoko has always been my favorite of the girls at the Hotsprings, well maybe she ties with the always entertaining Su.  I also think she’s gone through the most change in the whole series.  This was a girl who absolutely despised the idea of Keitaro becoming Manager of her home.  We’ve since seen her confide in him and Keitaro trust his life to Motoko when her sword is drawn.  If anything, these two deserve each other more than what the show wants us to root for.  She also gets a maid outfit in this episode and it’s as cute as you expect.  And yes, Motoko’s sister is just as scary (and hot) as you’d expect and it is awesome.  I don’t know why this episode got placed in this order but at least we got to see it.  Also, because this is pretty much an OVA episode, the animation quality is better than any episode in the entire 24 episode run ive watched.

Ok, time for final thoughts. Well this series is not as good as I remember.  Keitaro may have a lot of heart but Naru pushed my patience way too much.  Why she and Keitaro end up working is a mystery to me.  She’s cute, that’s all she really has going for her.  Everyone else in the show shined a lot brighter (except Shinobu cause she had so little to do).  Motoko and Su deserve their own spin off and even characters like Sarah and Mei grew on me once they got their situations worked out.  But while their stories were good, about 60% of this series is Naru beating the crap out of Keitaro when her tries to profess his feelings.  Granted others beat the crap out of him just as hard but he’s not in love with them, hence my source of entertainment.  When the supporting cast got the central spotlight, this show worked.  When it was on Naru and Keitaro, I was done.

This was a bit of a change of pace for the blog.  It may be a while before I do another title like this.  But I’m glad I got through it.  I remember what I liked about it and found things I don’t think too fondly of.  Ergo, I’ll give Love Hina a final score of:

6/10

If the OVA’s ever find their way into my possession (the Christmas and Spring specials and Love Hina Again), I promise ill review them to wrap the story up.  For now, we’re back to normal next week.  Black Lagoon is back for it’s third (and as of right now final) season, Roberta’s Blood Trail.  And in two weeks we get into the spooky Halloween spirit with the early 2000’s edition of Hellsing.  Hope you’re as excited as I am. 

FIF#21-Beyond the Boundary

On a beautiful day at school, Akihito Kanbara rushes to the aid of a fellow classmate, who looks like she’s about to commit suicide.  What neither realize at that moment is, nothing is as it seems.  Now Akihito, an immortal half human/half Yoummu, finds himself the constant target of this girl, Mirai Kuriyama, who is the last of a special line of Spirit World Warrior with the ability to make swords from her own blood.  Akihito is warned to stay away from this girl, but finds himself more intrigued by this shy warrior who has never killed a Yoummu in her life.  What destiny awaits when these two join forces to track down Yoummu and get Kuriyama the confidence she needs so she can stop using Akihito for stabbing practice?

So…boy sees girl about to jump.  Boy rushes to girls aid.  Girl does a backflip and stabs him in the heart with a sword.  Boy doesn’t die.  Girl is shocked.  Roll opening credits.

I gotta admit, that’s a pretty interesting way to open things.  However, as the episode progressed, I found myself wondering why Beyond the Boundary gets as much hype as it does.  Granted the first half of the first episode is spent with Akihito and his fellow student, Mitsuki, and both are really, really, boring.  Like I was yawning even at the attempts at humor.  If I was to guess the rest of the show would be a lot like this segment, I’d stop watching right now.

And then Kuriyama got back into the picture.  Gone was the bad ass who did a back flip and stabbed a kid for seemingly no reason.  Not that the bad ass in her is gone, but there’s more entertainment to be gained from the fact that she’s cute, shy and so unsure of herself and a pretty huge clutz.  She also has some of the best reactions in the series.  When chasing Akihito and slicing away at his impromptu projectiles, she screams, “You made me kill the bucket”.  Do we really need other characters in this series and can we focus squarely on Kuriyama?  I’m guessing there’s bound to be (no pun intended) a huge amount of drama that comes along.  But for now, Kuriyama’s levity in just being herself was a welcome breath of fresh air after a very slow first half of the episode.

Not a lot is put out there about how this world works, why some can see Yomuu and others cant, why there are Spirit World Warriors-one of whom looks like a sexy teacher I wish I could have seen more of in the first episode.  We get a pretty bare bones explanation as to the mission of the Spirit World Warriors but not much else.  As to Akihito’s situation…I really don’t care.  He makes immortality more boring than interesting.  Hell even the MacLeoud’s in Highlander had to grapple with loss of loved ones over a period of time, making for great drama and character study.  Akihito is just there to give Kuriyama someone to bounce good humor off of.  I mean does he even have any powers besides not being able to die?  As we saw Kuriyama get her bad ass on in the last few moments against the Youmuu in her apartment, I was wondering if Akihito was going to do more than step out of the way of attacks. 

There’s plenty to love just out of Kuriyama alone.  Though I’m not sure I’m set to commit to Beyond the Boundary on her cuteness, clumsiness and bad assery.  The world around her seems more dull than fascinating and it doesn’t help that her co star isn’t the least bit interesting, same with the company he keeps.  I might try to give this one a couple more episodes to change my mind on some things.  But don’t think im putting this show down completely.  Kuriyama steals every scene she’s in and when the camera is focused on other things, her lack of presence, even for a single second, is felt.

We’ll see how this goes.

T5W#57-Top 10 Favorite Anime Movies (Part 2)

Don’t think we need to do much of an intro, especially if you tuned into Part 1 last week…but just in case, for those who came in late:

(I’ve been thinking about doing this one for a while.  When it comes to making a list of favorite Anime films, just narrowing it down to five options is the toughest of challenges.  So I decided to do something special instead.  Rather than just five favorites, I’ll do ten and split them up between now and next week.  Besides, things have changed since the early days I tried to come up with a list like this.  I’ve seen more titles, found more favorites.  Well they’ll all be featured in this two part special.  Without further ado, here’s movies 1-5.)

 

#5- Spirited Away

The only Anime to win Best Animated Feature at the Oscars?  How could this one not get my attention?  And man, I wish I had gotten to see it theaters.  Spirited Away…well blew me away, pure and simple.  The world is huge and it only mostly takes place in a hot springs for wayward spirits of all places.  It’s both scary and exciting, an excellent combination for a childrens story.  The main character actually progresses from a whiny brat to a strong heroine.  And, the sequence with the “Stink Spirit” is easily one of my favorite sequences in all of Anime.  It doesn’t get as close to perfection as that.  It won that Oscar alright, deservedly so.

 

#4-Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

I love most sequels.  From The Empire Strikes Back to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I love it when continuations come out and turn out to be better than the original.  Innocence is one of those kinds of sequels.  There’s more action, the animation is some of the best Production IG has ever churned out, the music…can Kenji Kawaii do no wrong (?) and the story is a natural progression for the characters.  And while some of the twists, turns and philosophical references go way over my head, this is still an interesting movie to watch.  Plus, Ghost in the Shell 2 stands as one of the first Anime films I saw relatively close to it’s original release, as it was brought over to the states a couple of months after it’s debut in Japan.  Getting to see something still fresh from Japan itself was an amazing feeling. 

 

#3-Galaxy Express 999

When people talk about Anime classics, they’re thinking about titles like Galaxy Express 999.  And how could they not?  Galaxy Express feels like a classic fairy tale set in space…aboard a star traveling locomotive.  There are lessons about growing up, swashbuckling rogues with laser and sabers, beautiful and enchanting maidens, and an overall sense of wonder that, thankfully, still holds up even today.  I only saw Galaxy Express 999 for the first time a couple years back but it grabbed me and always does whenever ive watched it since.  By the time the movie ends, much like Tetsuro’s time aboard Three Nine, I don’t want to leave.  I want to keep going.  Granted that might not have been such a smart request given how the sequel came out.  But the original film remains an unblemished gem im happy to recommend to anyone looking for a good sci fi flick that happens to be a stellar Anime.

 

#2-Akira

Oh the stories I could tell about this one.  From my youngest days as an Anime fan, I always kept seeing this one advertised as the Anime that was “Not for Kids.”  And everywhere I looked, everyone kept saying the name “Akira” whenever they talked about the greatest Anime ever made.  When I finally got to see it, I saw that the hype was well deserved.  Akira kicks ass.  The action, especially the opening bike chase, is all kinds of bloody, unique and over the top.  The soundtrack is something that has never been replicated ever since ive heard it.  The characters will stay with you, even if what you remember of Tetsuo is his terrifying facial expressions.  And while the ending doesn’t make much sense to me…the metamorphosis sequence that precedes it still scares the living daylights out of me.  Akira is a movie every Anime fan owes it to themselves to see.  There are those who say, without it, we wouldn’t have all of the Anime in America that we have today.  If anything else, watch the first ten minutes, see that biker battle, and see the images that changed my life as an Anime fan, forever.

 

#1-Summer Wars

Did I ever guess how much on an impact this movie would have on me?  I never knew anything about it, hardly even the title when I saw it on a DVD shelf.  Did I imagine id be crying by movies end, tears of joy no less?  No, not at all.  And you know what, that probably made the experience all the more special.  Summer Wars is all things action, comedy, sci fi, slice of life and thriller all thrown into one package (a redone package since this is basically a much better reskin of the second Digimon movie, same director and all).  But at the heart of the digital world elements, is a family trying to save the world and stay true to itself, no matter who screws up.  Sake, the head of the Jinnouchi family, is one of the best Anime mentors and figure heads ive ever seen…mostly because she reminds me of a family member of my own who would’ve been just like her if she’d lived that long.  The final act always gets my heart going, seeing one tiny avatar ask the Jinnouchi’s to save the world followed by millions of others.  I will always start crying at that point and always go “F*** YEAH” come time to roll credits.  Summer Wars is a very special movie to me.  I didn’t think Akira could ever be topped…I was happily wrong.

Love Hina Part 4 Episodes 16-20

In order to make a little more money for the Hot Springs, the gangs head off to the beach, taking jobs at Haruka’s tea house.  There’s sun, surf and girls in all manner of sexy bikinis.  And the Hinata Gang isn’t going alone. Seta and Sarah are along for the ride as well.  And Seta’s about to throw a curve ball that no one sees coming.  Between work, putting on stage plays, festivals, exorcisms, the sudden appearance of Su’s older brother (who really does look like Keitaro), will Naru and Keitaro finally get the chance to deepen their friendship?  Knowing those two…probably not.

Ah the beach.  It’s not just a cruel reminder that the days of summer are almost over (for me I’m actually ok with that), it’s also a staple of most harem Anime.  At some point, the man surrounded by beautiful women will travel to the sandy ocean beaches so his female companions can run around in bikini’s, looking hotter than normal and get into sexy escapades.   In truth, some of Love Hina’s best moments have come from this little diversion.

Sarah has always been grating in my eyes.  Her penchant for causing trouble to protect her immortal status as daddy’s girl was always more annoying than anything.  So it was great to see the gang get the one up on her a little bit, be it Motoko’s discipline and Su setting Sarah up to take the fall for messes.  But thankfully, the brat learned some lessons and now seems set to find a decent place amongst the Hinata crew.  I don’t know how much more than can do with her character being around this late in the game but we’ll see what happens. 

Motoko also got a great stand out episode, once again.  I am getting a little tired of her femininity being called into question.  Her fan club seems pretty certain her lightening up around Keitaro is ruining her life when in fact it’s actually making Motoko a more fun character.  It was great to see her and Keitaro on the same page when it came to pulling out all the stops to save a possessed Naru.  When Motoko’s supernatural battles get shuffled in with the plot, it’s always a good time.  I would love to see some side stories with her as an exorcist.  Hell throw in Su and they’d make a great, destructive team.

What the hell is up with Seta suddenly becoming the center of everybody’s universe?  Not only is he Naru’s old crush and can go head to head with Motoko in combat…but Kitsune also has a crush on him and apparently he and Haruka had a thing long ago?  Yeah, I think it’s safe to say once again that Seta is the future Keitaro: he has the eyes and admiration (sort of) of all the Hinata ladies, he’s got a job he loves plus he passed his entrance exams, and he’s immortal (seriously how many car crashes is that now?)  Seta’s entertaining and all but forcing him into everyone elses lives like that was drama for drama’s sake.  And in truth it only worked with Haruka, I wouldn’t mind some background episodes with her and Seta dating.

We didn’t spend all time at the beach.  We came back to Hinata for one fun, but troubled little romp and an episode that didn’t need to happen.  The return of Adult Su was a blast and seeing Su face off against her brother was great (probably one of the few, if only, times Su has been outwitted and defeated).  And it was amusing to see Su and Sarah have become partners in crime, Sarah even going without a second thought to help Su get away from her brother.  My problem is with the whole Su’s brother looks like Keitaro aspect.  I went back and rewatched, but I don’t remember when Keitaro’s skin tone suddenly changed to accommodate the joke that he and Su’s brother cant be told apart.  It bothered me a lot, more so than the fact that Mitsune has returned with all of her dimwitted schtick.  The second episode was a little more forgettable: the crew finds an old doll that Keitaro’s great grandfather had as a friend.  There were a couple of feel moments but overall, it didn’t need to exist at all.

Lastly, forgot to bring up the fact that the beach arc started with the crew trying to put on a stage performance of the legendary Journey to the West tale.  This story is pretty much the basis for a couple of popular anime, most notably Dragon Ball and Saiyuki.  The pratfalls of getting the show off the ground were…ok, not the best.  In my opinion the other two episodes on the beach were better (especially when all of the girls sang the theme song together during the fireworks scene).  We did get to see Naru in a skimpy, Princess Leia style bikini…but it bothers me a bit that it was Seta’s idea to put her in the outfit (even if he is, in his own way, trying to push Naru and Keitaro closer together).  BTW if anyone remembers the TV series “Monkey Magic”…yeah I was thinking about that theme song during this episode.  If you do remember it, more power to you.

Four parts down, one to go.  Can Keitaro win the girl of his dreams AND get into Tokyo U?  Well knowing Mitsune is around chances are things are going to go to hell in a hand basket really quickly.  Still, the beach episodes were fun.  Now we just need to see if this show can somehow pull off a satisfying finale.  I’m kind of split to be honest.  Do I want this series to be over?  Sort of, im looking forward to the next couple of upcoming shows.  Still, there are some parts of this series I’m going to miss…but we’ll get to all of that next week when we wrap this up.

FIF#20-Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei

With the Class Cards all rounded up, you’d think that was it for Illya and Miyu.  The two had fought terrible battles and overcome hardships to form a strong and everlasting bond of friendship.  But it looks like fate isn’t done with them yet.  Rin and Luvia are still stuck in Japan, left to deal with restoring order after their mission went haywire, and they want Illya and Miyu to help.  But when an attempt to restore magical balance goes awry, Illya finds herself split in two.  Who is this new Illya and is there anyway to put her back?  Life as a Magical Girl wasn’t easy before.  But between clones, blossoming friendships and an unseen new threat coming out from the shadows, the job just got a lot less glamourous, or has it?  The Magical Girl vision of Fate/Stay Night continues.

I’ve got to admit…I actually kind of liked the first season of Fate Kalied.  Despite the silly premise and the way too cutesy character designs, I was on board and enjoying the bulk of it.  I do think it got more serious than need be in the second half, trying to pull off a more light hearted Madoka Magica.  Overall though, I was pleased and was wondering how exactly this story could be continued, since this all seemed like a simple, one off, “what if?”

Well low and behold, there are three additional seasons of Fate Kaleid (the most recent is airing now in Japan).  So I figured I’d take a look at Season Two and see if I wanted to go any farther.  On the one hand, it’s good to see that the bond between Illya and Miyu is as strong as it was when we last left them.  On the other, I didn’t really miss Illya’s classmates.  Which is why I was happy when Rin and Luvia got back into the picture quickly.  You all know my thoughts on Rin Tohsaka; as haughty and arrogant as she may be, she can do no wrong in my book and having her in anything Fate related will have my attention.  Luvia still sounds like she’s trying to do her best Naga the Serpent laugh…and that’s hit and miss.

The biggest development in these first two episodes is the appearance of Kuro Illya, or Dark Illya I guess.  She’s wearing that same inappropriate Archer costume Illya wore in Season One.  But, as the name might state, she’s pretty much Illya’s darker, more aggressive half.  This lead to some of the best laughs in Episode Two when she tired to kill Illya in a whole manner of hilarious ways before Illya can get to school.  Kuro’s all the fun of Illya without anything holding her back…including kissing Miyu…for a bit…yeah that happened.  I always picked up on the possibility that Miyu might feel something for Illya, while Illya is supposedly focused on Shiro (who is still barely in this series).  Too bad this never came back up after it happened, I do want to see where that possible development goes.  Kuro Illya also kicks a ton of ass as well, giving us some good starter fights that don’t quite measure up to Archer Illya vs. Saber from Season One, but the potential is there for more greatness.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Season Two of this show.  How could it be drawn out anymore?  And while the first episode didn’t grab me right away, the second episode and the appearance of Kuro Illya is enough for me to say I’d like to keep going with this title.  Being only ten episodes long doesn’t hurt a lot of time on my hands anyway.  Chances are I could just end up getting to Season Three and then Four afterward and start watching the show same day as Japan…but shouldn’t be thinking that far ahead yet.  With the core cast back together and a fun new addition to the mix, Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei surprised me.  It’s a show I didn’t think I wanted more of but now do.  Cudos to the Fate Universe for managing to draw me in no matter what the premise.