And now, after a brief sidetrack and adventure (explained soon), the conclusion to the Winter Roundup (of what I’m watching):
A few years ago, a delightfully funny classical-music based series began, called Nodame Cantabile. To say that it’s centered around Chiaki, the gifted pianist/violinist/conductor would be a mistake, as the centrifugal force whipping around him at all times is his erstwhile patner in charm, Nodame, a prodigy at the piano whose innocence and unabashed quirkiness confuses, dismays, and ultimately constricts around him at all times. Whether her resolute claims upon him pan out remains to be seen by the Viewer, but getting there is more than half the fun as they face many trying trials and tribulations together, and for the most part, apart. At some scenes I laughed harder than at any other show, it was that good.
While the pared-down animation style might be more “old-school” than new, the story was always entertaining, heartwarming, and clever. Nodame is a treat to watch and steals practically any scene she’s in, whether playing at her piano, purse-lipped expression of concentration alternatively flickering or set in stone, or screaming her catch-phrase cries of “MUKYA!” and “GYABO!” whether in happiness or dismay. It’s hard to believe that the talented Ayako Kawasumi, who also voiced the oh-so-serious Saber in Fate/Stay Night, performs so well as Nodame in quite an opposite character. The series and its two sequels are worth watching just for her performance alone.
In this third season entitled Finale, the pair are now officially “together” (as together as they can be, given their personalities), and keep moving on with their pursuits in musical careers in Paris. For fans of classical music, as in the other series, snippets of classic classical tunes are performed, at times to great effect. Generous CG effects are kept for these moments as the instruments and the fingers playing them are rendered nicely and with care. Here’s the OP, and as always, move fast in viewing these, as YouTube sometimes takes them down quickly!
Last but not least comes the surprise hit of the season, Hanamaru Kindergarten. Now, if before this season had begun you’d have told me that I’d be watching a series based around a pre-school slice-of-life comedy, I’d have called the guys with butterfly nets to come and take you away to the funny farm. However… ! This show is funny! The pre-schoolers, drawn in a decidedly distorted fashion, are in no way meant to dissuade the viewer that yes, these are pre-schoolers, from their voices, mannerisms, and designs down to their sense of… well, ”sensibility.” Or lack of same. What the heck, they’re pre-schoolers, right?
It’s very sweet and innocent, and not ashamed about portraying with abandon the whims, fantasies, and realities of the children, not to mention the teachers themselves. And it might even jar loose some of those pre-school memories from beneath the cobwebs of time Little Anzu is convinced of her crush on her teacher “Tsuchi” despite his obvious leanings toward his cute so-worker Yamamoto, and this subject matter in a more cynical society could not be shown as well as what comes off in this series: funny, playfully squirm-inducing, and very heartwarming. Anzu’s friends, the smart and cosplaying Hiiragi, and the insecure and shy Koume, are great foils and play large parts in filling in the comedy, as do the teachers to slightly less effect.
While a cynical person might assume that this is either a “kiddy-show” or the other extreme, a show catering to pedophiles (though likely only in this country of hand-wringers), Hanamaru Kindergarten is neither. The humor is often adult-oriented, and the character designs, as shown by their pear-shaped bodies and “sproingy” footsteps, are so definitely cartoonish that neither assumption holds any water. And that’s a good thing, and makes this delightful series well-worth watching, unafraid that some nay-sayer is watching over your shoulder. They can instead watch the latest installment of “Miss Baby-Beautiful Pageant” or the like *shudder*
Decide for yourselves; here’s a review of episodes 1-4 from Anime News Network, based on the streaming episodes (probably) available on Crunchyroll!
Have a taste:
Hard to believe that Gainax, the studio responsible for Gurren Lagann, put this series together! Well… except for this special EnDing for episode 2 that totally knocked my socks off:
…and this one as well! Seems that all the EDs might be different from one another, which is another minor thing that not only sets it apart from the pack, but should keep things moving along quite nicely!
That’s it for this (Winter) season! I won’t go into those series that I dropped, like Baka to Test or Omamori Humari ; why spoil a good thing?
Okay, now that the last Winter 2010 show I’ve been waiting for has come out (Katanagatari), it’s time to take a look at the shows I’ll be following this season. In addition to four still-airing shows from Fall 2009 (Railgun, Kimi ni Todoke, Book of Bantorra, and Kobato), I’m waiting with bated breath each week for the following seven series:
From the creators of Baccano! comes a twisty and convoluted story of an urban legend headless motorcycle rider and the interactions between several gangs and innocents co-existing (somehow and so far) in the city of Ikebukuru. Through the four episodes to date, the story’s been smart, funny, appropriately violent, and as quirky as Baccano! was. And believe me, that is quirky!
The direction is great (for my tastes) and the interweaving of so many characters is clever, just as it was in Baccano! The action’s been delightfully over-the-top (tossed vending machines as projectiles, motorcycle-fu to the face, and etc), and we’ve just met the Headless Rider’s “keeper” who appears to be more involved than he lets on. Here’s the OP, without the numerous main characters’ names over the credits, so consider it a pretty clean Opening (despite the fact that it’s reversed):
The jury’s still out on this one (for me), as the story seems to be meandering a bit with seemingly weird little diversions that don’t seem pertinent to the plotlines, although since its concept is from Ryukishi07 (of Higurashi/Umineko fame) there’s really no telling where it’s gonna go! So that’s okay, until it isn’t. Since I’m a big R07 fan, I’m giving it a chance, and enjoying it so far for the most part. The direction or pacing hasn’t wowed me yet, though.
The character designs by Peach-Pit (Rozen Maiden) are intriguing but at times seem a bit wooden/plastic against the background animation, which more than likely is the fault of the animators. It’s not bad, just a little… different. Which can be a good thing. Some of the characters are enjoyable to watch, such as Mana, the wheelchair-bound little sister, and the central figure in all this, the masked-and-scythe-wielding girl. The story involves many of the same elements as Higurashi; a transfer student arrives in a mysterious town where an atmosphere of mystery and danger lies just beneath the surface, something involving large wolves (or similar)… Okay, that last part isn’t from Higurashi, but still. Let’s check out the OP/ED which are combined in this less-than-stellar quality video:
Okay, now this is something completely different! From the somewhat odd (but still delightfully unique) character designs to the airing schedule (about one 50-minute episode every month) this 12-episode series screams “look at me!” From the creator of Bakemonogatari, NisiOisin, comes this Edo-era historical fantasy based around a swordsman who fights without a sword, chasing down the twelve mighty swords crafted by the legendary Shikizaki Kiki. He’s assisted by the self-proclaimed “Super Strategist” Togame (voiced by the always-delightful Yukari Tamura) who so far has hindered more than helped!
But wow… the first episode was nearly wall-to-wall dialogue! I barely had time to look at the animation since my eyes were so busy reading the subtitles. And Yukarin speaks very very fast at times LOL Still, it was very enjoyable, and I can’t wait to see where it goes, though I fear that it may become a bit repetitious. But maybe not. There’s lots of action, when it happens, and seems well-directed. Here’s a treat for ya: the subtitled trailer for episodes 1-3!
OMG, where to start… “This isn’t a series for everybody.” How’s that? Aside from the M-rating, violence and bloody battles, if werewolves and vampires aren’t your thing, pass. If petite, young-looking loli vampires aren’t your thing, you can pass too. But what a loli vampire! Princess Mina Tepes is someone that you canNOT take your eyes off of. Except sometimes. You may see what I mean Despite my general apathy for lolis, she is breaking me in not-so-gently, as she’s a great character, though a tiny bit understated so far, and enchanting to watch. Her attire (or lack of it) notwithstanding LOL.
The story’s having trouble getting its feet wet in anything besides blood, however. Mina is trying to establish a haven for vampires (the “Bund” of the title) so that they can exist in the humans’ world, having paid off Japan’s national debt to do so (vampires having accumualted all manner of wealth over the centuries). But those nefarious various parties opposed have other ideas, the main one being to assassinate her. (We’ll see how that goes…) The series is produced by wonderfully-notorious studio SHAFT, and directed by the equally-notorious (and wond- er… “awesome”) Akiyuki Shinbo, both big favorites of mine for the always-challenging, provocative, and dazzling productions they deliver. So, despite a somewhat rocky start, I have high hopes for this show. They are (and everything about this show is) an acquired taste! See:
Okay… I hate spelling it that way because it’s a hassle. If I say “Soranowoto” you’ll know what I mean, yes? I may shorten it to something else yet. ANYWAY! Despite some viewers compaining about the show’s slow pace despite its (apparent) wartime setting, I’m really enjoying the world’s exploration, character exposition and growth so far. There hasn’t been much, just enough, and as long as this series actually progresses then I’ll likely enjoy it a lot. And I’ll happily (and pointedly) ignore the “K-ON! in War” yammering, because the two series don’t compare except in the most peripheral ways. Besides, that comparison is unfair to both shows.
Essentially, the series focuses on a fortress-full of five young women assigned to protect it and the nearby town during a lull in the fighting, as seen through the eyes of their erstwhile bugler, Kana. There’s a great deal of good-natured humor, and what may be hints of what’s to come in the more-serious nature of combat weapons, uniforms, and tanks (or, A tank), plus mentions of a legend of maidens who can control a demon. In a twelve-episode series with already five episodes under its belt, it may be tough fitting everything in to the viewer’s satisfaction. But do give it a try; it may delight you
Series direction is by Mamoru Kanbe, who also did Elfen Lied, and who I believe is fairly underrated and unrecognized, since the fuss about EL was in its blood, gore and nudity, and not in his direction which I felt was superb. For the Opening of this show, once again he used the Gustav Klimt influences to good measure as he did in Elfen Lied’s OP:
Another little treat: Since the OP above doesn’t show the world, here’s a trailer done to the longer Opening Song:
I’ll have to continue with the last two series later in the week, hopefully tomorrow, as I *think* I’m approaching some kind of word-count/length limit since I type and nothing happens! Hope you enjoyed this Wintertime State of the Season post
Just a quick little heads-up for those interested in getting in on The 2010 International Saimoe League from the start: the first Preliminary Match has begun today, and only runs for one full day, ending at 15:00 on the 1st, so time to get your votes in! Go here to begin!
And here’s KholdStare’s Promotional Video for it:
A couple of minor things to note: Not all of the girls pictured are contestants; they’re just moe~ Also, the music is from the series Ichigo Mashimaro, and its star(let)s can be seen starting at around 0:45 into it. Good job, KS!
Here’s my voting tally, taken from the Ballot Page’s results (after you’ve voted, you can copy various codes to use in blogs, forums and websites). Basically, each Arena has three contestants to choose from, plus an option to abstain if you wish. BTW, I don’t abstain
And remember: YMMV (Your Moe May (and will) Vary)!
Every so often I still encounter people here who just don’t (or won’t) get the fascination with anime that fans in the U.S. (and countries outside of Japan) have. As this also has a lot to do with the moe sub-phenomenon, I’ll add it here, courtesy of John Opplinger of Anime Nation’s Blog, in his “Ask John” column (emphasis in the following is mine):
Question:
Could you give me some insight into what makes Americans like anime? What is it about this foreign art that Americans find appealing?
Answer: In my own estimation, one of the major drawing points anime has over American cartoons is its emphasis on characterizations. The bright colors and fantastic look of anime attract viewers initially, and some people will argue that it’s the outrageous action, violence and sensationalism that attract Americans to anime, but shows like Sailormoon and Tenchi Muyo which are popular on TV now have relatively little of that. The most fundamental difference between anime and American cartoons is that anime is always grounded in its characters. American cartoons will place characters in a situation. Anime places situations around characters. Many anime shows have a continuing story, while very nearly all American cartoons are episodic, created specifically to be a series of individual, stand-alone stories rather than small pieces of a whole. Even in the case of anime series that are episodic, the characters develop and change from episode to episode. Anime, therefore, engenders more personal involvement between the show and the viewer than typical American cartoons do. Live-action programs commonly feature a continuing story and developing characters, you may argue, so why do anime fans still cling so tenaciously to anime rather than to live-action? Anime, when compared to live-action, can provide more involvement and interaction than even live-action because anime is so obviously fantasy that it allows for suspension of disbelief, and allows for role-playing with much greater ease than live-action programs do. When watching a live-action program, a viewer may think, “I wouldn’t do that,” or “I wouldn’t be there or wouldn’t say that,” because live-action is so familiar that a viewer can imagine him/herself as a part of the situation on screen, or alienate them self from the characters on screen, i.e. “Those beautiful people would never hang out with me,” or “I’d never be caught dead with those dumb people.” With anime, it’s simply easier to place oneself amidst the action because the action is so far apart from our natural expectations, prejudices and assumptions.
Well said, John!
I plan on doing one or two Posts this week (time permitting) that will put these comments to good use in highlighting the shows I’m following in this Winter Season and the reasons why, and then hope to follow that up with another in the “AMV’d” series highlighting one of the most powerful “personally involving” series I’ve ever come across, the ef – a fairy tale of the two pair of anime, namely, ef – a tale of memories, and ef – a tale of melodies. These are two truly captivating shows, at times breathtakingly so (pretty literally in several scenes), that anyone who appreciates character-driven stories of emotional depth will love. That doesn’t even take into account the visual effect (and Affect)! But more on these tales when the time comes
I decided to postpone the “writerly post” started below for now, as frankly, I’m not in the mood what with all the intense job-hunting processes wearing me down and making me highly pessimistic/negative/cynical/inflammatory and etc etc etc. I don’t want to share that vibe with you.
Not yet anyway When it’s time for The Revolution, then yeah. For now though, I need to decompress. Job hunting in a 17% unemployed locale is pretty awful. Especially with “the age issue” and the “gap-in-employment” issue counting as strikes against me. Anyway, enough of that, before I get started.
So, since this is the one-hundredth post(YAYYY!), this one will be for general Alastor-stuff… sort of a combination maintenance/upkeep/celebratory Post!
This paragraph is to spammers and such persons-of-interest: I’ve been getting what appear to be non-spam comments lately, but since they contain nothing about the Post they’ve been attached to, I’m considering them as spam. Sorry, but if you (the Spammer) are ”just happening to mention” your politically-oriented Blog/Website in my “Monster” Post without actually commenting on Monster, then even despite your flattering compliments for this humble Blog, I’m considering it as spam and deleting it. Nothing personal. Tricksters will not prevail in this place. But maybe I’ll let you if you actually read and comment on the Post at hand. But since “you” are most likely automated I highly doubt that you will. So.
Secondly, to the Silent Majority of lurkers out there, please do feel free to leave your comments, as I value them highly and welcome them from anyone. Well, except spammers; see above. As long as the comments are of some substance even opposing views are accepted, and we thank you ALL for your visits and your comments :-)
Thirdly, I’ve noticed that many Visitors are from foreign lands (yes, even Canada!), and so I’d like to say “Welcome!” in your own native tongues. But I only took Latin in high school, so… please pretend that I have. And do come again!
Fourth… I really would like to have a more diverse assortment of postings put up here, but really, the present state of world-affairs leaves me fuming, and I fear my political views (not to mention religious/spiritual) may be somewhat inciteful. And I’m rather old-school in that you don’t discuss politics or religion at the dinner table! And Alastor’s is nothing if not a casual feast between friends with the sharing of sumptuous goodies and treats. I really don’t feel it necessary to foul the pure waters of Alastor’s Reflection with angry rhetoric, at least not at this stage.
The same applies to the frustrations with my attempts to get Unboundpublished/agented. The Publishing Industry is really beginning to piss me off, much as the Music Industry already has long ago. So let’s not go there either. For now. I will keep occasionally posting about my (and Lily’s) novel, since that is what we are really here for, and point you to Unbound’s website (insert shameless plug here but oh wait I already did). However, I feel that a literary-type Blog will put most of you to sleep, since (a) nothing is coming from its pursuit of publication, (b) the posts I have done on the subject receive no Comments anyway, and (c) writing about it just stirs up my resentments even more, which is an ugly thing that I should spare you. So I will. For now.
Fifth: I had planned to have my website and Blogs split into two, but those plans are apparently on hold, as my benefactor has become quite busy with real life and hasn’t had the time to recreate the new templates she lost when her computer crashed last year. I’d intended to have the Unbound website redesigned and an associated new Blog dedicated solely to my writing projects and other literary-related Posts (because literature and poetry are topics I like to write about -see aborted Post below this one), and leaving Alastor’s Reflection to deal with the many other topics of Things That I Am Interested In And Hope That You Are Too. So, for the meantime, they’ll all be jumbled together here. Sorry. But diversity is good for you!
Sixth: Since, due to the daily and draining dealing with critical survival/quality-of-life issues, many of my most-enjoyed subjects and hobbies (such as music, movies, and reading, to name but a few) have necessarily been placed on hiatus. Bummer, since I like to write about them too. But as I do need some form of entertainment to “take the edge off” the knife-blade of Life, I’ve settled on anime, which blends all of the above into so many beautifully-colored little presents, which I would like to share with you, and expose to those Visitors who might not otherwise know of its pleasures. It provides stories, but not those that need to be read, visuals in place of movies for which I haven’t the time to watch, and music in the way of scores with which I was culturally unfamiliar but welcome with enthusiasm, since my life has become so distractingly oppressive that I can’t even enjoy the music I’ve loved since a child. The resulting intrigue and fascination with the Japanese culture and its related anime/manga subculture really has been a refreshing godsend
Seventh: Since I’m active in quite a few anime forums, boards, IRC channels, and websites, I’m enjoying having Alastor’s becoming “anime-centric” for the time being, and welcome the many friends I’ve made in those places to pass through and check out the offerings here. It might be true that for the anime elitist these paltry writings may seem of the elementary sort, but there are better, more savvy, and saturated anime forums out there (a few of which are reachable through my Blogroll) for those who’ve graduated from “the basics.” My purpose here is to awaken an interest in anime in The Westerner, and one must proceed carefully and gradually so as not to overwhelm them with Higurashi no Naku Koro nibefore they’ve even seen Azumanga Daioh! Baby steps
So, I owe a large debt of thanks to those brilliant Japanese illustrators, animators, composers and creators who have provided me with such a delightful way to escape into magical, sensational, evocative, and wonderful animated storytelling, and I would love to expose Westerners to it in the pages of this Blog, and hope to promote the medium through these posts, videos, and recommended purchases; I pray that my small efforts here will help generate sales to assist in keeping the hobby alive. Also: welcome to those Visitors from Japan who’ve dropped in lately; I’ve noticed your numbers are increasing! :-D
Enough for now; more for later
Oh. And if you’re bored, you can read the first chapter of Unbound here! If you’re really good (and ask nicely!) soon I’ll add Chapter 1.2
The current 90th Anniversary issue of Writer’s Digest contains, among many other invaluable-to-writers articles, an excellent interview with Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who is essentially the godfather of the San Francisco Beat poets, and owner and co-founder of the iconic City Lights Bookstore in North Beach. This bookstore was an early hangout for me beginning in 1968 for several years until real life (a.k.a. “work”) dragged me away, as it is wont to do. This man was such an essential early influence upon me and my writing ever since those wonderful long-ago days, and kept me in good company through his and other poets’ respective works which I found for sale in this magical, wonderful store. Lawrence and his bookstore were so important a symbol to me of the ideals of those incandescent moments of the ’60’s that City Lights is featured in several scenes in my own novel, Unbound. I hope that the Reader will consider it a well-deserved tip o’ the hat
I bought A Coney Island of the Mind there, along with other slim and slender books of his poetry, including Starting From San Francisco. While searching for poetic epigraphs for the novel, I found one poem in particular that summed up the part’s essence for which it was intended. Since I’m unsure whether I’ll be able to afford the rights to include it upon Unbound’s fervently-hoped-and-prayed-for publication, I’ll include it here:
But still-
birds flute up here
Crow-caw cracks
the universe
Ah there’s a slit
to slither through
into eternity
Look look
there’s love
yes love
Ah love
Cannot make it
Pied Piper’s cave
clangs shut
(Excerpt from “Flying Out of It” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
From Starting From San Francisco [1961])
(EDIT:)… okay, now I’m really pissed. I just lost an HOUR’S worth of typing the continuance for this entry For SOME reason, Wordpress stopped auto-saving. I was typing up a storm (which for me is a minor miracle) and had about ten paragraphs with Important Points to Make which I was later going to expand upon. IMPORTANT POINTS!!! Then, for SOME reason, in the midst of typing, I get this error about “Do you want to navigate away from this page?” Uh… NO. Why, did I act like I *wanted* to? GRR!
So, I thought “ya know… I’d better save this just in case.” So, I clicked “Save Draft.” Then, FOR SOME REASON, it goes to the Log In page! WTF?????????????????????? So, I logged in (again) and got taken to the Drafts Page where lo and behold, my Draft was lying in wait… at its earliest auto-saved point! It didn’t even save my Draft as I told it to! Everything was gone below the above Ferlinghetti poem. And there was a LOT (see previous Posts; all of them). I’ve tried to resuscitate my enthusiasm to continue, but it went south along with all of my Important Points to Make. Shit.
So, I’ll continue this thoughtful post on publishing, the creative arts, the Beat Scene and Mr. Ferlinghetti at the next opportunity. Right now I need a drink. Or something.
AND I SAW A BEAST RISING OUT OF THE SEA HAVING TEN HORNS AND SEVEN HEADS; AND ON ITS HORNS WERE TEN DIADEMS, AND ON ITS HEADS WERE BLASPHEMOUS NAMES… AND THE DRAGON GAVE IT HIS POWER AND HIS THRONE AND GREAT AUTHORITY… THEY WORSHIPPED THE DRAGON, FOR HE HAD GIVEN HIS AUTHORITY TO THE BEAST, AND THEY WORSHIPPED THE BEAST, SAYING, “WHO IS LIKE THE BEAST, AND WHO CAN FIGHT AGAINST IT?” -Revelations 13:1-4 NRSV
…and so it began…
I finally finished watching all 74 episodes of Monster last night… and wow, I’m speechless. So I’ll type instead
I’d been wanting to watch this show ever since getting into anime in May of 2007, but the length always put me off, despite the very high ratings it received pretty much everywhere. Its themes of morality, judgement, and good-versus-evil combined with its genres of drama, mystery, suspense, psychological thriller, and yes, chilling horror intrigued me from the first moment I discovered its entry at Anime News Network, along with its sky-high rating. Eventually its esteemed reputation wore me down, and after a long time searching I finally tracked down the files to watch at my convenience (i.e.: not at a network’s convenience and unreliability). From the first episode, I was hooked.
The question often is asked of what anime would make a good gateway through which to introduce non-anime fans into the medium; a show that doesn’t feature any of the typical and overexposed cliches that abound in much of the anime broadcast in the West. There really aren’t that many; even the superb Cowboy Bebopcould presumably be off-putting to those potential viewers not into science-fiction. (But if they are, Bebop would be perfect!) And so Monster raises its grisly, bloody head, a Mature series for mature people who can take a straightforward thriller that rarely falters in its unrelenting breakneck pace towards its very violent end. Totally addicting and filled with enough fully-fleshed secondary characters and well-thought out subplots to spin a web that will wrap as tightly as a shroud around the viewer, by the time they’ve dug through its 74 episodes and reached its end, the concept of “salvation” may become known in more ways than one…
… or not, depending upon the viewer
For those not inclined to click the above link, here’s the summary from Anime News Network:
Plot Summary: Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all: incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders, Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be… Now to clear his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who is behind all of this.
It’s often been said that for a good “gateway anime” to work here in the West that it must be dubbed in English, as all-too-many potential viewers are put off by (or too lazy to read) subtitles. Monster is said to have a decent dub, but to be honest, the original Japanese voice actors provide a much more dramatic portrayal. From what I understand, these are actual live-action actors used to playing on-screen roles, so their performances are pitch-perfect and believeable. (Note that I’m unsure about this, namely because one of my favorite anime seiyuus, Mamiko Noto, voices Nina/Anna, and it’s probably her greatest role, Clannad’s Kotomi and Kimi ni Todoke’s Sawako notwithstanding!) You don’t get the impression that they’re forcing their voices into the characters, but are actually WHO they are portraying. I was very impressed with the quality of not only the actors, but the writing, plotting, and direction of Monster. It was the easiest “10″ I ever gave
About the only anime I can think of to compare it to would be Death Note, without the supernatural elements. The police/detective themes run strong in both, and continually poke, prod, and propel the viewer along with the story’s relentless pacing. To be sure, there are moments where the pace does slow a bit, but I think that it’s necessary to do so in order to give the recipient a break in the feast set before them. Otherwise the addictive nature of this creation will glut them to explosive oversaturation…
The bad news is that since the series has been licensed for sale here in North America, it’s hard to find not only the episodes but also fitting (and subtitled) YouTube clips Although you can sample DUBBED episodes through the above Anime News Network link, so check that out by clicking the Watch It Now button on the encyclopedia page.
The good news is that after five years since its airing, the first DVD box set has just been released here! I’d say that if, after sampling a few episodes and finding it addictive enough, it would make an excellent addition to anyone’s library of movies, because in any form this is a story that is deep, thought-provoking, and satisfying, and a very worthy title to own outright. Since this first box only contains episodes 1-15, it’ll probably take five sets to fit all 74 episodes, but will be worth every penny; I’m definitely buying it (when I get some more pennies, that is). The only shame is that David Sylvian’s beautiful and haunting song for the ending theme, “For the Love of Life” wasn’t licensed for release here in the States. So, in the spirit of not letting those idiotic money-grubbing issues prevent you from enjoying this most-fitting piece of music, here it is in its entirety along with some of the background images taken from the thematic “The Monster Without a Name” picture book that is central to Monster…
Sylvian’s a really under-appreciated artist and has long been a favorite of mine ever since buying “Down to Earth” when it came out (ON VINYL). Great atmospherics So he joins Radiohead (Ergo Proxy) the Delgados (Gunslinger Girl) and Noel Gallagher from Oasis (Eden of the East) as rockers who’ve contributed musics to anime; pretty cool! (Note that the lyrics to “For the Love of Life” can be found on the above video’s YouTube page.)
Here’s a final treat/SPOILER for those that still need prodding and aren’t averse to a little spoilage. This occurs in episode 37 (the halfway point), and is the reading of “The Monster Without a Name” by Nina, voiced by Mamiko Noto:
Just like a fairy tale… except that the tale of Monster is very, very realistic, and pretty damned believable. Not exactly a nursery rhyme or children’s lullabye.
…and I’m feelin’ good (if a bit anticipatory)! 2010 has finally arrived and we can all happily kick and shove 2009 into the trashbin of history, where it belongs. Ugh. What a year! To be honest, it did have several redeeming and possibly life-saving events and encounters, but on the whole I’m glad that it’s gone. Here’s hoping that our nice, new, bright ‘n’ shiny 2010 will be good to us all
AND…
banner designed by Marina(ra)
…with the advent of a new year comes the nominations phase of the third annual International Saimoe League, a.k.a. the 2010 ISML tournament! Aside from wishing everyone here a Happy New Year, this post is to give a heads-up to my Anime Visitors to get in early and nominate your favorites whom the voters will hopefully be choosing between throughout the coming year. This phase runs only through January 7th, so head over to HERE to get started! HURRY!!!
And, by the way, since there’s been a welcome influx of Japanese visitors here lately, I’d like to add that we are very much wanting more Japanese participation in our tournament this year, where foreign voters are actually desired, unlike OTHER Moe Tournaments which won’t be mentioned *cough*… (To show my sincerity in courting voters from Japan, I will list the girls’ names here in the Japanese form of “last name first”, which frankly is confusing as hell since I always have to look twice to find their first name. WHYYY???)
Okay: once at the ISML site, your first stop ought to be the Rules Page; there’ve been a lot of changes and improvements in this year’s tournament. After reading up on them go to the Nominations Page, click on the “DO NOT NOMINATE” box to see who is already in (so you don’t waste a nomination), and then fill in the ballot of those 12 moe~tastic girls who you feel should be in the tournament. It’s a year-long tourney, so make sure that each nominee is someone whom you want to be in it for the long haul, ’cause hopefully, you will be with them all the way! It’s quite an endurance test, but a fun one, though it WILL be full of despair as your precious little cuties will be sure to become bashed and bruised in defeat And probablyin the Forums And… there will be despair
I’m just sayin’…
BUT IT’S FUN, DAMMIT! Zetsubou is just a part of it… zetsubou means you care
By the way, for those non-anime visitors who’ve gotten this far and are intrigued about this “moe” business (which is indeed serious) there’s a scholarly-type article here, and as always, the Wikipediagives a general overview with other viewpoints as well. Unfortunately, the concept and definitions of moe have become corrupted nowadays by many anime fans who want to distort the original meanings just to include girls and even males (!!!) to whomever they simply feel attracted to, no matter what the attraction is. Which is NOT moe. It’s totally becoming watered-down, which is a shame, because all too many are simple-mindedly equating moe with “popular” or “hot.” So don’t even get me started
Anyway, that bit of unpleasantry aside, my nominations for this year are the following, and not in any particular order since the votes are not weighted anymore:
Amamiya Yuuko-ef-a fairy tale of the two series
Shihou Matsuri-sola
Kamio Misuzu-AIR
Rakka-Haibane Renmei
Kuronuma Sawako-Kimi ni Todoke
Lucy/Nyuu-Elfen Lied
Amamiya Manami-Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!
Chii-Chobits
Sawatari Makoto-Kanon (2006)
Mizunashi Akari-ARIA
Ochibana Ame-Denpa teki na Kanojo
Oshino Shinobu-Bakemonogatari
That’s a very nice assortment of (my) favorites from both old and new series, and all of ‘em are cherished characters whom I consider very moe. I did have to reluctantly leave some girls out, but ultimately went with those twelve who I really wanted in the contest who might otherwise be overlooked. My #1 girl here is Misuzu, whom I’ll be voting for in every match since she’s the embodiment of moe to me…
Misuzu and Yukito on a picnic
She’s such a brave girl… ;__;
Now, here’s a sampling of the girls I’ll be strongly supporting this year from the list of those 56 already locked in, and so don’t need to be nominated (SO DON’T NOMINATE THESE):
Aisaka Taiga – Toradora
Furude Hanyuu – Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Furude Rika – Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Furukawa Nagisa – CLANNAD
Holo – Spice and Wolf
Ibuki Fuuko – CLANNAD
Ichinose Kotomi – CLANNAD
Okazaki Ushio – CLANNAD ~After Story
Shana – Shakugan no Shana
Shinku – Rozen Maiden
Suiseiseki – Rozen Maiden
Tsukimiya Ayu – Kanon 2006
In the past two tourneys I’ve consistently voted for Rika, Nagisa, Ayu, and Misuzu in almost every match; this year they’ll be joined by Holo (due to newfound respect and love after finally watching Spice and Wolf), and precious little Ushio, whom I doubt I will ever be able to vote against!
Ushio with Naoyuki Okazaki, Tomoya's dad
Aww~! So cute Incidentally, the illustrations in this post are by the magnificently-talented Moonknives, who somehow manages to bring these wonderful 2D creations to almost-3D life. And since I’m in his folder, here’s a very sweet pic of Kanon’s Ayu for your wintery day:
Moonknives' Ayu sitting on The Stump
All things (and series) considered, I believe that Ayu and Misuzu are my two most-favorite characters in anime, and I love ‘em to death :-)
Now go forth and vote, support your girls, have fun, and NO CHEATING!!! Cheaters are dealt with harshly in order to keep the tournament on the level; integrity is very important, and the vote counts are taken seriously. The ISML Staff are dedicated to providing you, the voters, with a fun tournament and are working hard and doing their best to see to it that your time is invested well
Just a quick (EDIT: Hah!) little schizoid post to wish a Merry Christmas to the ever-welcome Visitor
This Post is best read late at night, and especially so if you love Kate Bush as I and her many KateFancies and LoveHounds do *waves to Kate fans drifting in like snowflakes* And for those impending winter season anime fans wandering in, a little treat or three for your patience at the end (at least, if you like Kanon and “Canon in D” )…
Since pictures tell a thousand words, and words just… kinda pile up (at least around these here parts LOL), moving pictures must multiply that another thousand-fold! Since I’m feeling lazy (yum… eggnog!) I thought that a few videos would do well in conveying my Yuletide wishes to you. So, light a fire (preferably in a fireplace!), nog your eggs with a dash of brandy (or five), and let’s all get comfy in a warm and soothing room… and for an appetizer, listen to Kate singing “Home For Christmas”:
Nice little ditty, eh? (AND… to those aforementioned Kate-fanciers, you have found the hidden and secret Kate Bush Page here, haven’t you? Hint: you won’t have to go to the Unbound website to find it! Now, no more hints! You’ve got to do your homework, haven’t you? )
Let’s get serious and settle down for the main course, and watch her perform the lovely “December Will Be Magic Again”, taken from her 1979 Christmas Special. Turn up the heat, light up the candle lights, and melt like the snow…
If curious about the lyrics, they’re on the video’s YouTube page, as are those of the following set; many thanks to Symphonyofflowers (a fellow KateFancy from the HomeGround Forum) for the wonderful vids :-D
So, are you feeling warm and soothed yet? How ’bout something to take care of that, hmm? Because Kate is so Warm and Soothing… well, at least when she needs and wants to be! And here, she does indeed…
Man, she even warms up a slideshow! Speaking of, and so as to help keep the cold out from your room and your heart, something to warm your Place up considerably: “In the Warm Room”…
Ah… that was swell! *sighs contentedly*
I think everyone’s feeling a little sleepy now, so to send you off to dreamland… Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” performed against the anime it inspired, called fittingly enough, Kanon. Both the song and the show are among my Most Favorite Things. Coincidence? I think not…
For the uninitiated Kate fans still hanging around, the following slideshow Anime Music Video introduces the Viewer to each of the girls first: Nayuki, Shiori, Makoto, Mai, and Ayu, and then Nayuki again followed by Yuichi, the male lead (lucky fellow!) (well, he is for the most part in this dramatic, funny, tragic, and heart-wrenching/-warming series)…
Hmm… my plan to share a clip from the show where the significance of the Pachelbel piece was explained is foiled; it’s gone! Agh! I’ll have to make it up to you: Last year I made a Post about Kanon/Canon entitled“Changes… in ‘D’”, where I transposed the short-but-critical dialogue mentioned above. And yeah, the actual clip was yanked But please do read it if curious about the deeper meanings in that connection, and the illuminating Comments from Max that follow it ;-)
Well then, a bit of a change in plans; care for a little dessert? Since snow seems to be almost everywhere this time of year, how about a tour around “that snowy city” of Kanon’s, and listen to the extended version of the beautiful opening theme “Last Regrets” while we’re at it? Oh, and glory at the sheer beauty of this acclaimed masterpiece:
...and since you've been so very good this year, the lyrics in both Romaji and English (thanks to animelyrics.com!):
Original / Romaji Lyrics
English Translation
arigatou iwanaiyo
zutto shimatte oku
sayonara ha kagerinai
yume no ato shizuka ni oritatsu
I won't say thank you
I'll always keep it inside
It won't be a sad goodbye
Silently, the aftermath of the dream rises
ryouteni ha furisosogu kakera wo
itsumademo itsumademo daite
saiko made waratteru tsuyosa wo
mou shitteita
Always, always embracing
The fragments that rained into my hands
I already had the strength
To keep smiling to the end
ohayou mezame ha
mabushikute kanashii
sayonara yurusenai
bokutachi no yowasa ga yokatta
Good morning
Waking is dazzlingly sad
I'm glad that our weakness
Wouldn't let us say goodbye
futari ni ha arifureta yasashisa
hana no youni koi no youni utsurou
hikui kumo kaze wo matsu shizukesa
mou kikoenai
Like love, this routine kindness between us
Blooms like a flower
The low clouds, the silence waiting for the wind
I can no longer hear them
ryouteni ha furisosogu kakera wo
itsumademo itsumademo daite
saiko made waratteru tsuyosa wo
mou shitteita
Always, always embracing
The fragments that rained into my hands
I already had the strength
To keep smiling to the end
mou nakanai mou nakanai nakanai...
I won't cry anymore, I won't cry anymore, I won't cry...
Finally (oh damn, my formatting's changed and I forgot what the default is -bear with me!!!)... an aperitif!
Here's Ayu's short (no pun intended!)"Seasons" monologue and scene, voiced by her seiyuu (and my favorite) Yui Horie:
WARNING: MAJORKanon spoilers ahead; don't view if you plan to watch it!
This is, for those who've seen it, a cherished scene, and so this little Christmas present-o
Thanks for reading, and again I'd like to wish a very Merry Christmas to you and yours,
and forward my best wishes for a prosperous (however you may count it) New Year!
May the many days to come bring you Joy, whatever Season you celebrate
I thought I’d start up a new series that features a favorite anime as represented by some of the more readily-available (*cough YouTube cough*) AMVs out there. Today’s initial installment will deal with one of the more unique and incomparable series made, namely 1998’s Serial Experiments Lain. With initial character designs by Yoshitori ABe, who also did those for Haibane Renmei, and at times startling, disturbing and quixotic direction by Ryutaro Nakamura, Lain is a psychedelic cornucopia of visual and aural sensations. The story begins with a classmate committing suicide, and then days later seems to be sending messages via the Internet about now existing in a place called “the Wired” where she claims to have found God. Dealing with (among many other things) reality, identity, and being, it’s probably best not to try to explain what it’s about, as different viewers will come away with their own interpretations. For those unafraid of spoilers, the Wikipedia has an interesting article on it here.
One of Lain’s elements that is immediately noticeable is the use of sound, both in effects, music, and even silence. Even the ominous and everpresent humming of electrical overhead wires lends much to the atmosphere. While it’s not an AMV, this clip of the initial seven minutes from the first episode will give you a taste of Lain’s apparently-strange world, and introduce you to the theme song, “Duvet” which you’ll hear more of later on (suggestion: watch in Full Screen and High Quality):
It was tough coming up with AMVs of quality in both presentation and especially song choice, as music is so subjective. I wanted to have a sort of progression as well, so that the flow reflects the series movements. So let’s start out with the intriguing character of Lain herself, shall we? A quiet, introspective, and shy girl, she gets a computer upgrade courtesy of her enthusiast-father, who has no clue as to the “monster” he gives birth to. It’s not long before Lain surpasses his own expertise and is soon connected to The Wired. There she encounters… well, let’s let the AMV show you. This one’s quite pixelicious so you may want to just keep it normal-sized; it’s here mainly for the song, “Mad World” by Gary Jules, and the excellent scene choices by its creator:
The next AMV, accompanied by Natalie Imbruglia’s “Smoke,” deals more with Lain’s immediate circle of family and friends, and the increasingly disorienting world which she inhabits. Her parental units and sister are all seemingly detached from her, but her closest friend Alice stays with her through thick and thin; she’s just about the only reliant one she knows.
This next award-winning AMV is backed by “Cells” by The Servant, and depicts Lain’s place(s) in her environment(s), and her shifting sense of self. Or should that be “selves”?
Finally, we have a spoilerish but excellent AMV that focuses on several key scenes from the series: the “men in black” set up as opposition to Lain’s explorations, the harrowing nightclub shooting scene where a deranged gunman takes aim at Lain, and a confrontation near the end with Alice and …?… It’s hard to describe anything as spoilers with Serial Experiments Lain as it will constantly keep you scratching your head and trying desperately to un-blow your mind! This video is backed by Frou Frou’s “Psychobabble,” some might say quite fittingly
That should be enough to entice you, assuming your genres line up accordingly! Needless to say, “psychological” is at the top with this anime It’s really an incomparable series, and as I mentioned above, the sound alone is pretty amazing. For the first third of episode 11 there is no dialogue, and aside from sound effects a feedback-distorted guitar is the only ground you’ll have to accompany the disorienting imagery.
And speaking of music (kind of), here’s the “live” version of “Duvet” as performed by Boa. This song is one of my favorites, and I just can’t get enough of it! First up, the lyrics, written by (and sung by) Jasmine Rodgers:
“And you don’t seem to understand
A shame you seemed an honest man
And all the fears you hold so dear
Will turn to whisper in your ear
And you know what they say might hurt you
And you know that it means so much
And you don’t even feel a thing
I am falling
I am fading
I have lost it all
And you don’t seem the lying kind
A shame that I can read your mind
And all the things that I read there
Candle lit smile that we both share
And you know I don’t mean to hurt you
But you know that it means so much
And you don’t even feel a thing
I am falling
I am fading
I am drowning, help me to breathe
I am hurting
I have lost it all
I am losing, help me to breathe”
Now you can sing along!
I LOVE watching Jasmine dance Think I’ve got a(nother) crush
Hope you enjoyed this installment; now go out and buy it if you like what you can sample here (and there). It really belongs in your collection, if the type is your thing ;-)
I’d been wanting to do a Post about Dolls for some time, since it’s been ages since I wrote one. So I thought it fitting to start from the beginning, and see where it takes us…
As usual with a lot of things with me, I started out ass-backwards in both anime and dolls. With anime, even before watching my first episode, I began buying figures of characters which simply looked appealing to me. Since I knew nothing about their shows though, I usually bought figures that had no emotional connection to speak of. They were merely “pretty statuettes”. (Except for this rare Elfen Lied one below, which I was fortunate enough to find later.)
...you don't wanna see her when she's mad...
The more I investigated the figures though, the more interested in their anime-stories I became. Which led me to Elfen Lied (my first anime), and then to two other series that I’d become exposed to through The Doll Forum: Rozen Maiden and Chobits.
In anime, there is such diversity with regard to not only genres but stories and characters as well. There really is something for everyone as long as they have any sort of interest in animation, graphic novels, comic books, stories of depth, fantasy, humor, violence or romance, being moved and/or feeling awestruck, and even… dolls!
Once the first draft of my novel, Unbound, was finished, I decided to both reward myself and take promoting the novel to a higher level; one that would be both cutting edge, daring, provocative, and controversial. Not to mention satisfying, delightful, functional, and significant! Since I had felt throughout the novel’s writing that the essence, the spirit of Lily had accompanied me and that she was always nearby throughout, supporting, inspiring, and comforting me, that a physical embodiment would be very appropriate.
After thoroughly researching the history of dolls and stories and myths about them, most notably that of Pygmalion, I decided to commission Abyss Creations to create a Realdoll that would replicate my Lily in all her up-till-now only imagined beauty and personage. The result, which arrived in April of 2004 after a four-month production queue, was breathtakingly accurate to my vision of her, and as real as real can get, without it being, you know, real!
...posing in front of an Ah! My Goddess wallscroll with a Sandman statuette for company
Then “it” became “she”… and that’s a hint of the transformative nature of dolls and Imagination
When I joined TDF late in 2003 I knew nothing of anime except the assumption that it was “kid stuff”, as most Westerners consider it. But I’d become intrigued with the many “enablements” that dolls could provide humans with; namely as tools for imagination, which allowed for creative uses such as photography and story-telling; toys with which to elicit delight and fancy, which facilitated Play and amusement; and as surrogates for companionship, thus alleviating loneliness and melancholy.
Over the years I kept seeing references in various posts about two “doll-related” anime in particular: Rozen Maiden, which deals more with living, magical, ball-jointed dolls and their “raison d’etre”, while Chobitsspoke of a deeper, more overtly human-related story with regard to relationships with life-sized humanoid computers, named “Persocoms.” It also subtly comments on the reliance, dependence, and addiction of modern man to technology. Both of these shows are wonderful introductions into anime, if you’re not inclined to start delving into the medium willy-nilly. (Careful picking and choosing is necessary in order to find a show that is to your liking, since there is so much out there of various types and genres, story and styles.)
So, in conjunction with the overall arcing of the Dolls topic, I thought that I’d highlight these two series, and then soon to follow will be an update to the modern day to see where these subjects have led: a more recent show called “Time of Eve” (Eve no Jikan). IF I can find the last 2 episodes to download (And I believe that next year a movie will be released that will blend all 6 episodes!)
Rozen Maiden tells of a group of dolls that were created and imbued with life and given magical powers by their creator, known to them only as “Father.” The world knows him as Rozen, a legendary and gifted dollmaker, long-since disappeared. Their purpose: To play a deadly centuries-old war called “The Alice Game”, so-called because its purpose is to ween out and declare the victor among them a transcendant, becoming “the perfect girl, Alice” and the only doll suitable to be the one to meet “Father.” By snatching each defeated doll’s Rosa Mystica (something akin to a Soul, and source of each doll’s powers), the victor will finally ascend to her Father’s loving embrace…
The exact question of WHY a loving creator would want his beloved creations to fight each other to death solely in order to be reunited with him remains a mystery throughout the series. And in re-reading the previous sentence it might strike the reader that there IS a similarity between humans and THEIR Creator, along with the “God is on our side” mentality that warring nations of humans proclaim. Thought-provoking, a bit?
Anyway, thats just a brief summary, and a lead-in to this YouTube video that will serve as a sampling of Rozen Maiden’s delights. To be sure, there is a lot of comedy and doll-hijinx that lighten the heaviness (and in Season Two, “Traumend,” it’s needed as it gets pretty serious), but this series has many other moving, provocative, and dreadful moments as well. The video is taken from the “Ouverture” 2-part special, that explained the enmity between Shinku (the blonde red-garbed doll) and Suigintou (the white-haired black-clothed winged doll) that was depicted in the show’s first season. Suigintou was a defective doll, as seen in this opening, rejected to the junk-heap by Father while he dotes upon Shinku. She manages to track Shinku down in the 18th century where the somewhat haughty doll softens and takes her in, teaching her how to walk and act. But things don’t turn out well; when one of the other dolls attacks her assuming that The Alice Game is being played out, it sets into motion the ill feelings to come, where malevolence takes root…
This AMV (Anime Music Video) features Evanescence doing “Even in Death” as its backdrop, and most-suitable, as all AMV song choices should be (Full Screen it and click the High Quality button; it’s better that way):
Chobits is a beast of another color. It asks not only about what humans want, but what the Persocom wants, much as Rozen Maiden asks after the Doll. The following AMV doesn’t focus on the series’ star, Chii, so much as it does the relationship between life-sized Persocom and human. It’s somewhat spoilerish, so bear that in mind if planning to watch the show. It doesn’t reveal the main story’s plot, but rather condenses a couple of side-stories that prove essential to the relationship aspects of this series, one of which (the baker’s story) is among the most moving secondary stories not only in this show but in all of anime.
The beginning of this vid depicts the pitfalls of becoming infatuated with the technological, and the consequence of severence from meaningful human contact, as told by the young woman whose husband has forgotten her due to his shutting himself in their home with his “toys.” In the second part, the baker, upon glimpsing a girl with whom he fancied (and who liked him but was reluctant to come forward because of his past) “spying” on him, tells of his own story about his falling in love with a worker-Persocom, whom this girl resembles, and its tragic result. This AMV (despite several glaring mispellings) does such a good job of covering the issues of companionship, loneliness, and love that any further words will dampen it, so… here you go.
Another Evanescence song, “My Immortal” accompanies it; HQ and full-screen it for full effect:
And since she’s barely seen at all in the above video, here’s Chii in a fanciful setting:
Chii with her little feathered friends
Eventually, I was introduced through TDF to ball-jointed dolls, as the Rozen Maidens are supposed to be. Unable to resist their charms, I got my own BJD from Korea, a Lutz-Delf doll named Soony. She settled in quickly and also became a lover of anime! One day I found a rare Chobits picture book compilation, and in her spare moments she can be seen reading it, much like Chii did in Chobits. It was called “The Town With No People”, and mirrored Chii’s wonderment at the sensations she was discovering of and on her own…:
Soony likes to read xD
And since we’re on several intertwining subjects, here’s the beautiful Ending Theme from Chobits featuring the characters from that picture-book. It’s called “Ningyo Hime” (Mermaid Princess), and sung by Rie Tanaka, the voice of Chii:
To wrap things up, it’s wise to not assume things about matters that we’re simply unfamiliar with. “Fear of the unknown” is a cliche, and we’re at our best when we’re challenging the unknown, not held in thrall by it. We can even learn to play better with each other! Even The Dolls know that
Even dolls know how to play well with dolls
And, a last plug for Rozen Maiden (this Limited Edition felt-covered box set is long out of print, but a newer thinpak version was released recently, so BUY IT IF YOU LIKE IT!):
...and on Lily, who's trying to help out
So, in short: have fun, think for yourself, play as you like, use your imagination, and be boundless! Or, in the alternative, simply become Unbound
Welcome to Alastor's Reflection, the re-imagining of Fingal's Cave; a much more suitable environment than that poor soul's indwelling. Fingal resumes his journey in the pages of UNBOUND, while another solitary Spirit remains in this Place to muse with his Muse on the pursuit of "Life, Joy, Empire, and Victory," and the beauties therein...
I wavered a bit between a 9 and a 10 due to the sheer...
Little Anzu is convinced of her crush on her teacher “Tsuchi” despite his obvious leanings toward his cute so-worker Yamamoto, and this subject matter in a more cynical society could not be shown as well as what comes off in this series: funny, playfully squirm-inducing, and very heartwarming. Anzu’s friends, the smart and cosplaying Hiiragi, and the insecure and shy Koume, are great foils and play large parts in filling in the comedy, as do the teachers to slightly less effect. 
Despite my general apathy for lolis, she is breaking me in not-so-gently, as she’s a great character, though a tiny bit understated so far, and enchanting to watch. Her attire (or lack of it) notwithstanding LOL.
For SOME reason, Wordpress stopped auto-saving. I was typing up a storm (which for me is a minor miracle) and had about ten paragraphs with Important Points to Make which I was later going to expand upon. IMPORTANT POINTS!!! Then, for SOME reason, in the midst of typing, I get this error about “Do you want to navigate away from this page?” Uh… NO. Why, did I act like I *wanted* to? GRR!
