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Posts tagged "Super Serial"
Super Serial: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann episode 1
More like Tengen Toppa THIS EPISODE SUCKS. ...
Tags: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Super Serial
Super Serial: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann episode 2
Better than a bowl of dead flies. ...
Tags: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Super Serial
Super Serial: El Cazador de la Bruja episode 1
Nadie steals the show, which is good, since it’s her show. ...
Tags: El Cazador de la Bruja, Super Serial
Super Serial: El Cazador de la Bruja episode 2
It’s about as embarrassing as getting caught looking at porn. ...
Tags: El Cazador de la Bruja, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star episode 1
The anime equivalent of elevator music? ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: El Cazador de la Bruja episodes 3-5
Episode 3 was, thankfully, an improvement over the first 2 episodes. I was a bit put off by how Nadie and Ellis treated the corpse in the house that they take shelter in, but it’s something that can be ignored without too much trouble. I’m not sure if I like Ellis yet, but I’m starting to understand her character. One thing that still irritates me is the use of disposable antagonists. Unless they pull something as ballsy as actually killing one of the main characters, having a nameless bad guy of the week is really boring. Nothing’s at stake because you know Nadie and Ellis won’t really be set back by a couple of cross dressing bounty hunters. Are the producers trying to say something about the LGBT culture? Episode 4 was pretty silly anyway. You could condense the fundamentals of the story into one or two episodes, eliminating the need to slosh through filler episodes. As usual, L.A. is annoying and Rosenberg is ominous. This amount of creativity rivals da Vinci or Buonarroti. Oh wait, no it doesn’t. Episode 5 was much the same—lots of filler, but not much accomplished in terms of the story. It plays out a bit too cartoonishly, but I’m willing to bet that’s a consequence of its time slot. ...
Tags: El Cazador de la Bruja, Super Serial
Super Serial: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann episodes 3-5
Unlike the rest of the internet, I was not impressed by Gurren Lagann’s overly flashy but soulless premier. Nor was I impressed by episode 2, and as of episode 5, I’m still not impressed. There are some mildly funny moments, such as the Gurren Lagann union, but I’m just not convinced that the story is really moving along. The only really interesting scene was at the end of episode 2, involving Kamina’s father. Kamina is a pretty good character, but even his overly macho antics are starting to wear thin. I’m not sure what they’re trying to do with Leeron either. His design suggests that he’s there for comic relief, but he’s definitely not played effectively that way. Yoko doesn’t seem to have a purpose either (aside from the two on her chest). That rifle’s big, but it’s just not believable that it could do any sort of damage against the giant Ganmen. I was hoping for some novel tactics using both Gurren Lagann’s size and Yoko’s range and mobility, but that doesn’t get explored during the action scenes. Worst of all, the story usually gets paralyzed by Simon’s lack of a spine. Reluctant heroes are ok, but if you’re going to make your main character a complete wimp, at least have the decency to not make the action grind to a halt. All the suspense and momentum that’s built up gets killed as Simon keeps telling himself that he can’t do anything. And you know what? The outcome is the same every time—he gets up and fights anyway. We don’t see much of the psychology of the character, which makes it especially irritating. ...
Tags: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star episodes 2-4
I appreciate all the pop culture references they’re throwing into the show, especially to Blade of the Immortal and Haruhi. That alone isn’t enough to make an anime funny, and I’m starting to question the validity of the 4-koma format. Predictably, each scene begins with a setup, and a few seconds later, you’ll get some sort of punchline. Often it’s just a reaction shot, and sometimes there’s no real punchline at all. If you ask me, it’s not a spectacular way to tell a joke. What I do like about the show, though, is the Lucky Channel segment at the end. It’s viciously satirical of moe shows, and since Lucky Star has a fair bit of that going on, it ends up giving the series a self-satirical slant. And if you know me, I’ve got a fetish for self-satire. The ending kakaroke is also a nice touch. ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: More Gurren Lagann and El Cazador de la Bruja
I didn’t bother to take screens of the next few El Cazador and Gurren Lagann episodes. Episodes 6 and 7 of El Cazador are actually pretty good, as they stop wasting time with silly villains of the week and make an earnest effort to build up the characters. I’m starting to like the more cheerful version of Ellis, as opposed to the deadpan robotic one from the first episode. Nadie, too, gets some much needed back story. I still have no tolerance for all the seemingly irrelevant side stories. L.A. is incredibly annoying, and I don’t really see the necessity in giving him any kind of screen time at all. He comes across more like a whiny, obsessive ex-boyfriend than a person with any kind of mystique about him. I don’t want to know more about L.A., and I actively want to strangle him every time he appears. Rosenberg, too, has yet to make any useful contribution to the plot. These side stories need to be thought out before being introduced. ...
Tags: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, El Cazador de la Bruja, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star episodes 5 and 6
Episode 5 didn’t feel like anything particularly special to me, although it does maintain that offbeat charm that Kyoto Animation shows tend to exhibit. That said, I am continuously amazed by Hirano Aya’s performance of “Cha-La Head-Cha-La” during the ending karaoke. Great fun! ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann episodes 8-11
Okay seriously, what the hell. Well at least the episodes after 7 don’t suck. They’re not that imaginative either, but a coherent story seems to be coming together. A Gung Ho Guns type group has been identified as the most likely enemies of the next few episodes. As for Kamina, well... shit happens. I honestly expected to stop watching the show after episode 9, but the repercussions (especially on Simon) aren’t handled all that badly. Hey, does that mean Gurren Lagann is becoming good? We’re also introduced to Nia, whose background is not unlike that of Garak in Star Trek: Deep Space 9. She was cast out and left to die by her own people, only to be picked up by their enemies. The action scenes are as over the top as can be, but at least now they’re not hindered by Simon’s inability to act. Also, can you fit any more drills onto Gurren Lagann? I think the thing should have like individual drill fingers and toes, and drills from the eyes, and a drill nose, and hell, why not a few more pelvic drills. By my estimates, there are no less than thirty three drills on that damn thing. Oh yeah, and the giga drill isn’t exactly universe-sized yet. Come on, production team, let’s get on that post-haste! ...
Tags: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Super Serial
Super Serial: El Cazador de la Bruja episodes 8-10
Ellis is turning more and more into comic relief. The movement of the plot is about as aimless as Nadie’s journey, I’d say. And also, this L.A. guy... sheesh. Every other word out of his yap is “Ellis.” He’s not even a character, really. L.A. is just a reminder that there are strange happenings afoot. I wish I could find more to report, but these three episodes are almost entirely filler. It’s one disposable guest star after another, and although I quite like Nadie’s Amigo Tacos getup, I’d rather have the show move its story along. ...
Tags: El Cazador de la Bruja, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star episodes 7-10
Yeah, Lucky Star is formulaic as ever, but at least they’ve gotten over the need to have 10 minute discussions on food. Whatever happens from now on, they have the food issue covered. Shiraishi’s rant on “tsundere” at the end of episode 10 is pretty funny. Konata remains a zen-like island of calm in the sea of troubles that she has instigated. What bothers me, though, is that Kyoto Animation seems absolutely obsessed with giving nods to the anime/gamer cultures to the point of not having any real content. I mean, Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! and Haruhi (previous Kyoto productions) both do that, but Lucky Star is almost solely composed of pop culture minutiae. Lucky Star has the ingredients of a great comedy: a tight cast, a reservoir of cultural references, and voice actors who can deliver. The problem is achieving the gestalt, getting a substantive whole out of its constituent parts. ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi episodes 1-5
Well if Gainax’s recent works aren’t that great, why not go back to 2002, right? I did not expect Abenobashi to be as perverted as it is, but I guess that’s a pitfall of Gainax stuff. I dig the constant parody, the raunchy humor, and the French gags, but I can see it getting old unless it all goes somewhere. My favorite episode so far is the second one, with the RPG satire that reeks of truth. ...
Tags: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star episodes 11 and 12
Epiosde 11 has its moments but is unremarkable otherwise. Episode 12 is funnier, as it deals with Comiket (one of several thousand comic conventions in existence). Although I like Lucky Star’s portrayal of that particular subculture, it really is kind of pissing on its own feet with this episode. I would imagine a significant proportion of the show’s viewership consists of otakus like that. ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star episodes 13 and 14
I’m going to stop blogging the individual episodes for now. I figure at this point, I might as well just save it all for the review. Well, it’s not like my previous posts on Lucky Star have been incredibly on-point, anyway. But, for these next two episodes, I will say this: Lucky Star is in trouble if the ending credits, featuring a minor extra joke character, manages to upstage the rest of the episode. I’ll admit, it’s an inside joke, but if you’re in, you’ll probably soil yourself. For everyone else, it’s still pretty fun to see a guy make a complete ass of himself. It’s not that I dislike the series. It’s just that Lucky Star hasn’t, in my mind, excelled in or out of its comfort zone. Humor is a deceptively tricky thing to pull off. In Lucky Star’s case, we are presented more with the impression of humor rather than actual humor. ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star 16 is epic Haruhiism
I know I said I’d stop blogging about Lucky Star, but this can’t go unacknowledged. This episode flaunts its Haruhiism quite shamelessly. That said, I suspect I liked it more because of my love for Haruhi than for Lucky Star. ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: Every Gurren Lagann episode ever in 4 easy steps
I decided to get back on track with Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and then I quickly decided that it wasn’t worthwhile. Is there a stronger word than “formulaic?” Cloneliness? Templation? What I really can’t understand is why so many bloggers on the internet like this show so much. It’s way too over the top, even for its admittedly ridiculous premise. I mean, over the top action has its place, but when it starts to become more about noise than excitement, and when the self-parody only serves to point out how bad the show has been thus far, it’s time to draw a line in the sand. ...
Tags: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Super Serial
Super Serial: Lucky Star is over!
Well folks, it looks like that’s it for Lucky Star. Before I get to writing the review, I think it’s worth mentioning episode 22. I mean, you get all the more or less irrelevant, sorta-kinda funny stuff from the rest of the series, and then it just hits you with something like this. ...
Tags: Lucky Star, Super Serial
Super Serial: Makai Senki Disgaea episode 1
Despite there being no letter “i” anywhere in the second syllable of “Disgaea,” everyone insists that it is pronounced DIS-GUY-UH. Well, the first episode of the Disgaea anime has been fansubbed. If you’ve never played the Playstation 2 game, I suggest you go do it right now. It will eat up hours of your life faster than... well, something that’s really fast. I originally thought the anime was going to be a continuation of the game, detailing the events that will lead to its sequel Disgaea 2, but that doesn’t seem to be the case—instead, it is a reimagining of the story. ...
Tags: Makai Senki Disgaea, Super Serial
Super Serial: Makai Senki Disgaea episode 2
The next two episodes of the Disgaea anime are out. It’s deviating a lot from the story laid out in the game, but it’s too early to say what kind of effect this will have on the end product. The series feels a bit lacking in humor and excitement, although I’d say the second episode is a marked improvement over the first. ...
Tags: Makai Senki Disgaea, Super Serial
Super Serial: Karas episode 1
It’s oddly rewarding, being able to sit down and zone out in front of anime. Karas, a 6 episode OVA, is the first new series I’ve picked up in a long time. The intro is crazy, with 2 armored warriors transforming, dogfighting, and slowing down time. They weave through traffic and bridges, unleashing a devastating arsenal of firepower. The first shot atop a tower is just stunning. You sit and watch, jaws agape, at a bewildering assault of CGI and sound effects, wondering if this could get any better. ...
Tags: Karas, Super Serial
Super Serial: Minami-ke episode 1
“This story is a simple illustration of the three sisters of the Minami household. Please do not expect too much out of it.” ...
Tags: Minami-ke, Super Serial
Super Serial: Minami-ke episodes 2-5
At last, the beach episode. I was wondering when that was going to happen. Let’s get down to it: I wasn’t terribly enamored with the first 3 episodes. They spend some time setting up the supporting cast (each sister’s respective classmates), but it all played out like pretty standard fare. However, episodes 4 and 5 brought about a change. Kana got toned down, and the relationship dynamics of the 3 sisters got fleshed out more. And I mean it when I say “fleshed out.” ...
Tags: Minami-ke, Super Serial
Super Serial: Minami-ke episodes 6 and 7
This will be the last of the Super Serial posts on Minami-ke because I think it’s pointless to blog a series to its completion, and then review it. Episode 6 revolves around Makoto, who (like every other male character) becomes infatuated with Haruka and will go to insane lengths to get close to her. I really hate Makoto, and if you refer to my complaints about histrionics in Happy Lesson, you’ll know why. He embodies everything that initially turned me off to Kana in the first episode, and his schtick gets old very quickly. Unfortunately, there are a few more Makoto centered episodes to follow, and that is a grating nuisance in an otherwise good series. ...
Tags: Minami-ke, Super Serial
Super Serial: Minami-ke Okawari episode 1
The second season of Minami-ke brings about some changes, mostly in the art style. I liked the look of the first series well enough; I’m not really sure why the switch in production studios was necessary. The look isn’t that much closer to that of the manga either. ...
Tags: Minami-ke, Super Serial
Super Serial: Shakugan no Shana episodes 1 and 2
In all my years, I think I’ve seen maybe 3 good first episodes to an anime series. Shakugan no Shana’s first episode doesn’t exactly join that lot, but it did get me interested. It’s not often that you get the revelation that the protagonist and almost everyone he knows is dead in like the first minute of the show. But this isn’t what gives the series potential. It’s the way Shana builds on its premise that’s most intriguing. ...
Tags: Shakugan no Shana, Super Serial
Super Serial: Minami-ke Okaeri episodes 1 and 2
We kick(ed) off the new year with another season of Minami-ke, which I think of as a mediocre series that snuck in some great writing. The first episode of Okaeri brings us to the 27th actual episode of Minami-ke, and that’s why I’m viewing this series with trepidation. ...
Tags: Minami-ke, Super Serial
Super Serial: Minami-ke Okaeri episode 3
Awkward high school romances: just one is all you’ll need. Wooing a member of the opposite sex is never straightforward. Then you wonder, “do they have as much trouble as I do?” Contact is not the most difficult part, though. It’s what follows. Rejection? Yes that’s possible. Success? Also possible. But the most likely outcome? Friendship. Continual, endless, eternally tormenting friendship. And this brings us to Minami-ke. ...
Tags: Minami-ke, Super Serial
Super Serial: Minami-ke Okaeri episode 4
This episode deals with Touma’s gender identity, Haruka’s status as head honcho, Natsuki’s new friend, and some scary fucking dogs. ...
Tags: Minami-ke, Super Serial
Super Serial: Valkyria Chronicles episode 1
Because of the infuriating industry practice of saving up all the big releases for November, Valkyria Chronicles as a game was lost in the flurry of releases last Thanksgiving that included Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2. As a result, this unique and visually impressive Playstation 3 tactical RPG went virtually unnoticed in the U.S. Thankfully, the Japanese take care of their own, and this game seems to have gained quite a following there. The latest fruit of that success is the anime adaptation of Valkyria Chronicles. ...
Tags: Valkyria Chronicles, Senjou no Valkyria, Super Serial
Super Serial: Valkyria Chronicles episode 2
This series seems to lack direction, though I wonder how much of this perception is colored by the fact that I basically know what’s going to happen. Episode 2 stil feels like it’s going through the paces of the gameplay, giving us a few combat sequences and cutting out. When an adaptation tries too hard to be true to the source, I think it has missed the point of being an adaptation. Trying to capture the feel of Valkyria’s gameplay is a fruitless endeavor. When you go from game to anime, you’re losing interactivity, and so you’ve lost some of the inherent substance of the original. The key should be to seize upon the narrative and character building opportunities, to make them more complex and interesting. So far, the anime has not fully embraced this approach. ...
Tags: Valkyria Chronicles, Senjou no Valkyria, Super Serial
Super Serial: Valkyria Chronicles episode 3
Now commencing the war in earnest, the third episode of Valkyria Chronicles shows Welkin’s commissioning and the formation of Squad 7. Alicia, to her dismay, is assigned to be Welkin’s subordinate, and a few familiar faces from Bruhl are also placed under his command. Welkin’s speech about staying alive fails to impress some of the more seasoned members of Squad 7 (surprise, surprise). Their first assignment is to retake the town of Vasel, where the Gallian army is locked in a stalemate against the Imperial army. Welkin uses this opportunity to make a pact with his subordinates. If he can take the town in 2 days, they’ll have to follow his orders without question. ...
Tags: Valkyria Chronicles, Senjou no Valkyria, Super Serial
Super Serial: Eden of the East episode 1
I know, watching two shows concurrently? It’s almost like I wanted to be an actual anime journalist. I picked up Eden of the East mostly on Japanator’s recommendation, which pretty much consisted of “LOLDONGS.” So you know, I had to get in on that. ...
Tags: Eden of the East, Higashi no Eden, Super Serial
Super Serial: Valkyria Chronicles episode 4
This episode of Valkyria Chronicles mixes some rudimentary comedic situations with a battle... that has no consequence whatsoever on our heroes. Yes, the story here is that Squad 7 gets to not do anything. ...
Tags: Valkyria Chronicles, Senjou no Valkyria, Super Serial
Super Serial: Valkyria Chronicles episode 5
Episode 5 begins in media res, with Squad 7 and Squad 1 about to besiege an Imperial HQ. Welkin, armed with knowledge of an obscure animal trail, devises a risky plan to draw the main defenses away with the Edelweiss and have a splinter force attack from the side. The rest of the episode is... pretty much just them carrying out the plan. There isn’t much context to show where this all fits in the bigger picture. ...
Tags: Valkyria Chronicles, Senjou no Valkyria, Super Serial
Super Serial: Eden of the East episode 2
Eden of the East is takes a little too long to get to the point for my tastes, but the second episode continues to set up a few mysteries. Akira’s mysterious stalker appears, a middle-aged man with the same phone as him. Akira and Saki arrive in Japan after a missile attack. They follow Akira’s phone to his home. I am interested in this noblesse oblige, and I’m also interested in where the 9/11 references will go, but episode 2 hasn’t delivered on these things yet. ...
Tags: Eden of the East, Higashi no Eden, Super Serial
Super Serial: Valkyria Chronicles episode 6
Episode 6 is a comedy/filler type episode. I generally dislike filler, but this one was lively and decently funny. It also helped me to realize that Valkyria Chronicles is not so much about war as it is about repeatedly humiliating Alicia. Bringing Irene Ellet into the mix spiced things up for Squad 7. Irene is a reported with a hankering for some interview time with Welkin, while Alicia is perpetually worried that what Welkin says would embarrass the militia. Of course, she also has to keep Squad 7’s idiosynchratic members in line. ...
Tags: Valkyria Chronicles, Senjou no Valkyria, Super Serial
Super Serial: Eden of the East episode 3
The plot of Eden of the East is thickening... with all the speed of a receding glacier. Ignoring for the moment that we are all mortal and have things to do other than sit around and see how a television show develops, you still don’t need 3 episodes to tell the amount of story that has been told thus far. Pacing should not always be quick, but you should do something with each minute of air time. I was intrigued by the workings of the Selecao and the Supporters and all that good stuff. Why not focus on that more? ...
Tags: Eden of the East, Higashi no Eden, Super Serial
Super Serial: Bakemonogatari episodes 1-4
I think it’s always good to have an anime where one character mercilessly hurls verbal abuse at another. This worked to great effect in Minami-ke and is also working quite well in Bakemonogatari. To start off, this show is adapted from a series of light novels, although what anime isn’t nowadays. It centers around Koyomi Araragi, a high school boy who accidentally discovers a secret about his classmate Hitagi Senjougahara. She has no weight, as she claims it was taken from her by a crab. So Araragi, takes her to his homeless benefactor, a 30 year old named Oshino, who offers to turn her back to normal. If my summary doesn’t make sense, don’t worry. It makes less sense in the show. ...
Tags: Bakemonogatari, Super Serial
Super Serial: Bakemonogatari episode 5
I’m actually past the halfway point for the show, but I felt I should give special consideration to the fifth episode of Bakemonogatari. Although the overall “Mayoi Snail” story arc could have been streamlined, the way this episode finishes the story is quite elegant and poignant. I won’t go into specifics, so as to not spoil something you really should see for yourself, but the story of Mayoi Hachikuji finally starts to make some sense. ...
Tags: Bakemonogatari, Super Serial
Super Serial: Bakemonogatari episode 6
After an emotional fifth episode, Bakemonogatari swings back to its oddball style and understated humor. Episode 6 isn’t the most exciting episode, and I can’t help but feel that maybe a little better animation work could have been done if they hadn’t blown the budget on a half dozen credits sequences. All the long panning shots, stills, and “cut to black” frames that were initially quite pretty are now getting annoying. They reek of cut corners. ...
Tags: Bakemonogatari, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 1
Crossover! ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 2
This episode dishes out more exposition, telling you Index’s talent for memory and a little more about Necessarius. It also tells you a little more about the nature of magic, and how it was created by those who couldn’t use esper powers. And it really is a case of telling and not showing, which is disappointing. Toma, having discovered a bloodied and unconscious Index in front of his apartment, runs afoul of Fortis 931 (AKA Stiyl Magnus). For reasons not entirely clear to me, they have a fight. I mean yeah, if a guy with a barcode tatoo on his face shows up, you’re probably going to want to fight him. But technically he isn’t responsible for what happened to Index, and he even says his job is to protect “it.” So he’s kind of a dick but probably not the guy you want to take your aggressions out on. Toma eventually prevails thanks to a very good sprinkler system, and brings Index to his teacher, who is the only person he knows that might be able to use magic to heal her. ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 3
This episode has Toma’s teacher, Komoe, performing the magical ritual to heal Index. When Index is injured or otherwise threatened, she can “awaken” her Johann’s Pen, which is able to perform magic and instruct others to do the same. Understanding this, Toma takes Index to the only person in Academy City that he knows isn’t an esper, which happens to be his lolicon-fodder teacher Komoe Tsukuyomi. Why exactly she has the appearance of an eight-year-old, and why she wears a pink bunny suit as pajamas, completely escapes me. I think, maybe, some parts of Japanese culture are best left not understood. After Index’s recovery, her usual playful personality returns. We learn that she has lost her memory of all events before the past year, thanks to something that Necessarius did to her. ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 4
If the scientific basis of this plot development sounds dubious to you, then you’re one step ahead of the story nudge nudge wink wink. After this is kindly explained during their life or death struggle, Toma and Kaori launch into a bunch of dialogue that makes no sense (or it was a shitty sub job). ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 5
If you had any knowledge of how the brain works, or common sense, you probably thought to yourself during episode 4 “how can 15% of someone’s brain fill up in just one year?” Toma does the math and realizes, at that rate, a typical person would only be able to survive for about six and a half years before dying. That’s like saying your iPod would stop working if you put too much music on it, and that “too much music” in this case comprises about 15 songs. Not only is this premise utterly retarded, none of Index’s lackeys from the church understand this. Subtle commentary about religious people? Maybe. So clearly, Index is not going to die of a brain overload because that kind of thing just doesn’t happen, and it’s idiotic to even suggest so. Komoe confirms this much to Toma. But Index is definitely in peril—why? Well the answer to that is more interesting: the church made it so that Index’s memories have to be erased each year in order to keep her from power tripping on all her forbidden magical knowledge. As if the epithet “The Church of Necessary Evil” didn’t tip you off to the possibility of Necessarius being less than forthcoming about its methods. ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 6
The ramifications of this episode should be deep (although we don’t actually see any in this episode, hence the shortness of this post), as Toma loses his memories from Index’s last attack (unbeknownst to Index). So in a bit of dramatic irony, Toma’s efforts to keep Index from losing a year’s worth of memories ends up costing a lifetime. They said he had bad luck but this is going a bit far, right? ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 7
On tonight’s episode: ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episodes 8 and 9
If asinine writing and a religious adherence to genre conventions is your thing, these two episodes of A Certain Magical Index won’t disappoint. The very least I expect from an anime is to not have my time wasted. Enter episode 8, which concludes with the reset switch trope that negates pretty much everything that happens in the episode. But what did happen in that episode? Not much to begin with. We learn that there’s a magical seal around Misawa Cram School which prevents anyone inside it from interacting with anything outside. Sound familiar? Shakugan no Shana has been using that as a safety blanket since 2005. ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episode 10
So now that Aisa is part of Toma’s improbable circle of females, we can finally start involving her in some stories, right? Wrong. Why would you even think that? A Certain Magical Index kicks off another story arc with episode 10, introducing not one but 10,000 new characters. Actually, the main character of this next arc is someone you’ve already met: Mikoto Misaka, my beloved BiriBiri. Toma runs into her again in front of a vending machine, though he doesn’t remember why she has it out for him. On their first meeting, Mikoto tried to pick a fight with Toma, but Toma was able to cancel her attacks with his ability. They talk for a bit until Mikoto’s “sister” shows up, who refers to herself simply as Misaka (that being the family name), and has a bizarre and obnoxious way of speaking. ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: A Certain Magical Index episodes 11 and 12
A Certain Magical Index continues with the slow-paced plot development. I imagine it would be like if you took a decent anime and then played it back at 1/4 speed. In episode 11, Toma finds Mikoto’s “sister” lying dead in an alley. He calls Antiskill and takes them to the place in the alley where he saw her, except there is no body. Later he runs into another sister carrying a body bag. Toma finds out that they are all clones of Mikoto Misaka, created for military purposes. Wanting more information, he visits Mikoto’s dorm at Tokiwadai. Unfortunately, she’s not in, but her roommate Kuroko lets him in. The dorm room inspector comes around, and since boys are not allowed, Kuroko tells Toma to hide under Mikoto’s bed. There, he accidentally finds the case files for the Sisters Project, which details the creation and purpose of the Mikoto clones. ...
Tags: A Certain Magical Index, Toaru Majutsu no Index, Super Serial
Super Serial: Spice and Wolf episode 1
I decided to get back to Spice and Wolf, which I started last year, because I have nothing else to write about after getting past the halfway mark of A Certain Magical Index. Frankly I’m not really looking forward to this, as what I had seen of Spice and Wolf was a little dry for my tastes. The first episode introduces Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant who goes to the town of Pasroe to meet with his apprentice Chloe. Pasroe is a pagan town that used to worship a wolf god named Holo. In exchange for their worship, Holo agreed to provide the townspeople with an abundant wheat harvest. As time passed, the people began to rely on themselves and forget about Holo. One night, Lawrence finds a girl in his cart, who claims to be Holo. After proving her identity, the two make a pact. Lawrence will let Holo tag along on his journeys, while Holo will lend him her centuries of wisdom. ...
Tags: Spice and Wolf, Okami to Koshinryo, Super Serial
(Monthly) Super Serial: Katanagatari episode 1
Katanagatari in eight words: STOP TALKING AND FUCKING CUT EACH OTHER ALREADY. Jesus. You’d think you just turned on a Joe Biden speech. In this show, we have: a self-proclaimed military strategist, a guy who practices swordsmanship without swords (we call that boxing), a quest to find 12 rare swords, and ninjas. Freaking ninjas, and this episode was still 90% boring! ...
Tags: Katanagatari, Super Serial
Super Serial: Spice and Wolf episode 2
For the second episode, Lawrence and Holo enter another town where they meet Zeiren, a somewhat shady looking guy who tells them about a scheme in which they exchange coins with foreign currency for a profit. Holo suspects that he isn’t entirely on the level, but Lawrence decides to play along. If Zeiren is being honest, they’ll make a profit. If Zeiren is lying, Lawrence intends to find out what his scheme is, and use that knowledge to make a profit. ...
Tags: Spice and Wolf, Okami to Koshinryo, Super Serial
Super Serial: Spice and Wolf episode 3
Lawrence and Holo arrive at the rendezvous point to see Zeiren again. After meeting with a currency exchanger, Lawrence determines that Zeiren is indeed not on the level. The currency that was supposed to increase in silver purity is in fact decreasing in purity, which Holo suggests might be part of a larger overall scheme. Someone may be pulling Zeiren’s strings, and I will laugh really hard if it turns out to be Bernie Madoff. ...
Tags: Spice and Wolf, Okami to Koshinryo, Super Serial
Super Serial: Spice and Wolf episode 4
So the romantic tension finally makes itself clear. It’s somewhat liberating to see that Holo can be honest about her feelings, as she reveals to Lawrence that her greatest fear is just waking up alone. Why can’t she just find any companion she likes? I’m not sure exactly. Lawrence, being more of an anime character than a human being, does not reciprocate Holo’s display of vulnerability. As the episode moves on, we see a plot by the Medioh company to capture Holo as a hostage. This is because Lawrence decided to ally with their rival, the Milone company, after giving them information about the scheme with the devaluing currency. ...
Tags: Spice and Wolf, Okami to Koshinryo, Super Serial
Super Serial: Spice and Wolf episode 5
This episode is mostly about Lawrence and Holo’s exchange in the wagon. What damaged Holo the most during her imprisonment was not her treatment by her captors, or even the fear of death (she can’t die anyway as Lawrence still has some of the wheat that she “lives” in)—it was the fact that one of her followers had betrayed her. Chloe tells Holo that the people no longer need to rely on her, and that she would turn Holo in to the church to cut ties forever. As they say, the worst thing for a person is to feel useless. Lawrence cheers her up by saying whatever happiness or hardships they go through, they’ll go through them together. Being the consummate businessman, he goes on to remind her about profit, money, blah blah blah. ...
Tags: Spice and Wolf, Okami to Koshinryo, Super Serial
Super Serial: Spice and Wolf episode 6
So this episode does something interesting. At the end of episode 5, Holo and Lawrence jump into the waterways again to make their escape. The Medioh Company goons get wind of this, and begin chasing them around the labyrinthine tunnels. Holo senses an exit, and leads Lawrence to it, but it turns out to be a well that they can’t reach. Cornered, Holo transforms into her wolf form and fights off all the men. ...
Tags: Spice and Wolf, Okami to Koshinryo, Super Serial
Super Serial: Katanagatari episode 2
In my first write-up of Katanagatari, I said I was impressed by the concept but the pacing is ruined by the talkiness of the show. The same holds true for the second episode. This time, the adversary is Ginkaku Uneri, a ronin who is the last inhabitant of the Inaba region (no relation to Persona 4, unfortunately). He obstinately guards an abandoned castle, unwilling to give up the treasure he possesses: one of Shikizaki’s legendary katanas. On the way to this inevitable showdown, Shichika and Togame have conversations ranging from Shichika’s struggles in adjusting to the real world, to the use of catch phrases. ...
Tags: Katanagatari, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 1
When I first started watching this series back in 2004, I was glad that someone finally decided to show all these tough-guy high school mangas for what they really were: farces. Manga has a tendency to turn high school into serious business, which at best makes for some interesting stories about delinquency (a la Minami-ke) and at worst results in the ridiculousness of Tenjho Tenge. Cromartie High School takes the satirical route and I love it. I love the constant scowls, the nonsensical opening, the machismo, and the overblown histrionics. 15 minute episodes? Fine with me. This is something you need to experience. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 2
Ah Mechazawa. I love it. The main gag of this episode revolves around everybody’s lack of awareness about Mechazawa being a robot. He also happens to be a gang leader of sorts, renowned for his toughness (as in, ability to take a beating). Mechazawa is voiced by Norio Wakamoto, who lends his distinctive voice to Soulcalibur IV’s Yoshimitsu. You also get to see more of Hayashida and his lively hair (reminds me more of South Park’s Butters more than anything else). The 15 minute format means that even if the episode sucks, it won’t last long. Better short than risk being long and crappy, right? ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 3
This is my favorite episode thus far, based on the Seinfeldian premise of a bunch of people trying to recall the name of a tune that everyone’s been humming. The whole episode is basically a non sequitur, with often surreal humor that seems more at home in a Flash animutation. Brilliant. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 4
Episode 6 introduces Noboru Yamaguchi, the leader of Destrade High School’s first years (who are rivals to Cromartie’s students). His serious facade hides an aspiring comedian, causing him to be misunderstood. More important than all that, though, is the fro. Fro-based humor is sorely lacking in anime, and Cromartie picks up the slack. His rival is Kamiyama, A.K.A. “Honey Boy.” ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 5
We are reintroduced to Yutaka Takenouchi, the leader of Cromartie’s first years who has been neglected for the past four episodes. Though he is a tough fighter (and reliable), he suffers from motion sickness. Which is really not all that funny until he’s forced to climb in a cab driven by someone who must be James May’s Japanese cousin. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 6
Takeshi Hokuto shows up to Cromartie, planning to use his father’s influence to take it over for reasons unknown. Unfortunately, Cromartie is a municipal school, so Hokuto has to cook up a series of lies about his father to save face. Kamiyama, Hayashida, and Freddie, being idiots, believe the stories completely and start forming an army to combat Hokuto’s father (who they believe is an evil mastermind). Shenanigans ensue, but there is little justice administered. I am disappointed at the lack of justice, and the gorilla totally isn’t pulling his weight. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 7
I think if you want the anime equivalent of Sealab 20201, this series is it. Episode 7 features the somewhat meta situation of afro-haired comedic wunderkind Noboru Yamaguchi trying to figure out why everyone likes the (fictional) TV show Pootan. Though Yamaguchi sees it as a lower form of comedy, he feels obligated to understand its popularity. Frankly, I like the show myself, poo. Pootan’s delivery of his lines is dead serious, poo. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 8
This was an eventful episode. Mechazawa gets a physical exam, but the doctor, unwilling to admit that he doesn’t know the first thing about this “student”, tells him to see another doctor. This causes concern for Mechazawa, and Kamiyama suggests they go to an electronics repair shop. The excuses Kamiyama comes up with to explain why they’re seeing a “doctor” there are pretty funny, but funnier still is when the technician does what I would have done: reformat Mechazawa and call it a day. The episode finishes on a birthday party for Maeda, which plays out like one of those G.I. Joe parody videos. Who knew an anime would capture so well the lols of the internet? ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 9
Yoshimitsu—er, I mean Mechazawa introduces his little brother, Beta Mechazawa. And the little guy keeps getting littler. Is he a phone? Is he a tea canister? Is Mechazawa a fridge? Who knows? Apparently Mechazawa has a format button on the back of his head. That’s a bad place for it, almost as bad as Data’s shutoff switch. You could accidentally activate that with a hug. Then you’d have to kiss Mechazawa goodbye. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Katanagatari episode 3
So it took three months, but finally Katanagatari gets some dialogue that isn’t pointless and boring. I have to believe Nisio Isin is in some way aware of how ludicrously wordy his books are, as one of the characters makes a reference to “pointless chatter” and then they actually stop talking and fight! Wow! Imagine that! ...
Tags: Katanagatari, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 10
You know, it’s surprisingly depressing not being able to get my weekly fix of Railgun every Friday. There are a few shows that look interesting in the upcoming spring season, so I’ll try to cover those. But Makigumo is not known for being modern and up to date, so for the time being, I’ll write about Cromartie. Episode 10 draws attention to how weird Cromartie High School is (there’s a freaking alien too?), but also has some more offbeat humor involving nose hairs and looping scenery. I wonder if this ever aired on Adult Swim, as it would be a perfect fit due to its Williams Street humor (except without the reuse of Hanna-Barbera footage). ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Senkou no Night Raid episode 1
First, a bit of history. In the 1920s, China was consumed by infighting and civil war, mostly between the Kuomintang (China’s nascent central government) and various other parties (local warlords, communists, etc.). Also during this time, Japan had been acting out their imperial ambitions. Having established themselves as a world power after winning the Russo-Japanese War and the first Sino-Japanese War, Japan was working to establish an empire that spanned all of East Asia. In the early 1930s, they took advantage of Chinese infighting and invaded Manchuria, establishing the puppet state of Manchukuo. Senkou no Night Raid starts in 1936, a few years after the Japanese invasion, and revolves around a group of Japanese agents trying to ensure that Japanese interests are not threatened by the various Chinese factions. ...
Tags: Senkou no Night Raid, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 11
Cromartie continues with quality entertainment. Takenouchi inadvertently aids a hijacking and finds himself trekking across a desert in Nevada (a situation Les Stroud is very familiar with), while the masked “Take” inadvertently assumes Takenouchi’s identity because the Cromartie students are too stupid to notice the difference. Subtlety, as you can see from the screenshot, doesn’t really factor into this series. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 12
The legend of Mechazawa continues. Is he a locker? A pachinko machine? A gas tank? How about a motorcycle? After getting into a self-destructive pattern culminating in a crash, Kamiyama takes Mechazawa’s scattered remains and reassembles him into... a motorcycle. Together, they fight crime and have nonsensical montages. This show... what were they thinking? ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Cromartie High School episode 13
So Hayashida wants to play baseball, except he doesn’t want to play using baseball rules. The gang decides to take a trip to Koshien to realize Hayashida’s dream of playing baseball. And then they get lost in the woods. Bear Grylls would advise finding a stream or river, and then following it to civilization. Since I doubt there’s anyone looking for a group of delinquents (and a robot), that would probably be sound advice. ...
Tags: Cromartie High School, Super Serial
Super Serial: Senkou no Night Raid episode 2
Senkou no Night Raid hasn’t really leveraged its historical setting thus far, instead opting to be more like a retro version of Ghost in the Shell. Hell they even do that telepathic communication thing, which looks and sounds like the equivalent technique in Ghost in the Shell. I didn’t find the episode particularly well structured, as it tried to establish the back stories of our ensemble cast without a single line of exposition, and very little context. It would just cut into flashbacks at random times, though I found Aoi’s flashbacks to be most appropriate to the story. The main plot involves the arrival of a Russian musician who is a suspected spy. Our heroes (maybe? I don’t really see the purpose of their counter-espionage shenanigans) have to stop him from getting a message out to... someone. Wake me up when a proper story arc begins. ...
Tags: Senkou no Night Raid, Super Serial