Pages

Monday, 3 June 2013

Valvrave Pilot Speculation [Spoilers!]

Kakumeiki Valvrave is an anime about a war between the militaristic Dorssia and the neutral country JIOR. Also, there are giant mechas that turn their pilots into vampires who can hop between bodies by biting their victims. It's pretty ridiculous.

It may be a bit late to speculate on who the various Valvrave pilots will be, since we already know two of them, and two more are all but confirmed, but I'd like to talk about who I think will become a pilot, and which Valvrave they'll get.


As of episode 8, our pilots are Haruto, the main character and pilot of the red Valvrave, and Rukino, a girl whose goal is to become famous. She is the owner of the green Valvrave.

Firstly, the enemy in episode 7's intro says that Rukino is part of a "Golden Seven", which indicates that there will be a total of seven Valvraves.


Rukino notes that the Valvraves seem to come in all the colours of the rainbow, but there are some problems with this theory. To begin with, Valvrave number VI is officially being called the "Violet" Valvrave. If it were following the pattern, it would be the Indigo Valvrave. Secondly, Valvrave II and VII have actually not yet been revealed, and we know that Valvrave VII cannot be Violet, so it must be something else.

Valvraves Two and Seven are missing from the list here.

My theory is that the Valvraves do NOT come in the colours of the rainbow, but instead follow the subtractive colour model, as seen here.



The Valvraves we know of are Red, Yellow, Green, Blue and "Violet". However, I think that this Violet Valvrave is actually closer to being Magenta, which is a shade of violet.


If this is accurate, then the remaining colours will be Cyan and Black.


Now, on to the actual speculation. The preview for episode 9 reveals that the blue Valvrave, Valvrave V, will be activated next.

But who will be in the cockpit? The show seems to be setting up Kyuma Inuzuka and Raizo Yamada as potential pilots. There are a few parallels between these characters, as both have been shot in the right shoulder, and both have lost friends to Dorssia, motivating them into action. It seems that they are going to be the focus of episode 9, named "Dog and Thunder". The "Thunder" part of the title comes from Raizo's self-proclaimed nickname (stop trying to make "Thunder" happen. It's not going to happen), while "Dog" comes from Kyuma's last name, Inuzuka. Inu = dog in Japanese.

Kyuma Inuzuka
Raizo Yamada


With this in mind, it is likely that both characters will become pilots. But who will get what Valvrave? Each Valvrave has a different fighting style, and so far, the Valvraves fit their pilots' personalities. Haruto has the jack-of-all-trades Valvrave, while Rukino pilots the flashy, show-off Valvrave. If this trend continues, then the defence-oriented blue Valvrave will absolutely not suit Raizo's hot-blooded personality. He is more suited for something like the third Valvrave, which seems to be a heavy hitter, and the recent announcement that a model of this third Valvrave will be manufactured indicates that it will be activated sooner rather than later.


Therefore, I believe that the yellow and blue Valvraves will be activated by Raizo and Kyuma respectively, in episode 9.

Of the known Valvraves, only the Violet/Magenta Valvrave remains. I think this one will be piloted by Akira, the hikikomori who has not yet been seen outside of her secluded cardboard fort. Akira might seem like a strange choice, seeing as she hasn't had a lot of screen-time, and has only really served as comic relief so far, but that's part of why I think she will become a pilot. Her artwork makes her seem a lot more serious than she's currently been portrayed, and I'd like to think that obtaining a Valvrave would help her character develop a bit more. Valvrave model VI is the most "mysterious", according to Sunrise, so it would make sense for a character we don't know very much about to develop alongside it.




L-Elf Karlstein is a young Dorssian soldier who has come to be known as "one-man army", due to his skills in battle. He is more than capable enough without a Valvrave, and honestly, a body-hopping L-Elf would be so overpowered that he'd seriously break the plot. Even though he is one of the main characters, I doubt he will be getting a Valvrave.










Here's where things become a bit more uncertain.

Shoko is Haruto's childhood friend, and the girl he very nearly confessed to in episode 1. She is almost certainly going to die. In my opinion, she will briefly become the cyan Valvrave's pilot, but will ultimately be destroyed in battle. I don't have any real evidence to back this up (sorry) but that's how I think things will play out.










The final Valvrave, the black one, will probably go to Cain, the obviously evil Dorssian commander. That is, if he doesn't own one already. He has seemed like a pretty chill guy up until recently, but episode 8 has revealed that he has a mark on his neck, the same mark associated with Valvrave pilots.





Could he be a pilot already? Both Haruto and Rukino show no sign of having such a mark, which suggests something a bit more sinister. Only time will tell whether he is a pilot or not, but my theory is that he will end up becoming the main antagonist of the series, and will bring a black Valvrave to the final battle.

Many say Valvrave is the kind of show that's so bad it's good, and many seem to have little patience for the absurd things that keep happening. Personally, I find that Valvrave is one of the best shows airing this season, and I can't wait to see how things turn out. The theories I have put forward in this article are just that, theories, but hopefully it will be able to convince you until we find out for sure.




TL;DR: I am taking Valvrave too seriously WOOPS

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

Thoughts and Meditations: Guilty Crown episodes 1-3.

Don't you sometimes get the urge to watch a bad anime? I know I do. When last that urge hit me, the bad anime that fell on my radar was Guilty Crown, a series I had previously begun but then dropped for quite possibly being the most mediocre thing in the history of the entire universe.

I prepositioned a friend that we watch the series together and nitpick the hell out of it. That friend had in fact already seen the series, and this was his approximate reaction to watching it a second time:



You don't want to know what I had to agree to to get him to watch it again, but eventually, he agreed.

This is a tale of unmatched heroism and unbelievable moral decrepitude - a tale plumbing the depths of the human soul and testing the very limits of sanity. It's a tale filled with joyous laughter and tears of suffering. It's a tale of determination in the face of great adversity.

It's the (mostly unedited) tale... of sitting through Guilty Crown.

Episode 1

(10:46:48 PM) BornIn1142: Maybe this is kind of a petty complaint, but that was a really long establishing shot.




(10:47:19 PM) BornIn1142: Two things:
1. That's a pretty nice song.
2. I have no idea what this music video is about.
(10:47:27 PM) Zach: I still don't

 
(10:47:59 PM) BornIn1142: By the way, I really loathe this outfit.
(10:48:28 PM) BornIn1142: It would be ridiculous and ugly any day of the week, but the fact that she's supposed to be on some kind of covert mission just makes it... wow.


 
(10:49:41 PM) BornIn1142: These mecha designs are butt-ugly too. I don't like them.
(10:49:47 PM) Zach: Nobody does
(10:51:07 PM) BornIn1142: Poor Elevens.
(10:51:15 PM) Zach: SHHH, wrong series
(10:52:43 PM) BornIn1142: If you take Japan's xenophobia into account, the subtext here is just horrifying...
(10:52:53 PM) BornIn1142: Foreign aid = bad. Outside world = bad.
(10:52:55 PM) Zach: Yep, same with CG
(10:53:34 PM) BornIn1142: Note the lyrics?
(10:53:49 PM) BornIn1142: This series is going to explore deep territory like "Why do people fight and hurt each other?"
(10:53:59 PM) Zach: Of course
(10:55:02 PM) BornIn1142: Black Butler used the song better.
(10:55:32 PM) BornIn1142: Wait, Ouma Shu?
(10:55:41 PM) BornIn1142: Ouma... Shu... Omashu o_O
(10:55:49 PM) Zach: Mysterious girl as soldiers burst in
(10:55:53 PM) Zach: Never saw THIS before

 
(10:56:04 PM) BornIn1142: I am not impressed by her "quirkiness."
(10:56:14 PM) BornIn1142: I like the music there.

 
10:56:36 PM) BornIn1142: Do you feel bad for her yet? Do you? DO YOU?
(10:58:33 PM) Zach: Of course
(10:59:01 PM) BornIn1142: I still think this whole scenario is stupid. His self-hatred is based on the completely normal response of not fighting back against a squad of armed soldiers.
(10:59:06 PM) BornIn1142: Whoop-de-fricking-doo.
(10:59:23 PM) Zach: Eh, self hate isn't rational
(11:00:02 PM) BornIn1142: Yes, but this is used to paint him as objectively unworthy.

 
(11:00:19 PM) BornIn1142: Careful!
(11:00:23 PM) BornIn1142: That's a black guy!
(11:00:29 PM) Zach: from JAPAN


 
(11:01:22 PM) BornIn1142: Gai enters with his theme song blaring.
(11:01:29 PM) Zach: Can't complain

 
(11:02:16 PM) BornIn1142: Whew, thank god this Aryan superman was here to get rid of the dark-skinned rabble.


 
(11:04:11 PM) BornIn1142: Excuse me while I roll my eyes at the sensual writing in pain.
(11:04:21 PM) Zach: Hehe


 
(11:04:29 PM) BornIn1142: Holy shit, this broad is dumb.
(11:05:00 PM) BornIn1142: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH
(11:05:27 PM) Zach: Please USE ME!

 
(11:05:47 PM) BornIn1142: That looked a lot like Anemone there.
 (11:06:41 PM) BornIn1142: That's a nice tune.
(11:07:57 PM) BornIn1142: Also, the ending song is nice.


Episode 2

(11:10:47 PM) BornIn1142: I like the opening song too.
(11:11:29 PM) Zach: Everyone does

 
(11:12:07 PM) BornIn1142: Tsugumi's design is very hateable.
(11:13:24 PM) BornIn1142: I can't tell if this power looks cool or stupid.

 
(11:13:58 PM) BornIn1142: *butt-poke*
(11:14:03 PM) BornIn1142: This series is trying to piss me off.

 
(11:14:17 PM) BornIn1142: More sensual writhing.
(11:17:04 PM) BornIn1142: Sometimes, less is more,
(11:18:18 PM) BornIn1142: Hey, dumbass, you could just have gotten the cylinder off him when you met him!
(11:20:14 PM) BornIn1142: "The Kaleidoscope" is literally the stupidest nickname in history.
(11:21:22 PM) Zach: 'Mangekyo' sounds better I guess



 
(11:22:25 PM) BornIn1142: This is a bit over the top, isn't it?
(11:22:47 PM) Zach: No lie
(11:23:47 PM) BornIn1142: I wonder if they ever explain the name "Undertaker." That should be good...
(11:25:01 PM) BornIn1142: Man, that Humvee has good handling.
(11:26:50 PM) BornIn1142: I am less than satisfied by this explanation.


 
(11:27:39 PM) BornIn1142: Why the fuck do her boobs need to be in this scene?
(11:29:26 PM) Zach: And the song agian
(11:29:35 PM) BornIn1142: Different version though.
(11:29:49 PM) BornIn1142: Appropriately more optimistic-sounding.

 
(11:30:59 PM) BornIn1142: Who could have seen this coming?
(11:31:36 PM) Zach: and so ends another episode

Episode 3


(11:35:51 PM) BornIn1142: I actually think the "It's the real thing" was a great line to end an episode on.
(11:38:29 PM) BornIn1142: Wait.
(11:38:33 PM) BornIn1142: Shu's in Genshiken?
(11:38:51 PM) Zach: And herewe- he is?
(11:39:03 PM) BornIn1142: Society for Contemporary Visual Culture.
(11:39:14 PM) BornIn1142: Isn't that also what Genshiken is called?



(11:39:34 PM) BornIn1142: Also, this is about the point where I stopped watching the first time around.

 
(11:40:17 PM) BornIn1142: Really? Seriously?
(11:40:47 PM) Zach: SERIOUSLY
(11:41:13 PM) BornIn1142: Inori is genuinely the worst attempt at making a character "striking" that I've ever seen,
(11:42:58 PM) BornIn1142: She's just completely unashamed waifu-bait.
(11:43:31 PM) Zach: No lie


 
(11:43:41 PM) BornIn1142: I want this guy to turn evil.
(11:43:55 PM) BornIn1142: He has a sinister air about him.
(11:44:08 PM) Zach: What gave you that idea?
(11:44:22 PM) BornIn1142: Iunno.
(11:45:05 PM) BornIn1142: "Someone witnessed us?"
(11:45:14 PM) BornIn1142: I didn't realize they were trying to keep a low profile...
(11:45:31 PM) BornIn1142: It's a “genetic drug?” Um, okay.
(11:46:01 PM) Zach: GENETICS
(11:46:54 PM) BornIn1142: Inori's speaking voice is annoying to me.


 
(11:47:53 PM) BornIn1142: KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
(11:48:54 PM) BornIn1142: I cant believe what a half-hearted attempt at making a socially awkward character this guy is.


 
(11:50:58 PM) BornIn1142: Man, it must suck to have a refrigerator reflect the shape of your heart.
(11:51:05 PM) Zach: You SO owe me for this rewatch
(11:51:28 PM) BornIn1142: Heh.


(11:52:50 PM) BornIn1142: Did I miss something?
(11:52:59 PM) BornIn1142: What's the significance of "Sugar?"
(11:53:04 PM) Zach: I...heck if I know
(11:53:49 PM) BornIn1142: The hell is going on
(11:54:07 PM) Zach: DRAMA



(11:54:20 PM) BornIn1142: Dr. Ginger soda?
(11:54:56 PM) BornIn1142: Now it's an instrumental version of that song.
(11:55:49 PM) BornIn1142: The moral of the story: mercy is for the weak.
(11:56:11 PM) BornIn1142: Right...
(12:26:52 AM) BornIn1142: So, what are your thoughts about Guilty Crown so far?
(12:26:56 AM) BornIn1142: Scintillating, ain't it?
(12:27:03 AM) Zach: It's as "ho hum" as the first time I saw it

Thursday, 7 June 2012

AAMS Schedule, 2011-2012 Part 2.

Here's a list of every anime we watched in the spring term of 2011-2012.


You can find a list of what we watched last term here.




Saturday, 5 May 2012

Top 5 Anime Episodes: #1.


The list of my favorite anime episodes so far:

This post will only have moderate spoilers, nothing that would ruin anyone's viewing of the series.

My all-time favorite anime episode is...

Friday, 16 March 2012

Subtext in Spice and Wolf.

One of the many things I like about Holo's and Lawrence's relationship in Spice and Wolf is that the viewer has to do a lot of reading between the lines to get a full grasp of what's going on. Oftentimes, you realize the dialogue is filled with innuendo and what they're not saying is as important as what they are saying. So, just for fun, I decided to take a brief snippet of conversation from the first episode of the second season and add in my interpretation of what the characters are thinking.

I'm being genuine here, mind you. I'm pretty sure this is close to the intended suggestion. If you disagree, feel free to tell me why.

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Top 5 Anime Episodes: #2.

The list of my favorite anime episodes so far:

As much as I'd have liked to avoid spoilers in these posts, this concerns a series finale and as such has mega-spoilers.

Number 2:

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Three Reasons for Why AnoHana Is an Awful Series

At some point before Christmas, I had the idea to write a point-counterpoint article for this blog on the subject of a certain anime's quality. Unfortunately, the other party never got back to me with proper counterpoints, so I'm just going to put this out here as a general discussion of why it sucked. I encourage anyone reading this to come up with arguments on why I'm wrong. That means addressing my points specifically rather than bringing up things that the anime got right; I acknowledge that not everything in it was bad.

The anime in question in Ano Hi Mita no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (usually shortened to AnoHana for reasons of maintaining sanity).


AAMS Schedule, 2011-2012 Part 1.

Here's a list of every anime we watched in the winter term of 2011-2012.

You can find a list of last year's stuff here.

Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Top 5 Anime Episodes: #3

The list of my favorite anime episodes so far:

As much as I'd have liked to avoid spoilers in these posts, this concerns a series finale and as such has mega-spoilers.

Number 3:

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Top 5 Anime Episodes: #4

See? I like stuff, I do!

The list of my favorite anime episodes so far:

Number four:

Saturday, 26 November 2011

Top 5 Anime Episodes: #5

I can't help but notice that people seem to have somehow gotten the impression that I hate everything. Ha ha, I know, right? Now, far be it from me to speculate how such disheartening and blatantly ridiculous rumors got their start, but I do know one thing: the jokes about it are starting to get groan-worthy and need to be put to a halt for the good of all. Oh, certainly, I tend to pay attention to the shortcomings of even stuff I like, and I don't give out perfect ratings lightly, but the truth is that my high standards are precisely what gives me a keen appreciation for genuine quality. I am perfectly willing to give praise where praise is due, and there are anime that make me geek out with adoration. Clearly, I didn't gush enough in my review of Spice and Wolf...

So, because this blog could use some content – and because I'm an enormous narcissist – I'm going to count down my the five anime episodes I like the most in pictures, one post at a time.

Monday, 17 October 2011

Fall 2011: Guilty Crown.

Guilty Crown

Guilty Crown, frankly, makes me mad. It makes me mad because I can already tell how much crap it's going to get away with simply because it's not bad, because it doesn't even really have to try, because let's all just settle for less! A man can get cynical sometimes...

The series takes place in a near-future Japan that has been conquered by foreign powers. There are mechas in it, as well as a girl in a wheelchair. The main character, Shu Ouma, is a high-school student that becomes embroiled in a resistance movement when he receives a super-power from a mysterious girl wanted by the authorities. 


Incidentally, it's written by the same writing team that gave us Code Geass. Comparisons to it are not only unavoidable considering how unbelievably similar the premises are, but they're also helpful, since they serve to warn unsuspecting viewers that they're watching a show that may catastrophically jump the shark at any moment. (And frankly, I don't think the writers should be let off from being called out on their hideous lack of imagination.)

So how was the first episode?

It was decent. Exciting enough. Quite stylish. Technically impressive, I suppose.

Once you start going into the details, things get problematic.


I don't expect characters to show a lot of character right in the first episode, where most anime are more concerned with wowing the viewers and setting up the plot. Still, I find myself a little annoyed with Shu, who is already far less charismatic and far more generic than Code Geass's Lelouche. He leaves an impression with exactly two things: extremely non-specific angst – I dare anyone to explain to me what the hell his problem is supposed to be – and completely ridiculous responsibility issues. Here's how Guilty Crown establishes someone to be a wuss: they didn't fight a crowd of armed soldiers bare-handed to save a damsel in distress. Yes, that's it. This is the guilt the protagonist has to be put up with! Boo fucking hoo? I do hope the point I'm trying to make isn't getting lost because of my sarcasm, but this really is a silly and unrelatable issue to set as your protagonist's driving motive.

It's the female lead that's the real sticking point to me though. I have to admit, I feel a measure of resentment for her solely because of how desperate the show seems to be to make me like her. We find out little about her personality except that she's a little strange and likes to sing, but we're treated to scenes of her wounded, on the run, captured, treated horribly, all the while the direction is trying its best to make her striking and not being very subtle about it. This is shallow. It's lazy. Relying on the viewer's protective instinct is such a simplistic way to elicit sympathy from them, and I don't know who to blame for wondering whether there's something wrong with me for having a problem with the fact that a professional writer can't do better. 


And might I just ask – what is up with her ridiculous outfit? Am I really the only person watching this who wondered why in the seven hells this girl entrusted with some kind of secret mission was running around with clothes that expose two thirds of her torso, sleeves so big she couldn't even sit down at the dinner table with them and some kind of bizarre shawl that seems to be attached to her by magic? How is she supposed to blend in like that? Is that why she was on the run in the beginning? Someone saw her and went “Hey look, that girl who looks like she just escaped from the hooker circus must have stolen our super weapon!” It's ridiculous.

“But Kaarel,” you might say, “Isn't that nitpicking? Aren't you being just a little harsh?”

Well, someone has to be, gods damn it! Someone has to be! ;_;

There are three kinds of entertainment: the kind that requires you to think to enjoy it, the kind that doesn't require you to think to enjoy it, and the kind that requires you NOT to think to enjoy it. I'm not a fan of that last one. I've long since given up on expecting practical outfits for female characters, but are semi-quasi-pseudo-practical outfits really too much to hope for as well? Is a story that holds up under scrutiny really such a high demand?

One last thing... Perhaps I'm jumping the gun here, but I sensed a vague nationalistic undercurrent in the writing. Japan is known to be a little xenophobic, and Code Geass had its share of awkward subtext. Tell me it isn't a little uncomfortable that Guilty Crown's premise seems to be foreign nations dominating Japan because of sinister international aid during a crisis? The series also has two lone colored characters, one of whom happens to be an underling of the fascist regime who orders a massacre and the other a thuggish mugger. It's probably a coincidence, but come on, doesn't it make you raise an eyebrow? Just a little bit? No? Really? Well, maybe it's just me.

So should you give Guilty Crown a shot? Eh, sure, why not? It looks like it'll be entertaining. You could do a whole lot worse.

Monday, 19 September 2011

Fresher's Week Flier

Monday, 11 July 2011

Summer 2011: No. 6 and Bunny Drop.

Next up, we'll take a look at summer's pair of noitaminA anime.

No. 6

No. 6 is based on a series of science fiction novels by Atsuko Asano that concluded only last month. It seems like a natural successor to a previous noitaminA series, this winter's Fractale, and I find this more than questionable considering the fact that Fractale tanked badly in both ratings and sales. 
 

No. 6 is a city, a post-apocalyptic utopia that houses one of the last remaining pockets of humanity. Our protagonist, Shion, is a prodigy studying in an elite school. One day, during a stormy night, a wounded boy stumbles into his room. Nezumi is rather threatening and seems to have escaped from a correctional facility, but he and Shion seem to hit it off nevertheless. Nezumi hints that there might be something sinister about No. 6 – as if the mention of a "Ministry of Peace" wasn't enough to tip off the viewer – and disappears by the morning.


Most of the episode deals with building the rather suggestive relationship between the two male leads. I'm dead serious here; the homoerotic undertones are hard to overlook. Shion starts off the episode acting completely disinterested in a kiss by his "unlucky childhood friend" character and ends it falling asleep while holding Nezumi's hand. The presentation is tasteful enough, but it remains to be seen whether this will be used as a carrot to keep the female audience watching or whether something will actually come of it. I couldn't help but be amused when the English subtitles had them calling each other "hot" (in the literal sense of the word). Nezumi's character, the mysterious agent interrupting an ordinary protagonist's daily life, would probably be female in most other anime. Indeed, this character was female in Fractale
 

The characters come across as relatively down-to-earth and believable. Shion seems rather bland in his eccentricity and vague cheeriness, and I found his not-girlfriend rather tedious as well, though largely because I fear she's going to be utterly pointless. Nezumi seems more compelling. The animation looks great, as to be expected from Studio Bones. There are some great, detailed backgrounds to be found. The major problem with the episode is that very little happens throughout it. Considering that it's an 11-episode series, that's a bit of an issue. There seems to be a time skip ahead, so perhaps this episode can be discounted as a prologue, but I still found it more boring than it should have been. It's going to take a few more episodes for me to make up my mind about No. 6, but as of right now, I'd say it's skippable.

Bunny Drop

Bunny Drop is adapted from a manga. The basic story is that Daikichi Kawachi, a thirty-year old bachelor, returns home for his grandfather's funeral and discovers that the old man had had an illegitimate child. The six-year old girl, Rin, is regarded as shameful and unwanted by the rest of the family, so Daikichi decides to take care of his young aunt himself. What follows is a heartwarming tale of parenthood and growing up...

I haven't read the manga, but I do know about its infamously ruinous ending. I'm not doing to spoil anything, but you know what? I bet you can guess exactly what that ending is based on the plot description. Yeeeesss, you suspect, don't you? Because there's pretty much only one way a story like this can go catatrophically wrong, isn't there?

Bunny Drop's troubles started after a time skip, however, and it's very probable that the anime will only cover the material leading up to it. If the series ever gets a second season though, be very, very worried – there's always the chance the producers will decide to scrap the original crap ending and create their own, but if not, this series is screwed.


The first episode's mood is melancholy and sweet, and its story mature and subtly told. It's a delight to see Daikichi's and Rin's relationship developing from their meeting. The show's art style is quite pretty – the style of the cold open is a little reminiscent of the water color-style of noitaminA's other winter 2011 entry, Wandering Son, the anime nobody watched (including me). 
 

Rin is cutesy, but not an overly caricatured moeblob either, thank the gods. If there's a problem with her, it's that she's a little too gracious, a little too intelligent, a little too mature. This is further emphasized by her contrast with Reina, a completely insufferable child in the family. It feels kind of like cheating to make sure the viewer's sympathy is definitely invested in Rin, but I suppose I should be thankful it's not the other girl Daikichi has to take care of. Not much is established about Daikichi himself; he remains limited to his interactions with Rin. 


Overall, if you like slow, atmospheric, heart-warming anime, you should probably give Bunny Drop a try – and hope for the best in regards to the future. 

NextSacred Seven.

Sunday, 10 July 2011

Summer 2011: The rejects and Mawaru Penguindrum.

I originally envisoned this blog as a platform for dialogue about ongoing anime – basically me deciding for everyone else what currently airing series are good and what currently airing series are bad. This was perhaps a little ill-conceived, since I have no plans to watch any bad anime to warn you about them, but I hope to get some mileage from the idea anyway.

First of all, let's look over some of the stuff I'm not even going to try out. There's your standard crap to pad out the time slots – more than one "cute girls doing cute things" show, a series involving cross-dressing, and something about breasts – but also quite a bit of what seems to be more solid stuff. There's sequels to Natsume Yuujinchou, Baka to Test and Blood coming out, all of which I'm foregoing since I haven't seen any of the original series. There's also yet another adaptation of Appleseed, this time a TV series, but they've had 2-3 chances to get it right already, so I think I'm just not going to bother. The Idolmaster, based on a popular game about grooming pop idols, looks to be one of the bigger shows this season, but I fear my eyes would roll uncontrollably if I tried to watch it and I wouldn't be able to tell what's going on. Another thing of note is Blade, presumably the last of Marvel's superhero anime, but even if the previous three hadn't turned out so disappointing, I'm not much of a Blade-fan, so I'm passing on that as well.

Honourable mention goes to R-15, an ecchi high school comedy about a guy who's secretly a talented pornographic novelist. The premise is so stupid it might just work, but alas, I have better things to do with my time.

So, what did I watch? What should you watch?

Mawaru Penguindrum

Mawaru Penguindrum has managed to draw a fair bit more attention you would have expected for something that doesn't have a plot synopsis beyond "it has something to do with penguins." The reason for this is the show's director, Kunihiko Ikuhara, who's known for his work on Sailor Moon and especially for directing Revolutionary Girl Utena. Penguindrum is Ikuhara's first new project in a while, so hopes are high. 

 
Based on the first episode, it seems that the show is about two orphan (?) brothers that take care of their terminally ill sister. Once the girl dies and penguins get involved, things get weird, and that's literally about all I can say. If you've ever seen Utena, you know that there's two things Ikuhara really likes: incest and lesbians. As soon as I realized this series featured sibling main characters, I (correctly) suspected we'd be seeing some of the former. Indeed, the ending credits ominously imply that there might be some gender-bending to come, so I'm prepared for the latter as well. Penguindrum is reminiscent of Utena in other ways as well; two schoolkids have a bizarre conversation about apples that evokes the recurring shadow players that served as Utena's Greek chorus, for instance.

 
At first glance, Penguindrum's first episode seems very compelling. It's certainly stylish and interesting, but my first impression faltered a bit when the episode ended and I had time to think about it and catch on to its imperfections. The entire episode is largely based on throwing a lot of random wackiness on the screen in the hopes that we'd tune in again to find out what the hell is going on. The series doesn't doesn't even seem to have a concrete genre, and the viewer doesn't know much more about it after seeing the first episode than before. On top of that, we're given a major dramatic beat before we'd have any reason to really care. Nonetheless, there are suggestions of substance to be found and I am genuinely curious where this is going. The production values are high, and there is one notably FABULOUS scene. I recommend you give it a shot.


Next: No. 6 and Bunny Drop.