Tokko makes me mad. Not because it is bad, mind you, but because the end of this 13 episode series doesn't seem like an ending at all. The series itself, up to the abrupt conclusion (which concludes very little) is rather interesting. Tokko is a psychic cop-drama...of course I like it! But it has one of the most incomplete feeling endings of any series I've ever watched.
Now, I know what you're thinking, Dear Readers, and no, they didn't just discontinue the series--they did actually plan a complete story arc...and what we see is the result. There is no part two. There is no resolution. There's just a whole lot of nothing (I mean beyond the unanswered questions and annoyance at being sucked into an anime that just fizzles out).
Watch Tokko Trailer in Entertainment | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
The series follows new recruit (and orphan!) Ranmaru Shindo as he begins work with the fictive Special Mobile Investigation Troops First Division. Driven to both solve and avenge the death of his parents, Ranmaru in his investigations stumbles upon the members of Tokko, or Special Mobile Investigation Troops Second Division. Members of Tokko are shrouded in occult rumors, conspiracy theories and mystery. Ranmaru keeps having run-ins with the members and eventually is taken into their unit. Tokko unit members are "marked" by demonic power, and adopt a symbiant who protects and strenthens them in their primary mission--to destroy all 108 of the demons and phantoms brought into this world by the mystical "Box of Dirge." The destruction of these demons and phantoms will destroy the box, and close the pathway between the demonic and human worlds. During his time with Tokko Ranmaru discovers that it is this box and the demons it contained which were responsible for the death of his parents. In fact, he discovers that he is among a handful of survivors of what has come to be called the "Machida Massacre" a disaster which claimed the lives of nearly everyone in a large apartment complex in Machida.
Then there's some stuff with a doctor who mutates, and all of a sudden it just ends. Boom. Done. No resolution. No finale. No final battle between good versus evil. Bleh. Done.
BOO! (If you are the type that can tolerate unfinished business, then this anime is well worth a watch, but those of you who need closure should look elsewhere).
Showing posts with label Police Drama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Police Drama. Show all posts
Yellow and Yellow 2 --Manga
Now, normally I give you, dear readers, a link to Amazon where you could, potentially, purchase a copy of the manga/anime we are discussing. However, it appears that Makoto Tateno's Yellow is partially out of print. So, I feel bad talking about a series whose first volume is difficult to obtain. The good news is that volumes 2-4 of Yellow and volume one of the sequel Yellow 2 are still in print. And, if you look, and trust me you don't need to look very hard, you can find fan translations of volume one online. I will not guide you there, you can find it yourself, trust me! In fact, just scroll down the right side of the screen to where we mention sites we like and one of those sites might be FOXy enough to provide you with the MANGA scans (see what I did there? I know you did, because you are brilliant and insightful).
But, Amander, you say, fan translations can sometimes be very bad. Yes, friends, I know, but trust me, they're no worse than the actual translation in this case. Yellow volume one has the notorious distinction of being the one manga so poorly translated (by the publisher, mind you) that Ms. Shakespeare attacked my copy with a glue stick and some paper. Allow me to demonstrate with an actual scan of my favorite of her "alterations."
(Remember, this is manga in the original Japanese formatting, so read Right to Left and then Down the pages.)
That is Ms. Shakespeare's actual handwriting which you see so eloquently "correcting" my first chapter. They may have hired a translator/editor for subsequent chapters because they did get better, MUCH better. The first chapter of volume one is nigh unreadable. And that, friends, is why when Ms. Shakespeare borrowed my copy she could not help but improve upon the choppy translation. Thank goodness. (Incidentally, as a thank you, I altered a copy of one of her more, ahem, provocative manga purchases to include, um...junk. Yes, I drew in "parts" where parts had been pixelated or removed due to censorship in Japan. I'm a good friend! Such a good friend!!)
But, I digress...a lot!
Here's the gist of Yellow: Taki and Goh are what they call "snatchers" who live their life in the metaphorical "yellow"/caution zone both professional and personally. They are hired by anonymous entites to "snatch" things like drugs, guns, evidence, etc. Taki is heterosexual and Goh is gay. They live together and most people assume they are a couple. Despite being only partners, they love one another very dearly and rely on one another in life or death situations which has formed a strong bond between the two. Each of them is willing to sacrifice themselves to save the other. Eventually Goh develops some rather strong feelings for Taki, and despite Taki's resistance (sometimes violent resistance) to Goh's advances, it is clear that it is only a matter of time before Taki succumbs to his intense love for (and of) Goh and their chaste partnership turns into a physical relationship. So, DRUGS! GUNS! ULTRAVIOLENCE! DIRTY SEX! I like it.
One interesting aspect to the relationship that develops between the characters stems from the fact that they know little to nothing about one another previous to their first meeting (a little over a year before the plot begins). Their former lives and identities (for the most part) are kept secret even from one another. On the surface this seems like this omission might insinuate a deep mistrust on the characters, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Each of them is trying to reinvent themselves, and feels so much trust in the other that pasts don't seem to matter. Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way and Taki's past catches up to him with a vengeance. The boys must negotiate their pasts with their future as both partners and lovers while both the good guys and bad guys are out to get them. The first series ends with a fairly solid conclusion, and feels complete (if not a little saccharine). The sequel series Yellow 2 is being released as we speak from June' Manga...and it is certainly good, but isn't great. I wish they had opted out of a continuation. I mean I like spending more time with the characters, but the sweet tension between the characters has abated as they are drawn back into the life of snatchers.
On the surface the Yellow series is a angst filled story with some light-hearted moments, and will appeal to both the yaoi crowd and detective story fans. Below the surface, for you analytical readers, there are some fairly interesting, although sometimes quite subtle discussions of the role of trust in a relationship, the definition of love (in all its incarnations), and whether abiding romantic love needs a physical aspect to be powerful and permanent.
Warning: Some very intense sexual scenes so, NC-17. Despite the rating I'd give it, I would not consider this manga series to be pornographic in nature, it is erotic at points, but is more character driven than it is a plotless vehicle for hot manga-guys doin' it.
But, Amander, you say, fan translations can sometimes be very bad. Yes, friends, I know, but trust me, they're no worse than the actual translation in this case. Yellow volume one has the notorious distinction of being the one manga so poorly translated (by the publisher, mind you) that Ms. Shakespeare attacked my copy with a glue stick and some paper. Allow me to demonstrate with an actual scan of my favorite of her "alterations."
(Remember, this is manga in the original Japanese formatting, so read Right to Left and then Down the pages.)
That is Ms. Shakespeare's actual handwriting which you see so eloquently "correcting" my first chapter. They may have hired a translator/editor for subsequent chapters because they did get better, MUCH better. The first chapter of volume one is nigh unreadable. And that, friends, is why when Ms. Shakespeare borrowed my copy she could not help but improve upon the choppy translation. Thank goodness. (Incidentally, as a thank you, I altered a copy of one of her more, ahem, provocative manga purchases to include, um...junk. Yes, I drew in "parts" where parts had been pixelated or removed due to censorship in Japan. I'm a good friend! Such a good friend!!)
But, I digress...a lot!
Here's the gist of Yellow: Taki and Goh are what they call "snatchers" who live their life in the metaphorical "yellow"/caution zone both professional and personally. They are hired by anonymous entites to "snatch" things like drugs, guns, evidence, etc. Taki is heterosexual and Goh is gay. They live together and most people assume they are a couple. Despite being only partners, they love one another very dearly and rely on one another in life or death situations which has formed a strong bond between the two. Each of them is willing to sacrifice themselves to save the other. Eventually Goh develops some rather strong feelings for Taki, and despite Taki's resistance (sometimes violent resistance) to Goh's advances, it is clear that it is only a matter of time before Taki succumbs to his intense love for (and of) Goh and their chaste partnership turns into a physical relationship. So, DRUGS! GUNS! ULTRAVIOLENCE! DIRTY SEX! I like it.
One interesting aspect to the relationship that develops between the characters stems from the fact that they know little to nothing about one another previous to their first meeting (a little over a year before the plot begins). Their former lives and identities (for the most part) are kept secret even from one another. On the surface this seems like this omission might insinuate a deep mistrust on the characters, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Each of them is trying to reinvent themselves, and feels so much trust in the other that pasts don't seem to matter. Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way and Taki's past catches up to him with a vengeance. The boys must negotiate their pasts with their future as both partners and lovers while both the good guys and bad guys are out to get them. The first series ends with a fairly solid conclusion, and feels complete (if not a little saccharine). The sequel series Yellow 2 is being released as we speak from June' Manga...and it is certainly good, but isn't great. I wish they had opted out of a continuation. I mean I like spending more time with the characters, but the sweet tension between the characters has abated as they are drawn back into the life of snatchers.
On the surface the Yellow series is a angst filled story with some light-hearted moments, and will appeal to both the yaoi crowd and detective story fans. Below the surface, for you analytical readers, there are some fairly interesting, although sometimes quite subtle discussions of the role of trust in a relationship, the definition of love (in all its incarnations), and whether abiding romantic love needs a physical aspect to be powerful and permanent.
Warning: Some very intense sexual scenes so, NC-17. Despite the rating I'd give it, I would not consider this manga series to be pornographic in nature, it is erotic at points, but is more character driven than it is a plotless vehicle for hot manga-guys doin' it.
Day 30 - Favorite Anime Involving Guns: Black Lagoon
Wow, Day 30 ends with a BANG! And, another couple hundred. And then some explosions. And a few trickshots.
Black Lagoon gets my vote as Favorite Anime Involving Guns. This is one hell of a shoot'em up. I'd love this if it were live action, but animated...woo wee!
The city of Roanapur is a criminal underworld, and the Black Lagoon mercenary crew is composed of the best guns for hire. The anime is part classic outlaw western, part cold war James Bond weapons cartel conspiracy, part pirate adventure, and 100% dark comedy.
The main character, Rock (with the pizza on his face in the trailer), is (of all things) the company accountant. He's just a miserable Japanese businessman, thrust into a world of insane guns-for-hire bad-assery.
It is just so much fun.
And Revy...hahahah!
Revy is the most bad-ass anime bitch ever created!
Black Lagoon gets my vote as Favorite Anime Involving Guns. This is one hell of a shoot'em up. I'd love this if it were live action, but animated...woo wee!
The city of Roanapur is a criminal underworld, and the Black Lagoon mercenary crew is composed of the best guns for hire. The anime is part classic outlaw western, part cold war James Bond weapons cartel conspiracy, part pirate adventure, and 100% dark comedy.
The main character, Rock (with the pizza on his face in the trailer), is (of all things) the company accountant. He's just a miserable Japanese businessman, thrust into a world of insane guns-for-hire bad-assery.
It is just so much fun.
And Revy...hahahah!
Revy is the most bad-ass anime bitch ever created!
What? A Fake -- Season 2 Manga????!??!?!?
It's like finding a whole new Beatles album or something! I think I'm going to have a Squeezuire!!!! Ha! Ha! I've been writing bad copy all day, and I just heart my little puns.
I have not yet read M's below breakdown, only scanned it enough to get the feeling of a little bit of disappointment.
Hmm, I wasn't disappointed by Matoh's one shot depicting Dee and Ryo's future lives together...but who know's? Something as good as Fake can't be repeated, or can it?
I've read the series like 10 or 15 times and I always want it to go on and on and on and on. It's one of those things that could sustain itself for a long, long time, but again, we shall see.
I'm off to watch Jeopardy, read Fake part Deux, watch Blood + and maybe study up on my Japanese particles. Ugg, man, you got to watch out for those suckers.
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