Ta-Ta Tuesday: Popotan (anime series) First Impressions

Popotan

Written by: ??? No one is claiming it!

Based on the visual novel adult game by: Petit Ferrit

Directed by: Shinichiro Kimura
Produced: Shaft/Sentai Filmsorks
Release Date: July 17, 2003--October 2, 2003

I found Popotan on Amazon Prime this month and decided to watch the first episode during some down-time a few weeks ago. I debated doing a review of it because it isn't very remarkable, but finally decided that for several (paired) reasons this would be a perfect post for Ta-Ta Tuesday and we haven't had one of those in a while. 

Apparently Popotan the anime is just the latest in a series of games, novels, manga and drama cds of the same name. There are a lot of variations in stories between these different mediums and retellings, but a few things stay the same. There is a moving house (that's cool), and three sisters named Ai, Mai, and Mii of various ages and degrees of weirdness. There is a stoic, perhaps roboty, maid named Mea (because those names aren't confusing enough). And there is a lot of nudity and sexual innuendo that has been heavily criticized as stereotypical, or obviously blatant appeals to male audiences who are more interested in the characters' physical appearances than their development. I have to say that on first watch...I can't see much need for the kind of nudity that is displayed. But, I don't see much need for this anime as a whole either. I found it hyperactive, confusing, and wondered (while watching) when the first episode would be over. To be fair, I feel like I should give this series a chance, but...uuuuurrrrrrggggggghhhh. I just don't care. 

Here are my first impressions: 
1. That is a lot of boob exposure for a show whose first episode featured middle-schoolers. Like seriously a lot of boob. I don't know that I'm comfortable with that level of boob being used in that way. I mean, yeah, it's just boobs, but...something is unsettling here. Do we really need a "whoops, someone was bathing" scene? I'm siding with the critics on this whole nudity thing...it's pointless, and gratuitous. On a side-note (about side-boob), the breasts in this series come in all shapes and sizes from "those enormous breasts should not be that perky...are they defying gravity?" to "I'm not sure of the age of this character, but I feel like we both need a adult." So...ewh. 

OOH! BOOBS! (Censor bar by Dr. M)
Let's watch this badly written, confusing anime
because the need for cartoon boobs overrides any need for sense,
good writing or plot.  (That was sarcasm.)

2. Weird and perverted magical sisters who live in an eternal Christmas-house powered by dandelions that transport it through time and space! Okay, why not? It's not the dumbest thing I've ever watched/read (See: Prince of Ramen for that distinction). Of course none of it made sense in the first episode, but I'm going to assume more is revealed later about why/how this magic transporting Christmas-house works and who these strange, seemingly unrelated, boob-tacular sisters are. I am guessing time-travelling Christmas-witches. 

3. The title is clever. Popotan is an inversion of the Japanese word for dandelion: Tampopo. Speaking of Tampopo, Tampopo is a favorite film in my house (it is a really good film). Popotan, sadly, will not achieve that distinction...no matter how clever the title. The world of Popotan is an alternate universe, and there's something magical going on (what? I don't know). So speaking backwards seems very appropriate in a winder-shins kind of way. Magic! WOO! 

It is cute, I'll give it that.

4. It is colorful and cute, when it isn't being pervy and weird. That may be 99% of the problem with this anime...it has an identity crisis!! This seems like an anime for kids in terms of art, plot, goofiness, EXCEPT for the nudity and perviness. It's like it is confused about its audience. Either go full-perv (which means I'll avoid it) or full-kid-show (which would make the most sense). This in-between thing is off-putting and creepy...like being flashed by Barney the dinosaur, or learning that Oscar the Grouch is into bondage. I don't like it. 

Conclusion: Not for me, thanks. The whole things is a mess...there are some very strange choices that have been made, and I honestly cannot figure out who the audience is supposed to be. 

Tsukoyomi: Moon Phase (Anime Series) First Impressions

Tsukoyomi: Moonphase
Based on the Manga by Keitaro Arima (Wani Books)
Directed by: Akiyuki Shinbo
Produced: Shaft Studios
Release Date: 2004-2005


I will admit that I have biases, and one of those biases is against hyperactive, annoying, and almost borderline personality disorder female characters in anime and manga. There are just too many of them. Way too many. It's a trope, I know, and I should be forgiving, but I imagine that if there is an anime universe out there then 75% of female characters under middle age are frighteningly neurotic and should be placed under heavy medication and or psychiatric care. The precious-looking, Lolita, cat-girl, vampire with multiple personalities pictured to the left is annoying. Now, granted, I am only 2 episodes into the series, but already I am acutely irritated by the mix of bossy, aggressive and bratty I'm picking up in the character of Hazuki/Luna (multiple personalities, remember?). And I'm already a little skeptical of the nature of the series as a whole because there is a LOT going on--not plot-wise perse, but just in total. There is too much going on in Moon Phase, and not all of it makes sense so far...who knows, maybe it all works itself out later?

Episode One: "Big Brother, Be my Slave"

In this first creepily-titled episode viewers are introduced to Kouhei an awkward and forthright ghost-photographer (That's a job? I'd like that job!) whose job is to capture psychic photos for a popular Japanese occult magazine. He also has a total inability to see or be affected by spirits (which seems like a strange issue for a ghost-photographer to have). He is travelling in Germany with his cousin Seiji, who is a gifted psychic, and the magazine's chief writer.

Now at this point there are several things already noteworthy about this anime series: 1) it has the most annoying theme-song I have heard in a good long while, 2) the associated images with the theme-song are bizarre...I mean two rabbits trying to pound Hazuki/Luna into mochi in an attempt at "cute" bizarre. What's cute about attempted mochi-slaughter?, 3) the background art is dark and atmospheric and overall very scenic and beautiful, but the characters themselves seem to be done not only by a different animator, but in a different animation style...something doesn't mesh up between the scene and the people populating that scene, 4) there are some mighty MacGuffins up in here.

Right down in the mochi-smooshing-area (not the technical term) you can make out Hazuki/Luna's cat ears.
Those rabbits are SICK!

A MacGuffin is a term used in film and fiction. MacGuffins are objects, goals or people desired protagonist...this desire for this MacGuffin (whatever it may be) moves the plot of a story along, but there is seldom any real motivation presented FOR the desire to viewers...it is merely fact, and is often left unexplored...as viewers we notice and accept it without much analysis of it. The classic example is from Alfred Hitchcock, who claimed that a MacGuffin in a spy story would always be the papers (what do the papers say? Who knows...that spy needs those papers.) or in a private-eye movie it could be a necklace (we need that loot, see! Why? Who cares...it's LOOT!). A MacGuffin motivates and spurs the plot, but it often becomes sort of incidental in some ways. So, say a protagonist like Hazuki/Luna desires freedom, but there's not really anything seemingly confining about her life...why does she want freedom? Well, because everyone does, right? Let's free her. Or what if her desire is to go to Japan? She lived there once (confusing spoiler), so Japan itself becomes the motivating factor...we better get her to Japan!

Save me, Big Brother...also let's make out. I only look 14, so it's okay.
(It's not okay...it's creepy.)

Okay, now that I've spoiled it for you already, I'll rewind a bit. Spiritual void Kouhei is taking pictures of a German Castle abandoned during the Black Plague, and as he is taking photos he notices a girl sitting on a parapet. The editor/writer and super-psychic Seiji get excited...they are going to that castle TONIGHT! Kouhei enters the castle alone (apparently there is some sort of psychic force-field around it that people who are not Kouhei cannot enter), and finds Hazuki/Luna who immediately tries to seduce him and starts calling him Big Brother (gross). This is when we discover that Hazuki/Luna is a) trapped by her father and his servant Vigo in the castle, and b) speaks Japanese because she lived in Japan for a while (when? the freaking castle is from the 1300s? This weird non-explanation annoys me to no end).  Kouhei is all, "sure, let's go!" but Vigo, the masked servant, stops them and gets all big-glowy, floaty-head, magic-face. Thankfully Seiji the psychic intervenes...

SPELL BATTLE COMMENCES!!!
Where would anime be without spell battles? 

So there are lots of sutras flying, and crazy vines attacking people, and sobbing writers, and huge declarations and in the midst of all of this chaos Hazuki has a personality switch into Luna, a more sophisticated and aggressive version of herself. She bites him...surprise. And his blood looks like kool-aid...actual, non-sarcastic, surprise. He is now under her spell and is his slave...

Episode 2 "Call me Mistress"

We've already established that Kouhei has all the spiritual sensitivity of a shoe-horn, so it's no surprise to us that Luna's bite was supposed to change Kouhei into a slave, but failed. He is simply immune to supernatural-type stuff. So, Luna does what any Japanese vampire trapped in a German castle for 700 years might do...she throws a temper tantrum.

No kidding! 

Eventually Kouhei (who is really dense), understands that he has to break a crystal to destroy the barrier keeping her in the castle. So he does. She disappears and the end...

DUN-DUN-DUN!

Nope, she magically reappears at his home in Japan and I am sure hijinx will ensue.

Now, I do love a good supernatural, anime, exorcism comedy, but I've decided not to continue on with this series as a result of the intense annoyance I feel towards Hazuki/Luna after only two episodes, but that doesn't mean this is an anime to write-off. The premise, despite plot holes and assumptions, is interesting. The background animation is awesome. There are plenty of modern-day, fish-out-of-water, moments that will come from Hazuki/Luna's new life in Japan. So, it could be good...it just isn't for me.

Dr. M: Day 26--The last manga you read

I just picked up Yuri Narushima's Planet Ladder. 

Here's the synopsis from DMG: "I see the tarot cards in my dreams. I turn them over in hopes of finding all the answers — Who am I? Where do I come from? Why are these people after me? But when I turn over the last card, it is always blank. My name is Kaguya. I thought I was an ordinary high-school girl. That is, until a crazy warrior appeared in my bedroom one night and transported me to another planet where people call me princess. Now, the questions in my dream are more urgent than ever. Will I ever get home again...or is this my home?" 

I am only about 70 pages in, but so far there are weird doll-like orphans with blue eyes, tarot cards, dudes with gold hands, something about a whip, a grumpy older brother, a crazy mom, some sort of scandal with the Ministry of Finance and ancient wars being settled on the earthly plain. And there are two more volumes.

When I am done I will conduct a full review. As of right now I'm sort of "meh," but it does have potential.

GUEST BLOGGER: James Parker Lombard for Winchester Wednesday

Dear Readers, Ms. Shakespeare and I are rather busy ladies, but we do try to post regularly amid our complex and demanding lives. For instance, I am deeply embroiled in some international espionage at the moment and as a result could find no time to present anime/manga ta-tas for this past Ta-Ta Tuesday. I regret this, because there are so many ta-tas and so little time.

I have invited, after some rather existential discussions with Ms. Shakespeare (who in the last post called herself a mister...either way, sister), my good-twin James Parker to submit his thoughts for Winchester Wednesday.

Now, you might be asking, why have a Winchester Wednesday at all? I mean, it isn't anime (well, there IS an anime), it isn't manga (although there are plenty of doujinshi), and it isn't Japanese. Well, the answer is simple: Supernatural is about as anime-esque as a live-action anything can possibly be (except for maybe Torchwood).  So, James Parker will provide the occasional guest blog post. The first of which, can be found, Dear Readers, below. Remember, you don't have to be nice to him...I'm not.

---

My name is James Parker Lombard, and I am a fanboy. Or, a fanman, although that sounds, as I say it, like an altogether ridiculous term. But, it is not as ridiculous as the fact that your two fine, upstanding babblingly-girly hostesses, Dr. M and Ms. Shakespeare, have called on me to submit to this anime/manga review site. To be honest, I don’t think I can pronounce either of those words. Is it Anne-may, or Ah-Nee-may? Is it Man-Guh or Mon-guh or Mah-n-gah? Dr. M has tried to correct me on several occasions, although I keep telling her, quite clearly and in no uncertain terms, that I don’t care. I am not here for manga or anime, no matter how one wants to pronounce it. I am here by squiggly, wiggly, “squee”ing request, to participate in Winchester Wednesday.

There are some things you should know about me. I am academic to a fault. I am not keen on emotions of any sort, mine or others. Actually, I’m not super-keen on people in general, so I try to keep to myself. I drink a lot of coffee. I have been known to be a “scowly mofo” (thank you, Dr. M). I put my foot in my mouth, but it doesn’t seem to bite me in the ass very often. I watch a lot of Supernatural. I may or may not write fanfiction of a dubious nature. I have a “thing” for Dean Winchester, and I tolerate Sam because Dean loves him.

My participation in Win-Weds is purely analytical, although it is driven by perhaps a sick-ish obsession with the nuances of the show, and that “thing” for Dean Winchester I mentioned. I don’t plan on being a moon-eyed, swooning sycophant about things. I plan on keeping this old-school analytical—I would be talking footnotes and works cited whenever possible, but I know my audience, so I’ll keep it to a minimum. I’m thinking Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Joseph Campbell, Homer, Dante, T.S. Elliot, Blake and some Plato paired with some hard-core critical theory, psychology, lit crit, and sociology. See, real old-school academic shit, because that’s how I roll.

Like the ladies here, I don’t warn about spoilers and I don’t pull punches. I dig complexities and condemn stupidities. I also encourage responses. Let’s get in a conversation about the over-watched and under-analyzed brilliance that is SPN. Post some responses, argue with me (I know Dr. M and Ms. Shakespeare will…I think they only invited me here because they think they’ll get to bitch and moan about things); I like an argument. Offer up theories of your own so I can shoot them down with wild abandon. I’d like that.

Next Wednesday’s post:
Supernatural and The Hero's Journey
A little Joseph Campbell checklist and a look into who the hero of the story might be. It isn’t as clear as one might think.

So-Bad Sunday! Cosplay/FanCollectable Quandry--how much is too much?

Akira is groundbreaking stuff!

Do you love the anime film AKIRA? Lots of people do.  The future-dystopia, sci-fi classic, released in 1988, is pretty groundbreaking stuff. The film is based on a manga series began in 1982 by Katsuhiro Otomo, the manga series is one of the first to ever be translated in its entirety, and is certainly one of the forerunners of cyberpunk as both a term and a genre of post-modern literature. AKIRA  is a big deal. I am a careful fan of the film, and have had the manga series on my "to read" list for a million years. The problem is, it's pretty disturbing stuff. Post-apocolyptic, Neo-Tokyo, is not a pleasant place. It is overrun by gangs, espionage, government corruption, scientific exploitation...just about every negative path the future could take. Amidst it all the Capsule Gang, riding some pretty bad ass bikes, attempts to survive. Main characters Kaneda (leader of the Capsules), Tetsuo (burgeoning psychic heading towards destruction) and Kei (a member of an anti-government terrorist group) become embroiled in government espionage. Meanwhile there are psychic experiements going on, and the group learns about the mysterious Akira (a psychic rumored to be a biological weapon to have the power to stop or change the tides of the conflicts taking place in Neo-Tokyo).

To sum things up...this is a groundbreaking piece of literature that spun a groundbreaking film, it is a fan favorite, and it has a pretty important place in the world. If you haven't read/seen it, go do it.

So why is this on So-Bad Sunday!? Well, it isn't the film, or the manga, it's this:



For only around $1,000 US you can own your very own cosplay jacket
based on the Kaneda's Capsule jacket.
Bike, pants, boots, gloves, not included.

 I don't even necessarily think this is "bad," in fact it is more than half-awesome, but I am still taken aback by it. This has been put out by Bandai as part of a celebration of the manga's 30 year mark. But, $1000 dollars? Seriously? I'm really bothered by this. Maybe it's because I spent two months convincing myself that it was okay to be a $25 dollar (75% off...I was lucky there was still one left) jacket last spring. Maybe I have a skewed sense of the world? Or a skewed sense of priorities?

Am I wrong in thinking this is bizzare? Now if this were a display item, or a piece of art (not to be worn), or hand-made cosplay attire, or even part of the wardrobe of some live action Akira...then I would be all "Holy hell, that's awesome." But, nerd-friends, this is meant to be sold to fans. This crazy piece of decadence has my head in a twist. By all means, if you have the money for such things, Dear Readers, indulge, but if you don't...please don't. I am the voice of reason, "YOU DO NOT NEED SUCH THINGS!"

And by all means PLEASE don't listen to the advice of Comics Alliance  http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/10/10/akira-jacket-kaneda-red-black/ who said, "We urge you in the strongest possible terms to purchase this jacket at once. There is no downside whatsoever. Just do it. And then send us the photos." Bad, bad, Comics Alliance, don't encourage nerds like me to part with our money for your amusement. I guarantee that the first photo that comes in is quickly met with a "I can't believe someone spent that much money on a jacket like that."

At least that will be my response.

Winchester Wednesday--First Impressions SUPERNATURAL (anime)

Okay, first I have to admit something. I love Supernatural. I don't just like it. I don't want to be friends with it. I LOVE it. Like, love-love. I love it in a way I haven't loved a television series since Buffy...and that, Dear Readers, is saying quite a bit. But, to be honest, Buffy didn't have Dean Winchester.

Dean Winchester (played by Jensen Ackles)--
I admit to blushing just looking at him.
The car helps.

Now, in order to resist babbling on and on (and I could at length) about Dean Winchester and my insane love of yet another fictional character, I will now slowly scroll down the page as I post, so as not to become distracted by him. And I will say, only briefly, that I would like to be Dean Winchester when I grow up. Pain and all. I'll take it. Ah, he's my second favorite kind of hero...le sigh.

When I heard, almost six months ago, that two of my favorite things: anime and  Supernatural  were going to make a baby...I squeed so loudly that I think I may have pulled a muscle. How often does that sort of thing happen? It was like a gift from Chuck (who art in heaven). Maybe, just maybe, my hopes were too high?

Not that Supernatural: The Anime is bad, mind you...it's just not...I dunno. I have concerns.

My first concern has to do with the storyline itself. Now, being a Dean-obsessed, theory-driven, research nerd, I know my SPN. I might know it too well. The storyline of the anime follows the original, yet it feels a little sketchy or "holey." I find myself wondering if I would be able to follow theise first episodes as part of a greater story arc were I not such an idiotically huge fangirl.  I know the backstory, so I feel like maybe I'm filling in gaps that unfamiliar viewers may not be able to fill so easily. That IS a concern.

The selections of episodes are strange so far, and I wonder about their order and the decision-making process behind that order. It began with an episode entitled "Skins" which was fed almost directly by the live-action version, with some alterations. The next two episodes ("Roadkill" and "Home") were also inspired by the series, and shared titles with the original live-action versions. Then we start to get some new episodes, which are meant to fit within the original story line. The original episode I watched was entitled "Ghost on the Highway," and I have to say that it wasn't what I expected from the typical live-action Supernatural  episode. I hate to say it, but it wasn't as well written, as complex or as interesting. And it should have been, because it was about the Impala (which may be this secret gear-head's favorite thing about the show...even moreso than Dean). I appreciate that the writers of the anime didn't  just rehash the live-action series. I think that's important, and I applaud them for their efforts to create new episodes that seasoned viewers can appreciate. It's a great opportunity to add to the Supernatural  storyline by creating side-stories and in-between stories to expand on the series. I just hope the rest of the new episodes are a bit more complicated and a bit more engaging.

Although Ms. Shakespeare has heard me rant ad infinitum almost about this already, I have to say it again...Jared Padalecki isn't a great actor. He's pretty to look at (not as pretty as Ackles), but he's not a great actor. He has a hard time delivering lines with believable emotion, and as a result of this sort of (dare I say) deficiency, his voice-acting becomes even more wooden and awkwardly delivered. It's almost like I can hear him reading off of cue cards. In once scene he laughed, and it was the most awkwardly delivered fake laugh I have ever experienced. I felt physical shame for him, because (as most people know) I am nothing if not overly empathetic at times. I cringed. My heart sank. Oh, it was so forced and uncomfortable that it hurt me. But, at least he's doing Sam's voice.

Jensen Ackles, who is an incredible actor with an uncanny sense of delivery (especially in funny or poignant moments) hasn't made a peep yet in the episodes I've seen. I know he's a good voice actor because he rocked his role of Jason Todd in Under the Red Hood...he made that film. It was stunning. Plus, his voice is at least half the charm of Dean's character. Although voice actor, Andrew Farrar, does a passable job...he just isn't Dean. In fact, he comes off a little less tough, and a little more goofy in a way I don't like. Dean is equal parts both, and Ackles walks a fine line in the live-action version between lovable goof-ball and angst-ridden knight in shining muscle car. I've seen reviews that say that the two episodes he voiced are far more emotional and effective than the earlier ones, but we'll have to save that for a later Winchester Wednesday post.

While I'm on Dean (which is something I would never pass up), I have to say that the animation leaves a little less to be desired. Padalecki already looks a bit like an anime character, but I was imagining Dean much differently than the way he was presented in the series. I believe I said, ALOUD to the tv, "Come on, Dean is hotness personified...draw him better."

Dean and Sam animated. Sam looks good. Dean looks...weird with dark brown hair.

I will, because I am obsessed, complete the series, and I'll try to keep an open mind. As it is, I don't think this series has done a poor job with the translation from live action into anime, it just hasn't been all I expected. I will enjoy the monster of the week feel, and found myself laughing at the COMPLETELY awkward live introductions to each episode done by Padalecki and Ackles...again, I got these weird pangs of empathetic shame-facedness when they came on the screen to introduce each episode; they are so obviously uncomfortable that it hurts me. Maybe my concerns will be aliviated as the series progresses--I promise to give it a fair shake.

If only out of my love for Dean. (It's like a sickness really.)



**Don't skip over the closing song when you watch this series. The J-pop version of Kansas' "Carry on My Wayward Son" is something to be heard...not admired, mind you, but heard nonetheless. Really, really funny stuff!

Ta-Ta Tuesday! Amaenaideyo!! (Anime)

GROPERY! It's all for a good cause...I swear!

Amaenaideyo!! with two, count'em, TWO exclamation points appears to be about a 16-year-old Shinto priest-in-training named Ikko.  Ikko gains spiritual superpowers when he becomes aroused, and in his super-charged, power-up state can defeat all sorts of supernatural chicanery, shinanigains, no-good-nik-ism and scallywaggification. It's a good thing for everyone involved that Ikko is surrounded by a group of teenaged nuns-in-training with plenty of bodacious ta-tas for viewing.

Fondling! Also for a good cause, maybe?

Either way, it's booby exposure every other minute in just the first episode. The pilot, cleverly entitled "Don't Make Me Come." (Bwahahahah?) centers on a yearly Shinto memorial ceremony for "retiring" old dolls and stuffed animals who have absorbed human feelings over their lifetime of love. Unfortunately, someone snuck in a uppity British porcelain doll, who seems to be posessed by an uppity British bitch who is unaffected by the sutras for purification because she's foreign...although she still speaks Japanese, so...? Anyway, BOOBIES!
Some are intentionally exposed to power-up poor Ikko, who is kind of a pervert.
Some are exposed as a result of "unfortunate accidents" in typical, "Oops, I saw your whatnots!" moments.
Some are the result of those frisky, underaged nuns-in-training trying to annoy each other.
Some seem just randomly to pop out...blam, boobies!

So, I don't think I'll continue this series, but if you are interested in things like perverted underaged priests, sexual innuendos, scantily clad teen nuns, or really, really stupid puns, then you might like it, Dear Readers. It honestly isn't bad, it's just not my cup of tea (served by an uppity British porcelain doll).

Basilisk--Anime

Basilisk: The Koga Ninja Scrolls centers on a battle between two rival ninja clans during the Azuchi-Monoyama era (1600). A sort of non-agression pact betweent the two clans was put in place generations ago by Hattori Hanzo (not the Kill Bill Hattori Hanzo...jeesh, the samauri) which helped Hanzo rise to power. When Hanzo dies a power vacuum is created among his grandsons, the political tensions in this early Japanese government run high, as each candidate sets off a string of espionage-style tactics to defeat their rivals and fill that vacuum. One of these tactics entails recalling the treaty between the Kouga and Ida ninja clans, and setting their best 10 ninjas against each other in a kill or be killed battle to the death. Two grandsons want the shogunate, each is backing a different clan, whatever clan wins the backing grandson earns the title...a very odd way to remedy the situation, but it is fun!  So, it's sort of historicial, but not really. The basis of the story is actually rooted in Japanese history, but then it gets very anime with some fairly impressive ninja skills and a Romeo and Juliette love story between the heirs of each clan, Gennosuke and Oboro, whose marriage (arranged prior to Hanzo's death) was to unite the two clans permenantly.

Basilisk Trailer - Funny video clips are a click away

I did enjoy this series--it had a lot of fighting, some heavy symbolic gestures and repeating images/metaphors, and a rather sad/poignant focus on loyalties (does one honor love above all else? And if so, which kind of love? Filial, romantic, familial?).  As the plot twisted around itself amidst some heavy betrayals and deceptions, I would become interested in characters only to be shown their tragic demise. This is not a light-hearted romp! It is, in fact, one of the more violent and brutal animes I've watched. But, there does seem to be some rather skilled story-telling here as well. I enjoyed the pacing of the series, and the way characters' special ninja skills, backstories, connections, etc. were revealed. Although, I did enjoy it, I don't know as I'd put this on the list of my favorite animes of all times. It was good, it was thoughtful, but it stayed just shy of becoming something I could see myself watching again--perhaps due to the violence? Or perhaps the animation style (which does seem older and grittier)? Or maybe it is the guy who fights with his nose hairs?

If you are interested, as many people are, in warring ninja clans, this is well worth a watch--it is rooted in at least SOME historical reality and does not shy away from serious brutality and heartlessness. Just don't expect a feel-good romp.

Witchblade--Anime

"Sought by the greed of men since the dawn of human kind, but only bestowed upon the women whose fate it forever scars... The Witchblade. Is it the righteous sword of God? Or hand of the Devil himself? Now a new bearer has been chosen. And she must discover the answers for herself. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin."--Witchblade

BOOBIES! No, seriously,  boobies!

Check out Masane's boobs! They are powerful!
RAAARRR! BOOBIES!

Any of you, Dear Readers, who are fans of the original Witchblade comic series from the mid-90s, or the television series of the same name, might find yourself confused by  the futuristic boobosity of the anime reincarnation (good word...punny) of Witchblade. The only connecting factor between the different retellings of the Witchblade's story is the insistance on the witchblade itself and its dubious history. The witchblade, a gauntlet-type cuff when not in use, transforms into a symbiotic weapon that is both blade and armor for the woman who weilds it.  It, and the female warrior who carries/bonds to the blade, has capabilities for both good and evil. I think the "history" of the witchblade (as a dispenser of justice passed down from female to female in a line extending through time) is interesting, as is its insistance on bonding ONLY with strong, female characters...but that's the comic book and tv series, not the anime.

It isn't that I don't like the anime, I actually do think it is interesting, bit just isn't what might be expected in terms of evolving from the pro-feminist mythos of the other series. The main character of the anime series is a clumsy, goofy, single mother living in a post-apocolyptic Japan. As the series begins we realize that Masane has no recollection of her past, or the father of her child. She was found miraculously unharmed (and holding her newborn infant daughter) after the apocolyptic earthquake in what has come to be called Year Zero.  Once activiated the witchblade transforms Masane into a savage warrior, almost impervious to harm. The downside of the witchblade is that it takes control in this symbiotic relationship and ultimately burns through the life-force of the bearer, killiing them.

Couple this with an evil corporation intent on copying or cloning the blade (and a group of genetically engineered "bearers" with psychotic tendencies) and you have a very action-packed series...with a lot of boobies. Do not worry, butt fans, there are butts too! In fact, there was so much skin showing  on the bearers in their witchblade states that the Japanese censors blocked many of the scenes with those ubiquitous black bars. The American cable channel Chiller (does Chiller still exist?) however saw no problem with the prodigious ta-tas and bare-assed battles. Hooray, America!

Boobies aside (although they ARE a big, BIG part of the series), there are some things that make this series worth watching. The devotion Masane feels towards her daughter, her "fighting spirit," and her sense of right and wrong make her a sympathetic character, but the vascilation between horror and obligation she feels towards the witchblade and her duties as its bearer make her closer to tragic. Althought the plot is far-fetched, the outfits are ridiculous, and the story-line is sometimes convoluted to an extreme, it is the small moments when the characters interact with one another that kept me watching. That and trying to figure out exactly how she was keeping that outfit on...seriously. Baffling.

Eerie Queerie--Manga

Okay, again, I feel bad reviewing an older manga with limited availability, but Eerie Queerie! is worth discussing, at least a little bit. This four-volume series by Shuri Shiozu was an early addition to my manga collection (I have a lot of manga...a bookshelf of manga), and it remains one of my favorites. Not because it is exceptionally complex (it isn't), not because it is well illustrated (it isn't), not because it is angst filled and character driven (it isn't...not really), not because there are possessed masks housing goat-demons who try to seduce high-school mediums, or embittered ghostly servants forced into cat cos-play by perverted bisexual priests, or cross-dressing shrine "maidens" who woo lost-loves with funny faced frogs. Ah, I'm such a liar, it's totally those last three things.

Eerie Queerie! is adorable and ridiculous. I wind up "ooh"-ing and giggling aloud every time I read it. It's just so...cute? Certainly the main character, Mitsuo Shiozu (same last name as the author...on purpose!), a high-schooler who can see the dead and is extremely susceptible to possession, is a goofy, giggly teen with a heart of gold and a deep connection to his few friends. He has spent a lonely life, but due to some unforeseeable hijinks involving a dead school girl, he forges a close friendship with (super hot) Hasunuma who is interested in folklore and the occult. His first, best and most-devoted friend, Hasunuma, obviously has strong feelings for Mitsuo that go beyond friendship and a willingness to protect innocent Mitsuo from the world. However, confused Mitsuo fails to make the connections between Hasunuma's feelings and their affectionate interactions...Mitsuo realizes his own feelings of love towards Hasunuma later, and is appalled that HE might be taking advantage of his "innocent" friend (Hasunuma uses every ploy in the book to get Mitsuo closer to him, or lay "claim" to him in front of rivals). As a reader I cannot help but laugh and laugh at Mitsuo's confusion and the entire comedy of errors that is Eerie Queerie!.

Here is a typical Hasunuma move (with a typical Mitsuo response):



Hasunuma is kissing Mitsuo as he leaves to go on a school scavenger hunt. Mitsuo is at first alarmed by Hasunuma's overtly affectionate ways, but Hasunuma tells him that "that's just what friends do." Mitsuo, having no experience with friends (and secretly desiring all that yummy affection) is reassured and begins to accept the "normalcy" of Hasunuma's touchy-feely-ness. Ichi, the third man in their group, is constantly bothered by Hasunuma's advances on Mitsuo...he thinks Hasunuma is taking advantage of Mitsuo's ignorance and naivete...Ichi is right--he is.  


Hasunuma is my favorite character in this series. His devotion to Mitsuo, his playfulness (despite the serious nature of his feelings), his sweetness, his sacrifices and his infinite patience make him a little swoonworthy. Everytime I reread E Q! I find myself rooting for Hasunuma (he's the biggest flirt in the world), and rolling my eyes at the baffled reactions of Mitsuo. Hasunuma is not the lead in the story, but he is the romantic lead...it makes for an odd and compelling will they/won't they situation (actually more of a will Mitsuo realize/won't he realize) which all works out happily (and goofily) in the end.

Eerie Queerie! isn't deep and profound. It isn't soul-shattering. It isn't much more than a ridiculously amusing supernatural comedy, but it is really, really cute without being annoying or precious. Ultimately, it is worth a read, especially if you like aggressively perverted Shinto priests...and it turns out I do.

Note: the rating on E Q! is 16+, but there is NO graphic sex in this. There are sexual situations and a crazy amount of innuendo, but no actual sex. As far as yaoi goes, it is pretty tame, and sweet without being smutty. The only risky character is the Shinto priest who does get a little "handsy" at times. I would say that this might be more of a PG-13 series than a restricted one, but that's just liberal ol'me.

Tokko--Anime

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).

Day 25 - Best Anime Villian: Dr. Muraki Kazutaka from Yami No Matsui (Descendants of Darkness)

”Best?” Yes. He is vicious. He’s also creepily calm and intense. I don’t like it. He is so creepy that Ms. Shakespeare and I have been known to quote him just to skeeve the other one out. Ms. Shakespeare, "do you remember our sensuous night beneath the cherry trees?" Mwahahah! Dr. Muraki is the best anime villain in that he is irredeemably evil, overtly predatory and still somehow charismatic and beautiful. So evil! SO EVIL!! Is he human? Is he demon? No one knows. He seems to have no motivation beyond just being evil (and attracted to our hero Asato Tsuzuki)...EVIL! Like a pretty, pretty snake who will tie you up and make sexually suggestive remarks before biting you.



A close second is Light Yagumi of Death Note (yet another Shigigami or Soul Reaper drama) he is irredeemably awful, and the lead character. I like the way Death Note sets up Light as the protagonist only to allow viewers to watch him fall further and further from his first purpose into a narcissistic villain who destroys pretty much everything he once believed in. He’s truly horrible, but he doesn't quite have the creep factor of Dr. Muraki. So despite playing God, betraying everyone he knows, and stacking up one hell of a body count, he gets bumped to number two.



I need to do a Death Note post soon. It is a pretty messed-up series.

Day 16 - Favorite Mahou Shoujo Anime: Ai Enma?

Mahou Shoujo Anime is, from what I researched, not a thing I watch. It's about magical girls? Like Sailor Moon, or something. The closest I get is maybe Ai Enma, Hellgirl, from the Hellgirl series. I am sort of confused by the definition of Mahou Shoujo, so I'm just gonna assume that this counts.

Here is my defense:
1. She's a girl.
2. She has magical hell powers.
3. She wears a school uniform that looks kinda like sailor moon's.

Let's compare:

They are like Yin and Yang.

Sailor Moon is all: "Whoop! There I is!"

And Hellgirl is all:

"Pitiful shadow cloaked in darkness.
Thy action cause men pain and suffering.
Thy hollow soul drowns in thy sins.
How would you like to see what death is like?"

So, because I haven't written about Hellgirl before I'll say a few things now.

The plot of the series revolves around a reporter who is doing a story on a website called "Hell Corrospondence." The "Hell Corrospondence" site is set up for vengence. Wronged persons can send a name to the site and Ai and her assistants will carry them and their soul to hell to fullfil the grudge. The price for this service is that when the summoner dies they too will be carried into hell.  It's a lighthearted musical  romp...okay, that's just a lie. It's pretty dark and heavy stuff. The reporter, Shibata Hajime, has a lot of his own problems, and it turns out his daughter has a strange psychic link to Ai. And the psychological torture some of the cursed go through is pretty fantasticaly intense. Ai too has her backstory, which is tragic and heartbreaking. It's not a happy series, but it is beautifully animated and complex. I like complex! I like tragic! I like schoolgirls who take jerks to hell!

Whether this is actually a Mahou Shoujo? I don't know.

Here's what I got from the wikipedia: "Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth." Well, maybe I'm waaay off base here. But this is as close as I get...so. Hmmm.

Day 10 (Am I Ahead or Behind?) Weirdest Anime Series You've Watched So Far: Code Geass

Firstly, watch this, and tell me if it is what I think it is:



Yeah, I think she's humping the table too. I hate Code Geass.

The trailer will sum it up...I guess:


So giant Blonde Brittanians conquer Japan and Lalouche (La Douche) decides to rebel in a giant mech. They are fighting against tyranny and injustice, right? So it shouldn't have table humping, or whatever this is:



Good Meow-ning...I hate Code Geass! I hate it even more because it was created in conjunction with CLAMP (who I respect and admire), and because it's won all sorts of awards...and is the (if wikipedia is to be believed) 4th best selling Anime in Japan.

But, I LIKE WEIRD! And Code Geass is so weird that it should be good. So, why does it SUCK??!! It sucks because I think it's just being weird for the sake of being weird. Things are so random in this anime. The characters say things that make no sense. They wear cat outfits for no reason. They have long discussions in the shower and then suddenly realize they're naked. There's an episode long game of catch Lalouche and kiss him, which should be funny, but is really just confusing. And there's mech. Is this a gunman anime? Is it a high-school comedy? Is it a sort of alternate reality thing? Why do they have psychic powers? Is that high-schooler a nightly news anchor? How dumb is that mask? Did he just levitate? Why are those girls in a sort of harem bathtub? Is that a fart joke? (Yes, in the middle of a serious scene a girl randomly farts.) Why is there a naked purple haired lady in a waterfall? Does he have to laugh like that? Why is he secret royalty? BLAH! Not fun weird! Just weird weird.

But, maybe I'm only assuming that it is trying to be weird for the sake of being weird...what if it isn't trying to be weird at all? My mind is blown.

Code Geass you are both the weirdest and the worst.

It sucks so bad the whole country of China banned it! (That's not why they banned it, apparently they are against table humping, naked schoolgirls and implied yaoi, but they should have banned it for sucking!)

Good Weird is this:

CRAYON SHIN-CHAN! No guts, no glory hole! Get that onigiri inside you turtlefart!

Upcoming: Supernatural: The Anime

I can't tell you how excited and nervous the official trailer for Supernatural: The Anime makes me. I love Supernatural...I am an addict. So, when I heard that they would be reimagining the series as an anime, I was stoked. The latest news is that the US Release is scheduled for July 26. I will be saving my meagre dollars. Supernatural is a series that could lend itself well to anime...long story arc, monsters, complex characterization.
The only things that concern me are:
1) The animation of older brother, Dean Winchester, is not exactly what I would have envisioned (then again, I am a fan of Dean Winchester) and younger brother, Sam, seems to be getting the brunt of attention...he might be the lead, which is offputting to me. They are a duo, plus I just don't think Sam is as interesting (or complex) as Dean is.
2) Someone covered "Carry on My Wayward Son" as the themesong. It plays a prominent role in the live-action series, and is a good classic rock song...I happen to like Kansas (it is one of my favorite state-named bands). So, the cover seems weak.
3)Jared Padelecki (Sam) voiced the US episodes, but Jensen Ackles (Dean) only did a select few...who is doing them? Does anyone but Ackles sound like Ackles? I don't think so. I like his voice. He was awesome as Red Hood in Batman: Under the Red Hood, so he CAN do voice work. (Plus his dad is a voice-over legend). The choice is odd.
4) It may be drawing too much from the storyline in the live-action series. What I see from the preview is most of an episode called "Roadkill" from season two. (Yes, I am that much of a geek.) I hope that there are new plotlines, otherwise I'm not sure what the point of redoing the series in animated form might be.

Concerns aside, I am (pun intended) geeked! I look forward to viewing and then reviewing the series here on Squeefinity...it will give me something to do during the summer hiatus of the live action show. And new ways to oogle Dean.

What manga would you most like to see turned into an anime?

I was originally going to go with Hana Kimi a sweet, gender-bender manga about a Japanese-American girl, Mizuki Ashiya, who secretly attends an all boy's school in Japan in order to be near her idol, track and field star and high-jump champion, Izumi Sano. So, she, as fate would have it, is assigned dorms with Sano, and falls in love with him. Sano, early in the series, realizes Mizuki's true gender and falls for her as well. Neither wants to reveal the truth about the situation, for fear of losing the other person or hurting their close friendship. There are a lot of super cutey moments, a lot of close-calls and a lot of comedic situations. I would LOVE to see this manga made into an anime, but unfortunately/fortunately it has already been televised in two (YES, TWO) different live-action versions. The first version, the one I've seen, is Korean...it isn't bad at all, and Ms. Shakespeare, is quite fond of it. I have not yet seen the second version, the Japanese live-action drama...but, just from the photos of the cast, I have to say: "GOOD LORD!" The super-hot bishonen cast makes me feel a little wrong...because I'm old and lame. Despite the two live action versions of this manga, I'd like to see an anime, but I won't get one...boo. So, I have to redirect my answer to this question in a more likely way.

To be honest, the mangas I'd most like to see turned into animes will not be turned into animes...ever. They're pervy, or too graphic. It's the kind of girl I am. No one is going to make Desire(Too young) or Fake (there was the one episode, mind you)or La Esperanca(too young, and too catholic) into animes...although they should.

So, I feel I must be realistic; the manga I'd most like to see turned into an anime is going to surprise at least one person...I'd like to see the American manga Bizenghast turned into an anime.

Bizenghast is one of those rare American mangas that has been embraced by Japanese readers, it is published by Tokyopop, written and illustrated by M. Alice LeGrow. It's a strange little story about a "sick" girl, Dinah, orphaned (as many manga/anime/disney characters are) and being raised in seclusion by her aunt (and an especially creepy caretaker) in the abandoned town of Bizenghast, MA. She is troubled by delusions and/or sees ghosts depending on who's interpreting her "fits." Her only friend is the adorably prince-like Vincent. The two come across a mysterious cemetery and mausoleum in the middle of the night after escaping from Dinah's locked room and become accidentally bound into a contract to appease the souls locked in the mausoleum...the price of breaking the contract is Dinah's death. The story itself isn't written very well, but the artwork (something I do appreciate in manga...I won't read a badly drawn manga, it drives me crazy!) is amazing. The style is a very opulent Gothic Lolita style, with a bit of steam punk and Victorian thrown in for good measure. LeGrow's costuming and architecture is gorgeous, and I think it would make a stunning anime. Tokyopop has already created a stop motion, picture-book sort of anime short of this manga.

Is it great? No. But it would be pretty.

But, I feel bad about picking this manga in a lot of ways...why not pick something I'm absolutely in love with? Well, because the things I am absolutely in love with are a bit too much for the general public, and I don't want to back something that would be nc-17.

Other possiblities I considered:

Because it's sooooo cute and sweet. No sex, no violence, just a girl alone in the world.

Two boys working for a drug store/psychic investigation firm. This is an unfinished series by Clamp...oh, I wish they would finish it; the stories are really very interesting and the series ended abruptly after the third volume.
and

Why not? Who doesn't like a good gay-romance, ghost hunt, comedy/drama? I do like this series, and I think it would be cute as an anime...it's not sexually explicit and it is full of funny misunderstandings and sweet moments.

---

My suggestion for the next discussion:
Ouran High School Host Club--Manga v. Anime

What manga would you most like to see turned into an anime?

Great question, Shakes! <- Yeah, I'm talking to myself. What of it, huh?

The manga I'd most like to see made into an anime is "Hands Off" by Kasane Katsumoto. It's a cute, short series (If you don't count the prequel, I think it's eight volumes) about a couple of teenage psychics, cousins, Kotarou and Tastsuki, and their not at all gifted, but truly earnest friend Yuuto.

It's a treat of a story. It strikes just the right balance between humor and drama, and I think it's the kind of manga that would appeal to both sexes. I wouldn't really say it's shojo or shounen, which I think is kind of rare in manga for a preteen/teen target audience. What I'm trying to say is it has broad appeal, and I think that's important.

Basically the story goes as such. Kotarou is a really sweet hearted puppy dog of a teenage boy. He's kind of pretty, but he's obsessed with being masculine, and he loves basketball. He had to leave his former school because he was being bullied for being efeminate. He goes to live with his grandpa and his cousin, the dark and brooding Tatsuki.

Tatsuki is a prickly pear. He and Kotarou used to be the best of friends, but something happened and when his cousin comes to stay, Tatsuki is ice cold to him. It turns out that he can see the past of places (usually the awful past) and when Kotarou touches him, it's magnified.

Yuuto is a long haired, womenizing gem of a character. He sits in the middle between Kotarou and Tatsuki. He's not naiive like Kotarou, and he's not cold like Tatsuki. He somehow manages to hold them all together.

If you drew all of your conclusions about Japan based on this manga, you would think it was a horrible place where people frequently cross dress and criminals roam free. This trio does get in a lot of trouble. Kotarou gets kidnapped more frequently than any character I've ever met. I realize this is to showcase Tatsuki's distant dedication to him and Yuuto's commitment to them both. That could get a little tired, if the relationships weren't so strong. As a reader you want to see how the people around Kotarou react to him getting hurt and how he takes it in stride.

Anyway, things happen. These three investigate. Psychic powers are revealed. Friendships are formed. Obviously the psychic powers part is important. It informs the characters. But, it's the strenght of the relationships that make this manga shine.

I think it's a story that would translate very well to an anime series, and I hope it does one day.