Moving Day is Nigh

Just in case anyone had neglected to notice, I haven't had much of a blog presence the past couple of weeks. Well, that can mostly be explained by the fact that we're moving into a new house and have spent a lot of time packing and bringing stuff over to the new place. Also, I've been trying to work on reviews for Summer anime (before Autumn rolls around, heh) so that's taken up the majority of my writing time.

Assuming our internet gets hooked up smoothly (we have Comcast, so we'll see how that goes), the new reviews ought to be up fairly soon and the blog should be back up and running as well.

Thanks for sticking around!

The Daughter of Twenty Faces Episode 11

Summary: Shunka joins Chiko and Tome for fun and sun at the summer resort. Chiko can't keep her mind off Ken and the strange person who attacked her at the island. While walking along the beach, Shunka spots another girl who could almost be her twin. While up in the middle of the night, she hears someone running around the cottage and follows the sound of the footsteps. When she investigates, she's confronted with a mirror that frightens her. The others find out that she had a twin sister who passed away by drowning. Shunka believes her sister holds a grudge because Shunka didn't do enough to save her. The next day Chiko attempts to explain away Shunka's fears, since she doesn't believe in ghosts. While running to retrieve her sister's favorite candy, Shunka hears an odd voice in her head. The voice belongs to the white-haired individual who nearly hurt Chiko, someone out to kill Twenty Face's men one-by-one.



The next day, Chiko's Aunt attempts to kill her by dropping a flower pot on her head, and Chiko scoffs at her increasingly sloppy methods. When she arrives at school, she finds Shunka acting strangely. In the meantime, Akine gets a visit from the "white-haired devil", who asks if he would like to find his little sister who was lost in the war. He becomes hypnotized by the person's words. He arrives at Chiko's house, and Tome seems to have fallen under the spell as well. Later, Tome, Shunka and Akine arrive in Chiko's room and force feed her pills. Tome pricks her finger and this breaks the trance, realizing that the pills are poison. Chiko runs off, attempts to go to her Uncle's house (he's out of the country), and then continues on to town, intent on continuing her search.



Thoughts: Well, I was silly to think that the creepy white-haired person would stay away, since it now seems that he/she (still can't tell!) is going to become the next "villain" of the series. It's funny, now Chiko's Aunt's half-hearted attempts at killing Chiko almost seem quaint and amusing. Chiko is so well-trained in the thieving arts that she can dodge flower pots that are pushed at her, so it's almost like a game. In any case, need more info on this creepy character now plz. All we really know is that he/she is related to Twenty Faces in some way and is now out to kill members of his gang (most of whom are dead already anyway, at least as far as we know). Perhaps some fleshing-out will occur later on.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the whole weird hypnosis deal that he/she uses, though. It's creepy and all, which is a plus, but on the other hand it seems really kind of corny. In a really "Bwa ha ha! Now do my bidding!" kind of way. This enemy is skirting the line between threatening and goofy, though the show has done a good job so far of maintaining the drama, so I guess I'll hope for the best and hope the baddy has a bit more up his/her sleeve.

I also have to just note - lol prerequisite beach episode. Granted, it could have been much more silly and fanservicey than it actually was, but I always have a chuckle at these anime cliches, since they seem to show up in even some of the best shows. Heck, if Kaiba had a beach episode, I don't know how surprised I'd actually be (though that would probably be one really screwed-up beach...)

Well, this'll be the last episode of Twenty Faces for a while, at least until more get subbed. It's been very entertaining so far, and I'm definitely around for the long haul. Or at least the other half of the season :)

The Daughter of Twenty Faces Episode 10

Summary: Chiko, her aunt, and Tome arrive at the island. Ken is already there, attempting to get information about the jewel out of a local thug. Tome uncharacteristically tells Chiko that she has a bad feeling about the island, and that Chiko shouldn't go anywhere alone. Ken happens to walk past them going the other way, but signals Chiko to say nothing. She's happy at least to know that he's ok. Suddenly a member of the crew filming there rushes up and tells him that the producer was murdered and the jewel stolen. At the island house the remaining members of the crew all start to accuse each-other, and Chiko's Aunt considers this a perfect opportunity to get rid of Chiko. Staring out the window, Chiko sees a light and goes to investigate - it's the ember on the end of Ken's cigarette. Ken is suffering with his loss and doesn't really want to hear what Chiko has to say. That night, Chiko decides to share a futon with Tome, but leaves during the night to search for clues to the whereabouts of Twenty Faces and to look for Ken.



While in the woods, she sees the glow of the gemstone and follows it until she finds a hill that's hollow. There's a cave which looks similar to Twenty Face's hideout, though when she enters the inner portion, the place is a shambles. However, there's a voice and the glow of the gemstone. It turns out that there are two stones - Twenty Faces had one, and this person has the other. The mysterious woman attacks Chiko and ties her down to a dissection table before being stabbed in the back by one of Ken's knives. Chiko eventually gains the upper hand, but once defeated, the nameless person falls apart into pieces, like a doll. Chiko faints, and Ken leaves her where Tome will find her. As they're leaving on the ferry back, Chiko's aunt tries to push her overboard, but Chiko notices before she can attempt it.



Thoughts: I have to say that this episode was rather creepy. First of all, with Ken sneaking around and acting all bitter, it was hard to keep from wondering if maybe he was responsible for the producer's murder and the subsequent theft of the jewel. Secondly, that doll person was just unsettling. I'm really kind of disappointed that she kind of broke into a bunch of lifeless pieces, though, because I think she might have been an interesting recurring character. Though that isn't to say she isn't still alive and that the whole "death" thing was just some illusion to distract Ken and Chiko. Considering that she seems to have some previous connection to Twenty Faces, I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if she turned up again. Actually, I couldn't really tell for sure if she was female or not - the character was very androgynous, with a mid-range voice, so who knows? Now I really want to know more.

I hope things don't become "Chiko's Aunt's murder plot of the week". I'd just as well like to see Chiko out of there somewhere else with Tome and Shunka, like in the credits, but I couldn't say how accurate a depiction of the story those scenes are. I'm really just getting sick of the Aunt and her plotting. I mean I actually expected her to be out of the picture by the time the first episode was over, but she just keeps coming back. Gyah, DIAF already.

I'm kind of hoping for a Ken-centric episode in the future. Like I'm sure I've mentioned, it would be good to learn his background more completely and see how he's a counterpart to Chiko, especially since they're really the only two left from the gang and they're both probably going to have to work together to locate Twenty Faces. I love Chiko, to be sure, but let's show some love to the other characters, too. Especially when they're hot and mysterious :)

The Daughter of Twenty Faces Episode 9

Summary: Chiko's Aunt invites her out during her school holiday, but Chiko refuses, somehow just knowing that her Aunt would use the opportunity to try and kill her in some manner. Instead she goes to visit Shunka at her home, and Shunka appears to have some juicy information about the true identity of Twenty Faces. Shunka has gotten a crush on Twenty Faces, so is willing to search the world over for him. Shunka decides that they should form the "Detective Girls", and they wander around town "looking for clues". What they're really doing is looking for info on an actor named Koheiji, the man Shunka believes might be Twenty Faces. Sadly, a crazy old man working at the theater and suffering from post traumatic stress disorder from the war is the mysterious Koheiji, and the girls leave. On the way back, they're cornered by two thugs looking for the daughter of Twenty Faces, and using their "seven tools of the trade" (really just some trinkets) they manage to make their escape. However, there's another man on their tail.



Meanwhile, in the city, a much older-looking Ken remembers the night of the train fire and how he watched Chiko be taken away on an ambulance. An ambulance he believed was driven by the boss. The next day he follows the two detective girls. Once again he remembers back to the aftermath of the accident and how he first learned the news of Chiko's return to Japan, alone in a room. While the two girls are in a movie house, a movie preview featuring a radiant jeweled necklace reminds Chiko of a gemstone that Twenty Faces had, which happens to be the same jewel. Chiko learns about the location of the filming of the movie, and decides that she just might want to go on that trip with her aunt after all.

Thoughts: Considering that it's still so early in the series, I never really expect Chiko to locate Twenty Faces right away, but I always sort of hope that he's not really gone or that he might actually be watching over her from closeby. Looks like that role will have to go to Ken for a while, since he spent most of his time in this episode sneaking around and being emo about feeling abandoned by the boss. I would have been interested to learn a little bit more about his past than just the very short glimpse given of the time his mother left him, because it looks like he's going to be around and I'd like for him to be fleshed out a bit more. Not to mention he's become kind of attractive :) What can I say? I'm weak from time-to-time.

I'm glad that Chiko has found a friend in Shunka, but I do find her a bit irritating. On the one hand I'm sympathetic to her situation and being forced to marry early is pretty depressing. But holy crap does she do just about everything to cause trouble and ruin their detective work. I suppose this kind of characterization might be "charming" to some people, but I would really just like for her to shape up and learn a bit from Chiko rather than barging right in to dangerous situations. Something tells me that it's going to take some major disaster for her to get a clue in her head.

Of course, that's to the wayside for the time being considering that Chiko is essentially using her Aunt's desire to off her in order to get to the island where she believes Twenty Faces might be hiding out. How much you want to bet that the jewel being used in the filming is a fake? I hate to say it, but I don't think finding the man will be that easy. I'm hoping that Tome realizes that the Aunt is teh evilz though. It would be nice for her to not have to remain naive of the situation for much longer. I'm wondering what sort of evil scheme the Aunt will try to pull, which I'm sure we'll find out next episode.

The Daughter of Twenty Faces Episode 8

Summary: It appears that the woman who was following Chiko is a reasearcher, and her subject is the person in the robotic suit, someone who was in an accident who she is helping to keep alive. Twenty Faces seems to be the only one who can contribute further to her research, and she feels that getting to Chiko is the key. At home, Chiko gets a visit from her uncle who asks for detective Akine's help in a matter. They go to visit a pharmeceutical company president, who in turn asks for help locating two of his researchers, Kayama Nozomi and Tsuya Takashi. Chiko believes that Twenty Faces had a connection to this project. At school Chiko receives a note, signed with Twenty Faces' mark, to meet him outside at 10pm. She believes it to be a fake, but Shunka also gets a hold of it. Shunka waits ouside and is picked up by Kayama, the researcher, who claims to be a messenger from Twenty Faces. Shunka is found out almost right away, but claims that she wants to have as much fun as she can before she turns 16 and has to enter into an arranged marriage. Chiko finds Akine and they chase after them.



Faced with police patrol cars, Kayama gives herself up and releases Shunka. While being questioned about the bank robbery, the man in the robot suit, Tsuya Takashi, bursts from the hideout and attacks, aiming to get Chiko. Kayama believed that their research was on the verge of creating something that could have won the war, so she continued it to get results even after the war ended. When Chiko is at a dead end and Tsuya is out of control, Kayama releases her hidden strength (having experimented on herself as well) and thwarts him. All he wanted to know was how to turn his body back to normal, which is something Chiko doesn't know. He passes away after speaking of something called "Twenty Faces' Legacy". Shunka decides her life will never be boring with Chiko around.

Thoughts: The "mecha suit" in this episode really could have made things laughable, but I think it did a good job of focusing on the tragedy of the situation rather than the fact that there was a Gigantor in their midst. Not to mention that it seemed like a real threat rather than a joke or just an excuse to show some neat fighting (which they did anyway, it was pretty cool). I'm liking how this is leading more into the mystery surrounding Twenty Faces. It seems like he had his hands in all sorts of different things and that there really was a purpose behind his thievery. I don't know if this makes him seem less benevolent or not, but his intelligence, which was already pretty apparent, shines through in spite of his absence. And I think this is a trait which he passed on to Chiko.

I often find myself so captivated by this show that I forget to take screencaps until the second half of the episode. I'm not quite sure what it is that intrigues me. The stories themselves aren't particularly complicated, but maybe that's part of the appeal. Each episode, new layers seem to be uncovered in the life of a very mysterious man, and Chiko, by choice more than anything, finds herself caught in the middle, pulled in different directions by people who want to find Twenty Faces for their own purposes.

I'm curious as to why Twenty Faces would have invested in research to create super soldiers in the first place, though, since he seems like a guy who doesn't really use violence to achieve his goals (as evidenced by the lack of firearms in his group). Maybe this attitude was a reaction to something else, but I still find it a bit incongruous and I hope there'll be more explanation on it later.

I knew that Shunka wouldn't remain a true adversary for long, and her situation is actually kind of sad - in her eyes, her life pretty much ends at 16, when she'll have to become a young wife in an arranged marriage. I'm wondering if hanging out with Chiko will help her to escape that fate and go off on her own, but it's too early to tell at this point. I'm interested to see how their relationship develops and whether maybe Chiko will end up taking her on as a protege, though I'm curious as to what skills Shunka may have already developed on her own.

The Daughter of Twenty Faces Episode 7

Summary: One of the only survivors left on the train is Akine, the detective hired to track down Chiko and return her to her aunt. When she returns, her aunt puts on a good show of crying and being happy about her return, and Chiko is so depressed about the apparent death of Twenty Faces that she willingly eats the soup she's given, even though she knows that it contains her Aunt' poison. One of the maids, named Tome, takes special interest in Chiko's well being. While having breakfast in the garden, she's approached by a detective named Akechi who's searching for Twenty Faces, who he believes is still alive in spite of the train fire. This gives Chiko new hope and once again she refuses to eat the poisoned soup.



Chiko makes the decision to go to school as well. Most of the other girls are kind of weirded-out having a famous kidnapping victim amongst them. One day at lunch she's approached by a girl named Shunka, who seems to have a bullying streak in her. On her way home, Shunka's car splashes her with mud, which causes her to not notice a woman following her. At home, she spots Akechi in the garden and meets with him. When she agrees to take on the task of searching for Twenty Faces, Akechi produces a strange token - the family jewel which Twenty Faces stole from her Aunt. It had been laying in the garden in an easily-retrievable spot. Somewhere else, a giant robot breaks into a bank vault, then returns to meet the woman who was following Chiko.

Thoughts: After the dramatic end to the previous episode, we're thrust headfirst into a new mystery - what has become of Twenty Faces? It was almost certain from the nature of his "death" that he wasn't truly gone for good, and now that Chiko has gotten over her depression, she has a new purpose in life. It'll be interesting to see how she utilizes the teachings she received while living with the gang to find her mentor once again.

I find the thought of her going to school kind of amusing. I mean, I know this won't turn into some daily school life anime, but as evidenced by the fact that she dodged a volleyball that was heading right for her, she's quite different from the other students there. And of course we know by the end theme of the show that the bully character Shunka will end up being a comrade in the end, so any element of surprise was spoiled by that. Of course there are still mysteries to be discovered, like how the two will end up working together, who the mysterious that followed Chiko is, and what was up with the person in the robotic armor. While this show is very straightforward, it still does a good job of keeping things intriguing.

I'm still kind of irritated that we're seing more of the Aunt, since she's a completely unsympathetic character in my mind. Especially since she knows that Chiko is aware of her poisoning the soup, yet she keeps it up anyway. I'm wondering what's going to happen to her, though I hope it involves some really satisfying and ironic punishment. Burning to death in a giant tub of poisoned soup perhaps?

Random anime of the Week 3 - Yadamon

Getting this one in a little late this time, oops.



Summary: A young man and his parents are awaiting the arrival of an egg. An egg which might contain some kind of monster, though Mom doesn't like to think so. The egg arrives in a clear case, and its nature is unknown. Jean heads off to bed, but sees a light streaking through the sky, which he follows until it hits the ground near a dead-looking tree. Peering around the corner, he sees a girl with butterfly wings for hair. It appears that she's being eaten by a lion, but it turns out that he asked her to extract its tooth. She says that she's a witch, and her name is Yadamon. Jean invites her back to his house since it's late. Outside she attempts to fly, though fails because she doesn't have a broom to use. The closest thing they have is an electric floor-scrubber, which she drags to the edge of a cliff and sits atop as she and Jean fall like a rock towards the water below.



Thoughts: Well, I have to say that Yadamon sure has a unique character design. For a little ten-minute episode, it was relatively charming, though a lot of the humor fell a bit flat. I get the impression that the show is aimed at a much younger audience than me, though, so I can't really fault it for being silly. Of course the question of "what's inside the egg" wasn't answered in this segment, though admittedly I'm not too torn up about not getting the answer.



Sometimes I wonder how I end up with this stuff, and it's a wonder that the majority of it isn't porny, because there are just times where I don't feel like looking up information on random shows. I guess I have too much faith that I won't end up with something like Kanokon.



In any case, I'll try to look at something a bit more substantial next week. Assuming I remember to do the writeup, that is.

The Daughter of Twenty Faces Episode 6

Summary: The airship is escaping with the Clock of the Three Magi, with the townspeople and police in ground pursuit. Luckily for the thieves, it's a decoy and the real clock is in a safe hiding place (it turns out that Twenty Faces stole the clock on behalf of the town's Mayor, keeping it from being sold at the end of the exhibition). In exchange, Twenty Faces is given some information that he requested. When Twenty Faces speaks of fashioning a successor to accomplish his plans, Chiko, who's eavesdropping on the conversation, wishes that it were her. As the train carrying the thieves leaves the platform, another group of sinister looking folks with guns hops on, and shoots Yasu-san right in front of Chiko. She's surprised to learn that Angie is a part of this group, along with Tiger, the man responsible for blinding Ken's eye. Angie corners Chiko in one of the compartments.



It seems Angie had been observing Chiko all along, and the two begin to battle it out. In the dining car, the rest of the gang, led by Tiger, begin to massacre the thieves. Skipper, having been shot, sacrifices himself by jumping out of the train with two enemies in tow. Outside the train, Angie makes a misstep and is swept away in the show and wind. When Chiko enters the train car, she discovers the carnage and the fact that most of her comrades are dead at the hands of Tiger's gang. Tiger confronts Twenty Faces about his bigger plan, while Chiko finds Muta-san dying in the corridor. Twenty Faces declines Tiger's offer to join forces. Just as Tiger is about to die from a gunshot wound, he sets the train car on fire and it drifts away, Twenty Faces still aboard. Chiko is left alone to watch in horror.



Thoughts: Hmm, well I got just about what I wanted here. First of all, Angie made her return, though in reality she wasn't really the cute young girl she appeared to be, but an agent of the only real major "villain" so far. It was a surprise, to be sure, but quite implausible. Of course, considering Chiko's skill with disguises and operating undercover, it's not really out of the question that another girl might share that skill and cunning, but the setup almost seemed a bit silly. I'm glad the story was in two parts since the direct continuity has been lacking so far in this series. To go right from episodic almost light-hearted into something so drama-laden, however, was a surprising and dramatic adjustment to have to make.

And good grief, boy was this a good lead-in to the rest of the series. Twenty Faces is now essentially out of the picture, so now Chiko, and Ken who I believe is still also alive, are the only ones left from the thieving group, and I assume that they'll have to continue where Twenty Faces was forced to leave off in his big "master scheme" that was alluded to. There's not enough info to speculate on what that scheme is for right now, but I'm betting that this is the subject that will consume the rest of the series. Now they just have to introduce the rest of the characters, and maybe give a little info on what Chiko's aunt is up to. Initially I thought that she'd be a minor character, but since she's shown up a few times since Chiko escaped, my hope is that there'll be more to tell with her.

I'm very excited to watch subsequent episodes now that I know there's an actual plot to be had. Thieving is one thing, but thieving with a purpose in mind is something that interests me to no end. Sadly, I'm fighting sleep right now so I don't think I can really discuss much further than this until next time.

Golgo 13 Episode 9-10

Summary: Golgo arrives as a prisoner in a prison from which no one has escaped. Golgo is there as a convicted criminal, though the charges certainly seem drummed-up. His purpose there isn't readily apparent, in any case. The warden is an easily-irritated little man who nearly shoots Golgo for making a smart remark. In the mess hall, he's approached by a man named Mouse, but their conversation is cut short when the guard shows up. Golgo punches the guy out, and gets sentenced to death for his insolence, which also means he gets transferred to the rougher death-row section of the prison. The man in the cell next to him, Blue Eyes Zalas, tells him about failed escape attempts by other prisoners, but Golgo asks him to pick up some auto parts from the in-house factory because he's going to attempt it anyway. After the pieces are in place, they plan to attempt their escape that night. Using home-made string-and-metal files they get the bars out of their windows and escape into the court yard and up a water pipe. Waiting at the top is Mouse, and behind him the warden. Mouse helps to create a distraction, and the two men escape, reach the mainland, and find Golgo's stash of clothes and his gun. He assembles the gun and kills the other man, his target from the start. His client couldn't wait for him to be executed at prison.



In the next episode, Golgo takes out a drug lord named Gabole via a quick shot to the head, along with his FBI escort. He then takes a flight to Hong Kong for his next assignment. Once he arrives he goes to meet the client, and he's a dead ringer for the man he so recently killed. It turns out that the man he shot was an imposter, and his real target is right here, trying to hire him for another job, which he refuses. Once he hears from his first client that the first hit was a setup to distract the FBI, he takes on the second job. What he guesses and then eventually confirms is that Spike Jordan, the man posing as Gabole, actually switched spots with him and was the one left alive. Golgo manages to reach the roof of the building where Spike Jordan is waiting, stealths his way in and manages to kill his target while the henchment all assume he's hiding out in an air-conditioning room.

Thoughts: This pair of episodes have started to at least take things in a more interesting direction. While they still essentially follow the same formula of Golgo taking out his target, the elaborate lengths to which Golgo goes to accomplish his mission have become more interesting, especially in episode 9. To get thrown in prison and then upgraded to death row, only to accomplish an impossible escape with the target and then shoot him after they've reached dry land is not only convoluted, it's damned dedicated if you ask me. Even if you don't really like him, you have to give the man props for never giving up (on his dreams!) and sticking with it until the bitter end. Still holding out for some more variety in the stories, but I think the show as a whole has improved quite a bit and has begun to showcase more interesting stories.

Episode 10 may not have been as successful, however, because the amount of going back and forth and trying to figure out who was the real Gambole became moot once you realize that Golgo had it figured out already. I mean, whether or not he'll kill his target is never really the question, but if there's a mystery going on I think the experience is cheapened if the main character doesn't have to figure out what's going on at all.

While I certainly wouldn't call this show the pinnacle of greatness, it's hit a rhythm that I can deal with and I don't feel any longer that I'm merely keeping up with it out of duty to its history as a long-running manga. I occasionally have to try and ignore some really insulting content (while I realize his womanizing ways are part of Golgo's character, I don't have to like or appreciate it) but overall at this point I don't feel like I've been wasting my time at all.

The Daughter of Twenty Faces Episode 5

Summary: Chiko and the gang are posing as a group of circus performers in order to get near to a U.K. city's treasure - the Clock of the Three Magi. Chiko gives a great performance as the tightrope act, but the real star of course is Twenty Faces, posing as the magician Baron Doyle. Chiko sneaks into the museum to catch a glimpse of the clock and meets a girl named Angie, daughter of the museum's security officer. They promise to meet again the next day. At dinner, Chiko shows Twenty Faces a map she's drawn of the museum, and becomes troubled realizing that the information she's giving to the thieves might in some way hurt her friend.



The next day she meets with Angie and they sneak in the museum a back way. Angie innocently reveals that it would be easy for a thief to sneak in that way, but if that happened her dad would probably lose his job. Chiko is troubled by the prospect.

While walking in town, Ken is attacked in an alley by a man named Tiger and loses the use of his left eye. Though Chiko is given the option of sitting out the job due to her feelings, with Ken out of the picture for the time being she feels compelled to take his place. During the circus troupe's final performance, Chiko leads her comrades into the museum. While the rest of the town is captivated by the acts, the theft of the Clock goes off without a hitch. Even though Twenty Faces says she did well, though, Chiko seems to feel a twinge of doubt in her mind while looking back at the museum. A final, haunting shot of Angie's face seems to indicate things to come.

Thoughts: I like how quickly things are progressing in this show. While it's interesting to see Chiko growing up and becoming more competent at her thieving job, I'm glad the writers don't seem to be dwelling on things for too long either. In the last episode she turned 12 years old, and now she's nearly 13, which leads me to believe that the real meat of the story is going to begin soon. Considering the huge deal with Ken's eye as well, I feel like the cozy atmosphere is about to be thrown for a loop. And dang, that last shot was one of the freakiest things I've seen in a long while (check it out here if you want to see - I warn you, though, it'll give you nightmares). If this betrayal doesn't lead to something more, I'm going to be very disappointed.

I'm glad the story went in this direction, however, because I think it's beginning to allow us to question the ethics of what Twenty Faces has been doing. Sure, it's all fun and games stealing stuff from rich aristocrats, but here we learn that people's livelihoods might be at stake and Chiko, for her part, seems to be feeling very torn about her actions. Twenty Faces isn't an evil man by any means, but all the same what he's doing is illegal and is affecting other people. It's still kind of hard to tell what his overall motives are, but if that's clarified in the future it might help to explain what's going on. Or complicate things further, who knows?

I'm curious if there'll be another major time-skip next episode, or what. I'd like to see more about Ken dealing with his injury and how it affects his job as a knife-thrower, if at all. To lose an eye would be a dramatic injury for anyone, but especially so for someone so dependant on having decent depth perception. Tiger, who I believe showed up briefly in an earlier episode, might become more important as well, so I'm wondering if there'll be a story arc coving some sort of conflict between him and Twenty Faces. Hopefully future episodes will have more to reveal.

Allison and Lillia Episode 11 - Shoot at the Armored Car

Summary: Mr. Stork suspects that they're being shot at because Mr. Terol, the supposed Target, is from Roxche. They attempt to keep the enemies from boarding by lighting the bar on fire and disconnecting the burning car. Ker is suspicious that Stork has been carrying around explosives, which they use to disconnect the car. Later, they look out the window across the water and spy a tank riding the rails across the way. Stork radios the authorities, and they say that the tank is there to prevent an assassination attempt, but Stork asks that they fire on it, and draws a gun on them. It seems extremely suspicious, but Stork says that their lives will depend on immobilizing the armored vehicle. When Stork relays this to Terol, however, he explains that he'll be avoiding discovery and arrest if they can destory the armored car. Wil, the best shot in the group, gets the job of firing weaponry at it.



They slow down the train under false circumstances. While Stork and Wil are alone, he reveals that his real duty is to arrest Terol for smuggling firearms and attempting to re-start the war. Stork is after his testimony and to prevent this from happening, even though his military comrades feel otherwise. He reveals his reasons for detatching the train cars to increase the speed. When they come to a stop, Wil shoots, but he shot just grazes it. They begin moving and Wil attempts another shot, and manages to put it out of commission. Terol and his assistant begin to suspect treachery on Stork's part. When the assistant comes to attack them, Wil helps Allison fire a gun to put him down, though it's Stork who fires the blow that drops him. They find Terol dead in his quarters, having committed suicide. Wil still wonders about Stork.



Thoughts: I can't quite tell if this episode resolved anything, or if now we're actually getting to the center of the matter. I kind of feel like the conflict with Terol was a red herring of sorts, and that Stork might have something to do with Allison's deceased father, as has been suggested more than once throughout this arc. I must say the "is he or isn't he" feeling that Stork brought to the table has been kind of fun, especially since we still don't know his exact motivations, even though he's stated the reasoning for his actions on the train. It'll be interesting to see what awaits the characters in the capital city of Sou Beil. Of course, it'll have to wait a few weeks, since this is the last episode released of this show and I'm now waiting for more.

With two episodes left before reaching the halfway point, my prediction is that a whole lot is going to happen in those episodes, though I can't imagine what. I suspect Allison will be able to reveal her feelings to Wil and that ball will finally get rolling. It was cute to see him help her steady herself with the gun in this episode, though it's hard to tell what Wil's feeling was while doing it. Was he simply helping her so that they could defeat their enemy, or could there finally have been something a bit more substantial in the feelings department? *shifty eyes* We'll see.

I was glad to get caught up on this show because, in spite of the fact that it doesn't have quite the depth of its author's other animated work, it's been very entertaining and fun so far, and it makes a nice break from some of the heavier offerings this season.

Kaiba Episode 9 - Shoot Warp!

Summary: Fake Warp is alerted to the birth of another Warp heir, one which has the proper genetic makeup. He's also contacted by Popo, who claims to be on his side. In the meantime, there are people searching for the memory dealer, who has gone to a secret location with Kaiba and Hyou-Hyou. Kaiba's body contains memories locked away, more numerous than any normal person could contain. Neiro, told that she's acting like a different person by her childhood friend Cheki, begins to examine her memories and realizes the man in them isn't Popo, as he'd like for her to believe. When she asks Cheki about the conversation later, she seems to have been brainwashed. And when Popo tells her that the real Warp has been found, rage and determination for revenge wells up inside her.



When Kaiba, the real Warp, wakes up, he's face-to-face with Popo. Popo tries to manipulate him into killing Neiro, who is on her way to kill him. Deep inside Neiro feels that she's doing something wrong, and Kichi, the memory dealer, explains that her hatred was implanted in her by Popo. Warp was responsible for tyranny, but he was also changed by her love for him. Just as Neiro is about to embrace Kaiba, Popo speaks again about the death of her parents and this triggers her to shoot her weapon. She finds his body at the bottom of a pit, and Kichi explains that Hyo-Hyo houses her true memories - the ones about how she and Kaiba met.




Thoughts: Gyah! So many answers! So much more that I can't wait to find out! I'm sort of glad to have some of my suspicions confirmed, like the fact that Hyo-Hyo was in fact a vessel for Neiro's true memories, untouched by Popo. And that Popo was responsible for fudging up Neiro's memories and pasting himself into all the really good ones. I'm having a very difficult time waiting for the next episode since it sounds like we'll finally get to hear about Neiro and Kaiba's past together. I think this show, originally purported to be a sci-fi romance story, will finally be fulfilling that description, and I'm not ashamed to say that my soul is nearly in extreme "squee" mode because of it. No, I'm not saying that I'm a mindless fangirl, but this show is so good and I'm just extremely excited to see how things turn out.



I'm still not clear on what the kaiba plant represents or what role it's going to play in how things unfold. Considering that the protagonist shares his name with it, there's obviously some connection between the two, but it's hard to say what that is at this point. The kaiba plant eats memories, so I'm wondering if Kaiba himself has done something similar. Absorbing the memories of others somehow (we know that it can be done, and that good memories can be bought and sold).



I'm still wondering if Popo will become a more sympathetic character. I mean, they're trying. He's got his sad past that he'd love to keep hidden (a revolutionary against the use of memory chips having been given a healthy body to replace his sickly one is a contradiction if there ever was one) and he really seems to want to convince Neiro to love him. I'll be irritated if there isn't some form or redemption, but I'm definitely a sucker from baddies who are really just misunderstood. It's a weakness of mine.

Man, every new episode I see, I think, "this is one of the reasons I still watch anime". Sure, I stay for the fun stuff, but when experimental pieces like this are just this good, it's truly inspiring to me.

Allison and Lillia Episode 10 - The Train Known as Conspiracy

Summary: When Allison gets frustrated about Wil's cluelessness, she goes to an observation area to be alone, and meets Major Stork there. He counsels her a bit on her problems, being a military member like her. He seems to have a job to do, and also appears to have known Allison's father. The next morning, Allison and Wil go to the observation deck and witness a fight going on between a disguised man and Mr. Welch, a member of the train crew. When Welch goes off the end of the train, Allison chases after the man, but he's gone by the time they exit a mountain tunnel. They assemble all the crew members and find Ker and Fiona to go to the dining car. On the way they pick up Stork, whose job as a bodyguard is in jeopardy now that his master won't allow anyone into the room.



Upon meeting in the dining car, they decide that searching for the suspect aboard the train might be folly, since searching through everyone's belongings would take longer than their trip. Stork suggests stopping at a nearby military depot and using the phone to call the authorities. Unfortunately, the phone lines have been out, so they can't contact anyone. A steel magnate gives them a threatening letter he received, and claims that he's the one being targeted and that he'd rather be separated from the rest of the passengers, for their safety. they disconnect the other passengers from the train, and our heroes, along with Stork and the target, proceed to the bottom of the mountain. It seems he has a few things of his own to hide, and Wil seems to suspect that he's not telling the whole truth. Suddenly they realize they're being chased by a military train, and Stork goes to defend them.

Thoughts: So the mystery seems to be unfolding here in the second episode. Many people have things to hide, and it's turning out to be a great train mystery. And I'm sure it'll make tons more sense than whatever the heck was going on in Baccano. Just saying.

This is the type of show that really keeps you guessing about unfamiliar characters until the very end. This time around the obvious mystery is Stork. He seems like a friendly guy, but it's hard to tell if he's up to something more behind the scenes. My first instinct was to peg him as the man dressed all in black. It still seems like kind of the obvious choice, though I must say the flashback to the "murder" makes it look more like an accident than anything else, so we'll have to see if the crime is really a crime. I don't want to end up disliking the character, since there's barely been anything to suggest that he really has malevolent intent.

Allison seems to be moping about the fact that Ker is more of a take-charge kind of man in his relationship with Fiona, where as Wil is clueless and doesn't seem to be giving Allison the kind of attention she so desperately needs. She needs to just kiss him or ask him out or something really soon or I'm going to begin to feel even more frustrated.

Now that the fight is on, I'm interested to see what kind of weaponry will arrive in the next episode. The preview seems to show a tank that rides on the rails, which actually seems a bit silly to me, but whatever. I really want to know why the train is under attack, since it seemed to crop up so randomly.

Soul Eater Episode 9,10,11

Summary: Soul Eater has been having very dark nightmares, a fact which Medusa secretly attributes to his blending with the blood of Ragnarok. Meanwhile, Sid-sensei makes Black Star clean up all the books in the library. Instead he ends up reading manga until Kid shows up to get a book about a legendary sword called Excalibur. Maka and her father have an awkward moment out on the balcony, while Black Star and Kid go in search of the sword. Inside the cave they find a moody fairy who flies off when they ask about the sword, but they find it anyway. Both Black Star and Kid are able to remove the sword, but then it turns into a weird little creature. A very egotistical little creature. Who makes very little sense. In fact, he has such a crummy irritating attitude that the boys end up just leaving him behind.



In the next episode, Shinigami-sama gives Tsubaki the task of defeating the demon sword Masamune, which is in danger of becoming a kishin. She and Black Star go to the village of Hari to look for it. The villagers see Black Star's tattoo and believe that he's part of a clan sent to kill them all. Black Star is the last remaining member of his clan, a group that ended up taking human souls and being destroyed by Shibusen. The demon blade shows up in the village and attacks a young boy, taking him over. Black Star fights him, demonstrating all sorts of weird techniques like controlling his victim's shadow. When Black Star gains the upper hand and detaches the Demon Blade from the kid, Tsubaki takes it and melds with it. She ends up inside the weird world of the Blade, an entity who is actually her older brother.



While Tsubaki battles her brother in his own world, the villagers, seeing the damage done, blame Black Star and begin to beat on him with sticks. Tsubaki ends up in a tough position, her soul being absorbed by the minute, but Black Star begins to remember how they met. The Demon Blade manages to stab her through the heart and nearly absorbs her soul, until she stops being so agreeable and thinks of Black Star, releasing her inner self and getting her desire to fight back. Though she's stabbed, her brother's soul is released. Finally she exits the sword, and though she tries to hide her troubled feelings, Black Star won't let her. When they return, they reveal Tsubaki's new sword form, though Black Star isn't powerful enough to weild it yet and faints.



Thoughts: The first episode of this batch was really just a comedic interlude, so there's not much to say about it other than it introduced an annoying mascot character who I'm sure is going to end up showing up from time-to-time to annoy us all.

I have to admit, though, I was really very surprised at how good the latter two episodes were. I noticed that Black Star was the technician of choice for these episodes and I was expecting something extremely obnoxious that I was going to have to force myself to watch, but he was, I must say, pretty tolerable in his own way here. It really was Tsubaki's "stage", though, as Black Star would say. The episodes focused on her and the aspect of her personality which has always kind of bothered me - the fact that she doesn't seem to harbor any conflicting opinions of her own. I dislike a pushover (probably because I'm kind of a pushover, funny how that works), and so it was kind of interesting to see that character trait almost become her downfall while Black Star's "big" personality was partly what saved her. While I still don't like him as much as the other characters, it's interesting to see how well the two balance each other out and make it into a major plot point.



In general, I think what this show has been doing well is creating comraderie between the leads. Whereas a lot of shows along the same vein tend to create a lot more competativeness and tend to get a battle tournament vibe after a while, I'm hoping that won't happen here. It seems like any time another member of the Shibusen "team" is in trouble, the others are all rooting for them to do well which I think is really nice to see.



Once again, I'm pleasantly surprised at how the more recent episodes have been very entertaining, and I'm hoping that this is a show that'll do its story and then not fall into the filler trap. I'm not looking to watch a Bleach, and with 51 episodes I think the story can stick to a few core arcs and maybe culminate into something really good. And hey, if it can make me at least tolerate a character that I once completely loathed, something must be going right.

Allison and Lillia Episode 9 - The Bridge on the Former Battlefield

Summary: Over his Spring Break, Wil gets an invitation from Ker to ride the newly-completed Transcontinental Express. When an official sees him and tries to kick him out of the station (for looking too poor to ride the train) Allison, who boarded at the previous station, has a thing or two to say to that. The train is full of rich folks, and a poor student like Wil certainly stands out. Fiona is disguised as a journalist. The rooms inside the train are beautiful and well-furnished. Along the way, they view a field full of artillery looming there, and ill omen. They stop at an island in between the two continets to pay tribute to fallen members of the army, one of them Allison's father, who was betrayed by a subordinate.



A military man named Major Stork deduces that the high-ranking officer named Hellman boarding the train is none other than the hero, Ker, but decided not to blow his cover. He also notices that Fiona, the heir of Iks, is one of the youths leaving the train for the platform. He seems like a rather suspicious man. Wil seems to have a surprise for Allison when they arrive at their destination, and she's thwarted at her attempts to be alone with him.

Thoughts: Well, this episode started off on a relatively chill note, though it appears there are a few elements setting up what will probably amount to a conflict, including the introduction of Major Stork and the suggestion that there might be more than just a pleasurable vacation as the reasoning behind Ker's invitation to his friends. I'm wondering if the backstory behind Allison's father and his death will have more to do with the story also, though it's difficult to say at this point.

Once again, Allison fails at getting Wil to notice her. It's hard to decide if he's just completely clueless to her feelings, or if he shares them but is keeping to himself, but I'm getting to the point where I think she ought to quit being subtle and start voicing what she wants, as embarrassing as it might feel for her to do it. Remember Allison, the show's almost halfway done ;)

I don't have many other thoughts yet, this being mostly a setup episode. I'll have to see how things begin to develop before there'll be more to talk about, I think. Allison looks cute in a dress, though :)

Soul Eater Episode 7-8

Summary: Maka and Soul travel to Italy for an extra-curricular activity - taking out an assassin. Within minutes, Soul finds himself threatened by a huge street gang, though they're taken out easily. There's a frightening woman flying in the night sky, and she seems to be controlling someone - or something - inhabiting the body of a strange boy named Chrona in a cathedral on the surface. After dispatching the assassin, Maka senses a group of agitated souls coming from said cathedral - the gang from earlier. They go to investigate, and find that the humans have all vanished. Only Chrona is there, and Maka realizes the other soul, the soul of his weapon, is inside his body. It reveals itself and then becomes a sword. Maka's blows can't pierce his body, however, because the weapon is in his blood, which is able to solidify. Soul defends his technician against the blows, which turns out to hurt his physical body quite a bit.



Just as Maka is about to receive a blow from the evil sword, Dr. Stein, weidling Death Scythe, her father, knocks Chrona back. The battle resumes, and Stein reveals why he's called the best technician ever to graduate from Shibusen. He needs to be careful, since ever drop of blood shed by his enemy can turn into a weapon. Stein is able to use his superior technique to get rid of Chrona, but then the real person behind the whole matter is revealed - a witch with a colossally-evil soul who hid that soul with a special protection technique. After collecting Chrona's body, she flies off, leaving the others to collect Soul and bring him to the infirmary. Stein reveals to Death Scythe that Soul Eater's injury might be cursed with the black blood of Ragnarok. When the doctor comes in to check on Soul, we find out that she's none other than Medusa, the witch, who's posing at a teacher at the school.



Thoughts: Now this is the type of thing that I've been waiting for from this show. This two-episode arc was not only creepy, the animation was again top-notch and even the music, some gothic choir, was appropriate and really added to the mood of fighting in the cathedral. And, though I'm not going to fault our main characters, it was also really nice to see some experienced adults in on the fighting this time around. Now we know just how powerful an experienced technician can be when coupled with a weapon with whom he shares a good soul resonance.

Admittedly I was a little surprised to find out that there's a very powerful enemy in their midst, but I suppose what better place for a witch to hide than right out in the open where no one would suspect her. I think she'll really be a force to be reckoned with as the series progresses, though all we really know about her so far is that she seems bent on reviving this particular evil weapon. A fine goal for any baddy, but I'd like to know what her particular motivation is, if there is one (which there should be unless the writing's a real piece of crap).

I peeped ahead and noticed that the next few episodes appear to be Black-Star-centric, which is not really the best news I could hear, but I understand that not every arc can be Maka-centric, even though all the best ones seem to be.

Allison and Lillia Episode 8 - The Princess and the Hero

Summary: Nihito asks that Ker and Fiona leave before they embarrass themselves any further, but Fiona offers to show proof of her heritage. From within her dress she produces a pendant - a token of a royal family member. The guard there, who used to guard the royal family, verifies the authenticity of the pendant, and Nihito is displaced. Adding to that, Nihito is about to be arrested for holding the princess hostage years ago, but manages to kidnap and run off with her again.



Ker is in pursuit, and Allison and Wil start their plane's engines. Ker catches up and manages to punch Nihito and rescue Fiona. Nihito meets his end due to carelessness. When the group meets together later on, Wil accuses Fiona of not being Francesca, but rather a twin of the princess. She explains that the one and only time she ever met her sister Francesca, she received the pendant from her. Because of the country's law that only one child is allowed, Fiona was taken away from the palace and protected by the villagers, really people provided by the royal family, explaining their suspicions about outsiders.

Thoughts: I'm actually sort of amazed at how this episode wrapped up this story arc while also explaining a few of the really nitpicky issues I had with how the story was going. One thing that I never mentioned was that I had kind of wondered how Fiona remembered being kidnapped from the palace during the fire if she wasn't a real princess in the first place. The answer, of course, was that she was a real princess, just one whose existence couldn't be revealed due to laws about the number of births per family. She was never in the limelight because of that, but of course that didn't affect her true lineage or the fact that she had memories of things only a princess would know. I also got my questions answered about the weird behavior of the villagers surrounding Fiona. Their suspicious and protective nature was explained by their secret mission, which made perfect sense even though it couldn't be revealed (for dramatic reasons) at the time. Good job, show :)

The romantic tension between both Ker and Fiona and Allison and Wil is far from being resolved at this point, but with about one more arc to go before the halfway mark, I'm sure I'll get some payoff in the coming episodes. I can't be sure if things will go through a time skip or what, but I'm sort of hoping there'll be a good amount of character development to balance out any general story twists and acts of derring-do. I mean, I like the characters, no doubt about it, but I think it would be nice to learn a bit more about their emotions. I'd like Allison to be more than just a bumbling idiot when it comes to her feelings for Wil, and I'd like Wil to become a bit more perceptive. It might be wishful thinking, but I don't think it's really too much to ask.

I was initally sort of disappointed in Owen Nihito, who turned out to be yet another corrupt politicion with an evil backstory. But then again, he turned out to be much less important that initially suggested by the way the plot was progressing, so I suppose it's not such a huge issue.

Well, new story next episode, so I hope I'll have at least some of my wishes come true.

Soul Eater Episode 5-6

Summary: Our heroes are forced into having a supplementary lesson, which entails facing Dr. Stein, the best technician ever to graduate from Shibusen. While he initially comes across as being rather incompetent, he's truly a force to be reckoned with, since he can amplify the wavelength of his soul without carrying a weapon. Death the Kid watches as the other technicians get pummeled, and goes to help, though he can only do so by adding himself to the roster of Shibusen students. It turns out that Stein was only just testing them, and once Maka uses her special technique. Stein is actually pretty amused, in a sadistic way about being able to play with them. To add insult to injury, Stein returns as their new homeroom teacher.



Then, it's Death the Kid's first day at school, but because of his OCD he's late by three hours. When he, Liz and Patty arrive, they find themselves face-to-face with the team of Soul and Black Star. When Black Star destroys the lateral symmetry of the school, the fight is on. Tsubaki, Maka, and Dr. Stein go outside to observe the fight. Stein uses the opportunity to teach Maka more about soul wavelengths. DtK demonstrates his considerable power, but is taken down when he realizes that Soul was able to cut his hair a bit, causing his body to lose symmetry. Maka is troubled that she's unable to see Shinigami-sama's soul.

Thoughts: These two episodes have probably been the most "shounen" so far, at least in that they're both very battle-focused and they've been introducing new characters from what will probably end up being a fairly massive cast. I have to admit I was a little bored with them, but I think it mostly had to do with the fact that neither fight ended up being particularly serious, especially the fight between the male characters in episode 6. If I'm watching a fight, I prefer for there to be an actual, palpable sense of danger, rather than feeling like a bunch of silly boys are rough-housing in the backyard where their mommy can't yell at them to stop. Again, it's a shounen genre show, and so it's to be expected, but the least I could ask for would be a little more drama.

A useful thing provided by these episodes was the explanation of soul compatibilty and how that affects the partnership between a weapon and technician. Something like this had to be expected - it would be kind of fail if the characters could easily pull off all sorts of complicated attacks right away in the series. As we saw in episode 4, the bond between Maka and Soul can be a little touchy, and they still have trouble pulling off more powerful moves. What I'm hoping is that they'll cover her difficulty in trusting him (since her father's actions have made it difficult for her to trust men, obviously) and how they work to mend that bond and grow into a great team. Not all dudes are ecchi perverts, after all (just many of them - jk).

I hate to say this, but Black Star has a long way to go before I can give a damn about him as a character. Right now I could definitely live without him. He's like my little shounen nightmare, and the reason I don't watch more of these shows because he fits into the archetype of "brash, stupid, loud wannabe hero", which makes the hair on my neck stand up. I'm not really saying get rid of him, but give the boy some dramatic development so that he can settle down and grow up. Just saying.

Allison and Lillia Episode 7 - The Entrusted Ones

Summary: Wil, Ker, Allison and Fiona stop at the local base to "borrow" a couple of planes to take to the capital city. When Ker goes to take off with Fiona, he feigns engine problems to give Allison and Wil a chance to make off with another plane. After a harrowing ride through the town, they use the local bottomless cliff as a launch point and manage to take off.



While riding in the plane, Fiona reveals a secret about herself that calls into question the nature of their mission - she's not the real princess, who died ten years previously. She means to lie in front of the assembly at the capital. Of course Ker is able to trade blows with her - he's of course not the real hero behind finding the mural. They start to make eyes at each-other in the plane cabin, which throws Allison for a tizzy. Ker makes a grand entrance, and introduces the "princess" in front of the assembly. Her address is cut short by objections from Nihito.

Thoughts: In the words of filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, what a twist! While I could have guessed that there was more going on with Fiona than she let on, the double surprise of her being the lost princess and then actually not being her was kind of a playful surprise. And what a nice way for her and Ker to find closeness, since they both know the difficulty that comes with filling a role that doesn't actually belong to them. Could this playboy finally be tamed? I suppose we'll have to wait until next time.

Of course you had to know that their plan wouldn't go off without a hitch, and that a politician like Nihito wouldn't just stand around quietly while someone else stole his glory. I was at first wondering if this story arc would stretch past three episodes, but with the character interation and now this sudden obstacle at the end, I'm not feeling like things are dragging. I'm hoping that Nihito will be given the chance to prove that he's not just some out-of-touch politician. Either that, or he'll be really corrupt or something, but I suppose either way could make for some satisfying conflict.

Poor Allison. For a girl who can fly fighter planes, it's sad that she has so much trouble trying to tell Wil about her feelings and that she wants them to have a future together. Will the end of this arc see any progress in that department? Who knows. But it has to happen sometime, since the second half of the series deals with a later generation of characters, and after this arc we'll be over halfway done with the first part of the series.

Toshokan Sensou Episode 12 [END]

Summary: Miraculously, Dojo and Genda survive the conflict and end up in the hospital. Dojo is more the worse for wear, since the shock of the explosion has caused him to be temporarily unable speak or recognize the presence of others. To add to the fire, prominent members of the media are criticising the Library Force for the injuries incurred during the conflict. Iku intensifies her training while waiting for Dojo to recover, while Shibasaki entertains her own ambitions. Commander Inamine announces his intention to resign, and the public image of the Library corps seems bleak.



Upon leaving the hospital one day after a visit to Dojo, Iku is ambushed by a reporter and nearly flips when he steps on her book. However, she remembers Dojo's words about not losing her cool and explains her convictions rationally but with passion. Though her comrades don't expect her words to make much of a difference, Iku begins to receive letters from many people who share her sentiments. She also received boxes of chamomile flowers, which she takes to Dojo's hospital room. These, and her words, finally allow him to revive.



Thoughts: Darn you, show, for making me all worried last episode! As you've probably figured out, any reports of character deaths were greatly exaggerated, and though Dojo spends most of the episode as a vegetable, he does eventually recover. You'd have to be a cold, cold person to escape the grasps of this finale without shedding at least a tear (or maybe I'm just sensitive, who knows?), although one thing I would like to note is that the emotional climax happens in a bit too short a period. I would have preferred a bit less of the rest of the episode and a bit more payoff at the end, but that's an extremely small nitpicky complaint at this point. The way the show would end could have been predicted episodes ago, but the journey there was certainly great. The ability to make a cliche little romance interesting and exciting is really the mark of something wonderful, in my opinion.

Enough Iku and Dojo squeeing, though. While I had initially been a little sad that the show didn't delve very deep into the more political aspects of the story, I think that it managed to strike a good balance without becoming too much of a downer or boring. While I think I could have handled a dryer version of the show, I'm kind of thinking that it would put me in the majority, and frankly, the bigger an audience there is for a show like this, the better.

One way I've come to describe this show is a "toned-down version of Full Metal Panic", and I think that description is fitting. It takes what FMP is known for, namely the combination of military drama with comedy and a bit of romantic entanglement, and ages it out of adolescence, appealing to those of us who can't always wrap their heads around the intricacies and follies of your typical Japanese romance-teenage-battle-school-dramedy genre. While I think the show could potentially keep most of the audience for shows like that around, I personally believe it appeals more to those of us who no longer have the energy to keep up with such kinetic subject matter.

What I find most appealing, though, are the characters, who don't seem to really fall into many of the stereotypical character cliches, or if they do, it's very subtle rather than overt. Strangely enough, Iku tends to remind me most of characters I've met previously, although I find her completely charming and relatable anyway. As someone who's felt like a failure more times than I can count, she certainly has my sympathy. Anyway, if my recommendation means anything, then please check out this show.

Looking towards the future, the next show in the Noitamina programming block is something called Antique Bakery, which is apparently based on a Boy Love manga. While Noitamina has rarely done me wrong, I'm apprehensive a bit because I've never really seen or read a BL story that hasn't been completely contrived, boring, and silly. I sincerely hope that my fears are proven wrong.

Toshokan Sensou Episode 11

Summary: The Kanto Task Force is gearing up for the defense of the Ibaraki Art Exhibition. While they are to defend the entire exhibition, the real target for the Media Enhancement Force is the controversial piece called "Freedom", and so this piece is isolated from the rest in bulletproof vest. The Defense Force learns that their attackers are only planning a strike on the first day, which is helpful due to the inexperience of the local force. The night beforehand, Iku shows Dojo a greenhouse full of chamomile flowers, while Komaki finds an Enhancement Force member in an unexpected place.



The next morning dawns and the Defense Force is in position to defend the artwork. Their enemies waste little time in breaking through their barriers and attacking. When only thirty minutes remain until the opening of the art exhibit, they become desperate and begin to storm the Defense Force's barriers. Iku faces her fears and fends off the attackers until the alarm sounds for the battle to cease. Suspicious activity by the Ibaraki Library Commander Sugawara draws Dojo's attention, while a stray member of the Media Cleansing Force takes matters into his own hands, with tragic results. With Iku and Dojo caught in the burning embers of Sugawara's regrets, it's hard to tell if either will be able to make it out alive.

Thoughts: ASLDKjfasdfoasjdf;aoiejlkj!

Ok, now that I've got that out of my system, I should probably note that I left the description purposely vague for spoiler reasons, but I will say that this episode ended on a particularly brutal cliffhanger. After taking a week or so off from this show (since I suspected that I might need to watch the last couple of episodes back-to-back) I couldn't remember if the reason for the Ibaraki Commander's desire to send a warehouse up in flames was made clear or not, but the portrayal of the character is such that you could almost see her snap. In fact, the few scenes of her walking towards her destination with what is clearly a gas can could almost be called creepy.

Truly it's difficult to form a coherent thought at this point since so much is left up in the air to be taken care of in the next episode. It's hard to decide if any of the suggested character deaths will actually come to pass, or if the director is just attempting to fool us and make us poor fans flip out while anticipating the concluding episode. Judging from how things have been handled so far, I have a bleak feeling about the people who've been shot and taken down other ways, but I hope at least in some instances I'll end up to be very wrong. I don't generally watch the next episode previews that roll during the credits, but I noticed a distinct absence of certain characters, so we'll see (and you'd better believe that, even if I set the entry to post at a later date, I'm darn well going to watch the next episode right after I publish this one).

Well, there have been plenty of anime that have done a good job at making this cynical anime fan cry like a little baby, so it's not like it's a foreign feeling to me. And as long as the main character doesn't get cheated in the finale, I'll be pretty happy with the show, even if it takes a few characters away from me.

Random Anime of the Week 2 - Shiawase Apartment's Okojo-san

Summary: A ferret named Okojo-san is bound and determined to live free. While roaming the streets, a student named Tsuchiya Haruka finds him laying face up in a dumpster, so he takes him back to his apartment. Okojo reminisces about his great escape, and meets a mouse that lives with the next-door neighbors. It turns out that Okojo's natural preditory instincts make their friendship a little difficult. But there's better food around, and Okojo manages to procure a piece of Tsuchiya's fried chicken and declare himself leader of the household. Not knowing animal-speak, Tsuchiya decides to keep him around to entertain his younger neighbor.



A failed escape attempt lands Okojo in the animal hospital. The doctor there is obsessed with the idea of meeting an "okojo", and today is his lucky day. Of course, Okojo (whose name ends up being "Kojopi" due to the neighbor kid's desire) keeps scratching the doctor in the face. Some more fried chicken as a distraction does the trick, and they're able to bandage him up. In spite of his injuries, the doctor is still extremely happy about having met an okojo in his clinic.



Thoughts: This series hails from the distant year of 2001, right around the time I discovered what digital fansubs were, and when it was a less than sure thing that the majority of anime for a season would be fansubbed by the various groups in existence (a number which was much smaller back then). In a way I can see why the show didn't garner much interest - it's a comedy where the main character is kind of a snarky animal, and it admittedly isn't funny enough to distinguish itself from other comedies. The humor is such that it might elicit a chuckle now and then, but it definitely stands as more of a novelty that really wouldn't have done well in the US. In any case, that's probably why the first fansub I got for this series appeared on the scene mere months ago, a good 6-7 years after the show's broadcast.

Once again, though, we have a show where we're meant to laugh at and love an animal that behaves poorly, simply because those of us who are pet owners can relate to it. Sadly, I have no experience at all with ferrets, so while I can really enjoy Chi's Sweet Home due to my familiarity with kittens/cats, I look at this show and I'm just sort of mildly amused with no idea how accurate a portrayal it is. Yes, I'm arguing for accuracy in a silly animal comedy. It's serious business.

In any case, I'm not particularly motivated to seek out more episodes of this, but I would probably recommend it to fans of this kind of low-key, non-raunchy comedy. The animals are cute, anyway.

CONvergence Con Report

I just thought that I'd touch on some of the things that happened at CONvergence this weekend, at least the things that pertained to anime and related subjects.

The first panel that I was on, "Otaku: Your Wacky Anime Neighbors", was kind of an introduction to people who might be unfamiliar with the similarities and differences between anime fan culture and sci-fi/fantasy fan culture. As it turned out, most of the attendees were anime fans in some respect already, so there wasn't quite as much to talk about as we may have wanted there to be. That, and I had just ridden the bus for over an hour to get there, so my brain was pretty fried to begin with.

Friday, I believe, I went to a panel hosted by many of my friends called "Anime Essentials 101", which was an intro to some of the terminology used within the anime fandom, some shows that are good starter shows, and some resources that can be used to learn more about anime. My friends were kind and suggested this very website as a resource, which I thank them for.

Saturday was the other panel I was on, "Shiny New Anime", which introduces new shows that have been broadcast within the last year that we (the panelists) think are good quality. We actually had clips this year, too, which I think made the panel more enjoyable for the audience. As promised, I uploaded the handout (it's a .doc file - if you have trouble opening it I can save it as an .rtf and upload a second copy) from the panel, so anyone who wasn't able to attend can look at the shiny list of anime. Even though it was technically too "old", we pimped Dennou Coil, because it's my most favorite anime from 2007 :) I hope it'll introduce it to some new fans.

The last panel I attended that had a lot of notable content was the "Anime: an Industry on the Brink" panel, which addressed a lot of the issues affecting the US anime market today. While I was almost certain the discussion would turn into fansub wank, everything remained very civilized and I thought there were some interesting points brought up about the viability of certain business models and measures some companies are taking to adapt to a market whose bubble has deflated a bit. It's a subject that I may feel more compelled to touch on more completely in the future, but I think I need to get some rest before that can happen.

Overall it was a great con, and I'll say "hi" to anyone new to the site who's visiting after hearing about it at the convention. I hope you'll stay tuned for new reviews, since the Summer 2008 season has just begun.

Convergence!

Just letting everyone know that ye olde blog will be on a short hiatus until Sunday or Monday, as I'll be at CONvergence this weekend. And since the new season of anime has already started, stay tuned to the main site and the blog for updates and new reviews.

If you're in the Minneapolis area and are planning to attend Convergence, you can see Boris and me at the "Shiny New Anime" panel on Saturday at 11-Noon. If you're unable to attend, I'll upload the handout I've made here after I get home Sunday evening. Hope to see you there!

Allison and Lillia Episode 6 - Fiona's Valley

Summary: Allison and Will are detained in an underground cell, from which they promptly attempt to escape (a relatively simple task for Allison). They decide to wait until sunset to run away. Ker, who's still searching for them, watches them run past, and finds them hiding out in a storage shed. Suddenly all three are hiding from the locals. They meet up with Fi again in town and she takes them to her home. She demands that they take her to the capital, so that she can attend Owen Nihito's speech there. As it turns out, her name isn't really Fiona - she claims to be Princess Francesca of Ikstova, living in exile, and she wants to tell as many people as possible. Things get a bit suspicious when she starts asking about how to shoot a gun. Instead, Ker offers to punch anyone in the face who Fiona has a problem with.



They escape in the morning by hiding underneath a white sheet, which blends in with the snow. A guard discovers them and sounds the alarm, though Fiona guards them with her body. The villagers confront them, but when Fiona claims to be the princess, the chieftan allows them to go. Fiona is an adult of twenty, after all. After the sendoff, Wil decides to skip school and accompany them to the capital.

Thoughts: So, have you ever had those moments where you feel like you can predict exactly what's going to happen in a movie or a show? Was Fiona being the lost princess not obvious? Oh well, it wasn't something that necessarily bothered me, but now I'm very curious to meet this politician guy and see how the impending conflict is going to turn out. Thus far the only clue we have on him is a picture and a name. He could be a real jerk or a perfectly nice man (though I'd guess the former if I had to stick to just one).

I thought the Allison and Wil moments here were pretty cute, especially when they end up (innocently) in bed together again. I'm thinking they've got to end up together by the midpoint of the series, considering that Lillia, the other namesake of the show, has yet to appear. *cough* anyway, I'll try not to get so sidetracked. I also think there may be a little thing going on between Ker and Fiona, but I can't predict whether or not her role will go beyond this little encapsulated story, so who knows if it'll just remain an attraction, or whether maybe Ker will end up staying with her or what. He is kind of a ladies' man, so his nature just might be showing itself a little more than usual.

Did anyone kind of think that maybe the villagers became friendly just a little too quickly? They went from being completely suspicious of the outsiders and locking them up, to helping them prepare for their journey, in about two minutes of conversation. I was kind of irritated that it happened in that fashion. Though that makes me wonder if they're planning to spend more time on the upcoming conflict that I know is going to happen. I don't know which episode is going to wrap up this story arc, so it's hard to judge.