serving up the works
Didn’t feel like writing a bunch of separate posts, so just a tad of everything in this one. Except Mio. She’s getting a bit too much run in this blog lately.
(Wait, what am I saying? Next post will be 100% Mio. Which kicks off Month of Mio. Count on it.)
Tears to Tiara 3
Ah, good old memories of Utawarerumono. Arawn is Hakuoro, right down to how they ignore their women. I do like how we’re three episodes in, and Arawn already has two wives and a reinforced bromance. The women are just throwing themselves at him in a way that makes Tomoya look like Shinji. Screw trying to conquer the world by force: just spread your DNA around and conquer the world by populating it with thousands upon thousands of kids.
Newest wife, Morgan, is an archer… well, I guess we won’t be having questions about her gender. Ahem. Though when she was sucking on Arawn’s hand, I was thinking, “Mmm… sounds like Nagisa.” And it was! Mai Nakahara! Who knew. Though I’m delighted we have a reason for Mai to use both her Nagisa voice and her Rena voice in the same anime. (Though it looks like she gets along with Riannon, so if she catches her with Arawn, she’d probably join in instead of stabbing her. I’m conflicted: should I be disappointed or relieved?)
The biggest loser so far. Arthur lost his sister (his intentions toward Riannon couldn’t have been more transparent… except if he named himself “Junichi”). He lost his top lieutenant. And he lost his tribe. At least Oboro still had his archers… wait… let’s not open that can of worms again…
Eden of the East 3
Cutest. Dog. Ever. The only thing that could make the dog even cuter is if it were licking Mio’s face instead.
Tjoris: But predictions and criticizing aside, I was wondering if I’m crazy but did they put in a small Ghost in the Shell: SAC reference about the plane crash? “A boy and a girl, both six, were miraculously saved…cause that’s exactly the origin of Motoko and Hideo Kuze. Seeing as the story takes place in 2010 and the storyline of 2nd GIG starts in 2032? So am I imagining things or just simply stating the obvious?
Yes! I think Kamiyama would have stuck in a Ghost in the Shell reference. Though Eden of the East isn’t GitS: a lot less technobaubble, a lot more thriller. And a lot of old movie references. Nonetheless, I’m enjoying Eden of the East tremendously:
1. There’s no manga, light novel, or H-game behind it, so there’s no spoilers. Anywhere. Hallelujah. For the complete opposite effect, I have like six e-mails in my inbox that are titled “K-On! spoilers!” Do we really need to get excited for spoilers for K-On!? What’s the big spoiler? Yuki replaces Mio on bass? Ritsu used to be a boy? Save your spoilers for a show that really could use some spoilers right now: Ristorante Paradiso.
2. Taki is awesome. I’m going to keep calling him that, just because Taki & Saki sound cooler than Akira & Saki.
3. Juiz is a blogging goldmine. Don’t think I won’t milk “Juiz, need nekomimi meido outfit for Mio, ASAP!” lines for the next two months.
4. Reminds me a lot of Liar Game and Mirai Nikki. This is a good thing. Except Saki is the complete and utter opposite of Yuno. Though Saki is probably crazier now after lying to her family to spend time with Taki, and he stood her up.
Between how awesome Taki’s pad is and how smooth he is, there’s no question that if he made it to the movie with Saki, she would be waking up the next morning as the guitar to his Yui.
Saki got sold out. While the Selecao phones are pretty useful, they do have the death caveat. Still, they are fugly. And huge. From an aesthetics and usefulness standpoint, I still prefer Ranka’s iSlug. Sure, Ranka can’t bypass security with her iSlug, but she can use it to order pizza, chat with Frontier’s greatest effeminate pilot, and communicate with her horde of loyal alien super monsters. Plus, it’s cute.
I wonder how did Taki round up all the NEETs? Did he offer them limited edition Tsukasa cell phone straps or something?
“It’s a movie that I once saw with a boy I liked, the demon lord Arawn.” Poor choice, Saki. Poor choice.
Hayate the Combat Butler 4
Wonder Wind needs more love. ELISA’s voice is great, and there’s a solid 10 seconds of Maria twirling. Don’t forget: Maria is awesome.
“But if it’s Hayate-kun, it’s fine.”
Maria. Is. Awesome.
“This apron dress isn’t just for show.”
Follows the Valentine’s Day arc in the manga almost exactly. Enjoyed how Hayate is the greatest chocolatier ever, besting even Maria. Also enjoyed how Maria kept referring to herself as “toshiue,” even though she’s 17. That’s like Mio complaining about how she needs more cleavage.
“I want to be more girly.”
Student council president.
Viciously strong.
Knows she can’t get the main hero because he’s locked into a subpar choice.
Tomoyo, when did you dye your hair?
As Nishizawa was making a heart-felt speech to Hayate, I could only think of, “Wait, what high school in anime would have knee-length skirts?” Just doesn’t seem right.
Hayate just eviscerates Maria this episode. Just a complete bully. From him asking her about her love experiences, to the chocolate, to the love and chocolates, Maria was just totally blindsided. I like that moe mode. It’s one that really only Maria excels in.
Asura Cryin’ 3
When I saw Shuri break out the rockets from her arms and legs, I knew we have a winner and spiritual successor to Mai Hime. Just utter ridiculousness, fanservice, and more ridiculousness. Honestly, I’m giddy.
(Yes, Shuri is also voiced by Rie Tanaka. She also has major roles in Arad Senki and Hatsukoi Limited this season… busy, busy woman. But she couldn’t have made time for Queen’s Blade and been the killer meido character who liked dressing up guys as girls?)
Another sign of a winner: almost all the gunfights in this show take place at point blank range, but everyone misses. Badly. It’s like watching the Cubans or whatnot trying to stop Arnold in Commando. And gotta love how the student council is more heavily armed than the student council from Highschool of the Dead.
There are a lot of pinup shots of Kanade. The animation quality also makes a leap when they’re focusing in on her… I mean… it must be cold in that room…
And everything is so shiny… Uehara’s forehead shiny…
No better way to kick off a shounen action series than by showing a recap of how a DFC loli who loves her brother dying in a horrible, tragic battle.
Fullmetal Alchemist
Gotta admit Again is growing on me. The first 20 seconds still is pretty horrible, but it gets better. Though I’m wondering why both Hawkeye and Winry have the same poses.
Two quick thoughts:
1. Winry!? Where are you?! Four episodes in, and we still haven’t had any epic Winry moments. This is horrible. This is terrible.
2. Bones is really compressing and tossing shit out this time around. The pacing is a lot faster. I kinda like the more episodic nature of Fullmetal Alchemist this way.
22 Responses to “serving up the works”
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“Another sign of a winner: almost all the gunfights in this show take place at point blank range, but everyone misses. Badly.”
I laughed so hard. Thanks for that. This was a good post, I feel like you incorporated all the things that were awesome about each show while cutting out the junk and still leaving me feeling satisfied that I got to read a full Derailed by Darr… BlogSuki post. I’ll never get used to the change. I need more Darry in my life. I know shaft should do a Gurren Lagann spin off that has Darry as the one discovering the core drill and instead of Bonta they have… wait a tick. Shoot I just ripped you off. Oh well the rest of the time when I tell your jokes to the normal friends I don’t have they’ll just think I’m witty. Little do they know…
When I watched Star Wars, I always thought that the Stormtroopers were the greatest fail in marksmanship in the entire fiction genre. But the gunmen in Asura Cryin’ proved me wrong! We have a new class of gunmen who aim WORSE than Stormtroopers!
>> (Yes, Shuri is also voiced by Rie Tanaka. She also has major roles in Arad Senki and Hatsukoi Limited this season… busy, busy woman. But she couldn’t have made time for Queen’s Blade and been the killer meido character who liked dressing up guys as girls?)
She did voice a killer meido, in a fanmade anime. It’s just too bad that there is only one episode out so far. And she did not do much.
Sheba,
The killer meido is also a ditz who opens a window in a rocket (who the hell puts a window in a rocket?) and buys broken teacups. It isn’t surprising she doesn’t do much, a certain bratty loli vampire hasn’t ordered her to do anything yet. Though I was hoping she would knife a certain Chinese person and yell at her with the Suigintou voice, before doing her Maria voice when a certain bratty loli vampire demands something.
What I found odd about the scene in Eden of the East with the detective lying on the ground is that nobody even notices the man bleeding to death! Someone could have at least called an ambulance by that time.
As soon as I saw Hayate #4, I was expecting to read a 5000+ word espisode dissertation here.
I am… disappointed.
In other news: if it is even possible, Maria raised her rating even higher with this episode, reaching 11/10 (maybe even higher). A good thing too, since Hina was getting dangerously close to dethroning her as my favorite.
Eden of the East continues from strength to strength. The bestest show of the season will be decided between that and K-ON. At least on my anime-o-meter.
Asura Cryin’: Ouch. That’s… all I can really say about it.
“When I saw Shuri break out the rockets from her arms and legs, I knew we have a winner and spiritual successor to Mai Hime. Just utter ridiculousness, fanservice, and more ridiculousness. Honestly, I’m giddy.”
Err… I know I am starting to sound like a broken record, repeating this every few blog posts, but have you seen Sora Kake Girl yet?
THAT is the actual successor of Mai Hime, with ridiculousness, fanservice, and more ridiculousness, in a good way.
Seriously, just watch one episode, and I would stop bugging you about it.
>> Err… I know I am starting to sound like a broken record, repeating this every few blog posts, but have you seen Sora Kake Girl yet?
I love when people ask me stuff like “are you even watching (blank)” because it’s obvious they’re not watching the show I’m writing about. Asura Cryin’ is the real successor, just loads more ridiculous and fun. Hell, they even summon robots with DFC lolis trapped inside. Yes, I know Sora is made by the Mai Otome/Hime braintrust, but I only have enough tolerance for one ADD-addled lead at a time… Yui, I choose you!
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>> As soon as I saw Hayate #4, I was expecting to read a 5000+ word espisode dissertation here.
I didn’t even write 5k words for Maria+Holic… why would I write 5k for a single episode unless it had Tomoyo giving Kyou a lap dance? Actually, in that case, I might use write three words and link a YouTube clip.
I’m so waiting for a Suigintou voiced killer meido moment.
Hmm, Asura Cryin’ looks interesting. But I have enough facepalm in my life as it is, so it’ll have to wait for another time.
Oh right, the best bit of Tears to Tiara 3: apparently Riannon doesn’t mind polygamy.
“Yui, I choose you!”
Yui has gained a level and learns new skill Kyun Kyun Moe!
Yui already knows four skills.
Which skill would you like Yui to forget:
1. Breathing
2. Sleeping
3. Eating
4. (x + y) chord
Even with level of drawing changing with J.C.Staff, they sure know where their money is: lots of Maria and Hinagiku. And im not actually even that much bothered about change in art, its different but at the same time nice in its own way.
Eden of the East… Akira please lend me your cellphone for a split second. With that huge amount of money that he isn’t spending any since it would result to death if there is no more balance in the cellphone.
Still The Mask’s Milo the dog beats the dog with wings in this anime. This getting more serious than usual.
Asura Crying Now it’s not believable for having a lot of ammunition from her legs where it should have showned any traces that his arms and legs are mechanical like Astro Boy. A little bit of fanservice for our heroine here.
K-ON
“My grandmother have told me when I learning something new it’s okay to forget others.” I think she needs to forget about the Castanets. And Mio is very dangerous when you have the most embarassing picture would turn her into “Ulquiorra” mode love that part where she strangled her friend.
Oh with the playoffs Pistons terminated, Lakers and the underdogs (Dallas and Houston) that has a shot on going 2nd round ,tied game series as well Boston-Chicago, Orlando-Philadelphia. Some teams leading only by one (Denver and Miami)
Actually, I gott’a say, I’m not entirely impressed with how the new season of Hayate is turning out. Some of the characters seem a bit different; for instance, Maria seems less calm and collected, Hinagiku seems more tsun-tsun for Hayate than in season 1… on the other hand, somewhat-better-animated Maria and the cameos of trap-Hayate more than make up for that.
Also, I’m surprised at the lack of “I’d eat trap-Hayate’s chocolates if you know what I mean” commentary. Are these not Jason’s readers?
I’d eat trap-Hayate’s chocolates if you know what I mean.
I have no self-respect.
Month of Mio sounds like the next name for this blog…
Takizawa needs to have a seminar on being that smooth. I’d take those lessons. There might be too much GAR though, might get awkward.
“Also, I’m surprised at the lack of “I’d eat trap-Hayate’s chocolates if you know what I mean†commentary. Are these not Jason’s readers?”
zoup: sorry I’m still too distracted at the thought of quantum Mikuru self-cest, and the Schrodinger’s love children that might result. I still want to collapse that wave form. I want to observe the hell out of it.
after that i want to play Mio like a guitar…
That’s fair enough, Kaze. Just making sure we’re all still on the top of our game.
>>Wonder Wind needs more love.
Unfortunately the playing field is stacked against it. Only 10 seconds of twirling Maria against the ED’s 90 second long Hinagasim? Doomed from the start.
>>I love when people ask me stuff like “are you even watching (blank)†because it’s obvious they’re not watching the show I’m writing about.
And on that note: Hey Jason, have you watched True Mazinger? The first episode is the bastard child of Gurren Lagann and the first episode of Druaga. It feels like it’s simultaneously both a piss take and an earnest tribute to the genre. The rest of the series might not be able to keep up, but gorram if that wasn’t an epic start.
>>Also, I’m surprised at the lack of “I’d eat trap-Hayate’s chocolates if you know what I mean†commentary.
I’d trap Hayate’s chocolate if you know what I mea–WAIT something’s not right here…
a delicious hayate is delicious?
oh and it’s gonna be black mamba bites off king’s head
No, Asura Cryin’ is the successor to Nanoha.