Fall 2008 Anime Review

Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka: not watching. these days, harem anime aren't exactly my domain...
Bihada Ichizoku: i'll probably watch it after i load estrogen into my body. (read: no way.)
Casshern SINS: i'll watch this sometimes when i'm not under the malady of depression. but overall, this bleak series is something to watch for.
LAKNNAD After Story: not watching. look, it's like this. Jun Maeda makes good story. but as he advance in age, the story also advance toward maturity. this is where i must part with his awesomeness. dont get me wrong, this anime is good with or without the overwhelming marketing, but that's my opinion about it.
Kisruh;nDAsE: it's somewhat good. the premise make me facepalm, but i really like it when it was unrevealed, as it's kind of like The Matrix (and i was hoping the explanation is world-shattering like that). if anything, it has Aoi Sena...
Earl and Yaoi: while it has a really cool onee-san, the ending turn me away the way good DnD cleric turn undead. ugh.
ef - a tale of parodies: not watching. harem AND drama aren't exactly my domain.
Ga-Rei -Zero-: if there's an anime i'd be proudly admit to be biased toward, it is Ga-Rei -Zero-. i can probably tell you its good points, but it will take a full article. let's say that i <3 <3 <3 <3 Yomi. (the last time i had that intensity was when Chikane... they're kinda similar.)
Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: only the most refined and cultural individual possess the finesse to enjoy this anime.
Gundam 00: not watching. gundam always carry some sort of (anti-war) philosophy, but these days i disagree a lot with their tract. furthermore it's full of subtext-y (and, sadly, some not so subtext-y) yaoi. so overall: YUCK!
Gundam MS IGLOO 2: why do i see Mana in my otherwise perfectly good Gundam? o_o;;
Hokuto no Ken ~Raoh Gaiden~: i'm bipolar about this one. on one hand it's Hokuto no Ken and some of the awesome aspects of the original is transpired, but Raoh simply doesnt action enough.
Hyakko: it's an OK anime... perhaps. *kills 75% of the characters*
Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae: not watching. i'm a particularly irreligious person, and the idea of a divine agency that gear toward Lawful Evil is really, really distasteful for me.
Kannagi: Good show. "it's a SONY". i hope this will continue in the future, and preferably without scandals (even if they're amusing... fufufu).
Kemeko DX: as i stated before, harem isn't exactly my domain. but the ED is especially MARVELOUS, so yeah...
Erogane no Linebarrels: what an awful anime with an awful protagonist. I AM THE HERO OF JUSTICE. it's this kind of anime that GONZO should avoid making, if they're to regain their dignity.
Kuroshitsuji: one massive wallbanger after another. i actually like Sebastian... they wasted a perfectly good character with overall crap execution.
Kurozuka: i watch this, and i must say that this is awesome. Kuromitsu rape your mind harder than any oppressor can torture you.
Kyou no 5-2: not watching. the way this anime is drawn is awful to those who watch the OVA. the lack of Bible Black Face doesnt help. it probably have its own merit if it were to be THE adaptation of the manga.
Lucky Star OVA: the plotted a perfectly good waste. again. and people are buying it. again.
MAcademy Wasshoi!: it's a good anime, especially because it pander to the otaku. i kind of like it, especially because Hapxiel is around to wreak Good-fueled havoc.
Michiko to Hatchin: this anime is actually great, but i dont like anime that break outside my dreamland japan. probably.
Mouryou no Hako: this show is much, much underrated. it's basically just a Master Kyougokudou's Talk Show, but it's a talk show full of awesome. especially when his pupils are smaller, BEWARE.
Rosario to Vampire Capu2: meh... it's probably good if you incorporate watching it into a punishment game that you play with your friends.
Seto no Hanayome OVA: the legend of chivalry continues. i want to see the continuation...
Shikabane Hime AKA: this anime is Great, especially the big-boobed yuri stalker, lol. also this anime will make you consider necrophilia in addition to your existing deviations. anyway: Kessei ;_;
Shugo Chara! Doku: my hawt trap is gone, and since he chose the path of manliness i can't fap to him anymore. ;_;
Skip Beat!: only watch eps 1, and then dropped. it's just awful. if i were the main character, that guy wont escape death from my judgemental wrath. it's because women can't punish those kind of men that we, as men, feel cheated in our effort.
Tales of The Abyss: the anime is good, really. i like the characters. the part where they kick the main character when he's down is especially amusing */me sadist*
Tentai Tenshi Sunred: haven't watch this. perhaps if someone would be so kind as to send me a DVD full of fansubbed episodes?
To Aru Majutsu no INDEX: this anime, this anime, this anime... it's a massive carnival of wallbangers! they really perverted a lot of otherwise perfectly workable concepts, and the way the characters think is the primary source of my facepalm. furthermore the OP is awful, it could be a lot better than that.
Toradora!: the Palmtop Tiger is, for the most part, pisses me off. why can't she be a bit more reasonable?
Tytania: yaoi in outer space? no, no, no, and no. i dont like it when they recycle plots in outer space, and i'll absolutely get nowhere near it if it's yaoi. (Garasu no Kantai!!!)
Vampire Knight Guilty: they yaoi'd a perfectly good plot! (not watching)
Yozakura Quartet: dropped. the sound direction of this anime is just awful. the other parts are fairly decent though. gotta love the kotodama girl.

Hi Guys I Made Some Update, LOL (Fall 2008 Animu)

* Chaos; head (Kisruh; ndase)
the premise: harem anime with a delusional otaku as the main character. murders are around, and it seems that some sort of apocalypse is underway.
initial level of expectation: Medium-Low.
what i got: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTin. anyway, i think more than half of people who watch this actually want to see the souped-up version of their own life.
do i want to watch more: Weak Yes.

* Clannad After Story (i'll watch it After Graduation arc begin)
the premise: more Clannad.
initial level of expectation: Low.
what i got: haven't watch it yet.
do i want to watch more: Weak Maybe

* Ga-Rei -Zero- (rooting for it the way i rooted over Blue Drop)
the premise: elite squad vs supernatural monsters.
initial level of expectation: None.
what i got: psychotic katana highschool girl murdering people left and right. and probably yuri. WOW.
do i want to watch more: even if the world must end this afternoon, i have to watch the next episode of it.

* Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
the premise: a self-styled cynics go on with his critics on life, and his students are arguing over the subjects he's criticizing. he's also suicidal.
initial level of expectation: High.
what i got: ... this is overembellishment of the original version ...
do i want to watch more: Strong Yes.

* Hyakko
the premise: Manabi Straight.
initial level of expectation: Normal.
what i got: annoying main character that reminds of my life during compulsory school days.
do i want to watch more: as long as i get to skip the Torako part, Yes.

* Kannagi
the premise: a Shinto goddess live with you, and you get to live with her antics.
initial level of expectation: None.
what i got: this is actually well-animated, and they know how to throw jokes (save the pun). the voice acting is good (at least for me).
do i want to watch more: Yes.

* Kemeko Deluxe!
the premise: this is madness!
initial level of expectation: High.
what i got: there's something Freudian about this show that nail me to the chair. probably because Kemeko actually looks like a rather unpleasant teacher during my highschool. now that's Freudian.
do i want to watch more: Probably.

* Kuroshitsuji
the premise: hey look! it's the genderbent Scarlet Devil Mansion! there's even an incompetent "Mei Ling"!
initial level of expectation: Medium-High.
what i got: this show is definitely made for shota yaoi fans and/or Ouran fans. it's not that bad though.
do i want to watch more: Probably.

* Kurozuka
the premise: it's about medieval Japanese... it's rather bloody and bloody-in-a-romantic-way, basically it give strong vibe of Japanese-ness.
initial level of expectation: High.
what i got: it's... much better than i expect. how do i put it? this is how colors should be used in anime production. furthermore it's full of manly things. even Kuromitsu is rather honorable in a cruel way.
do i want to watch more: Yes.

* Macademi WAsshoi!
the premise: madness! ... with a lot of nekomimi
initial level of expectation: Medium.
what i got: fanservicey loli animu that cater to *all* my fetish (miko suki bondage majo). that's good. what do you expect?
do i want to watch more: Yes. Skip episode 5.

* Mouryou no Hako (for yuri)
the premise: it has got 4 men on the promo art and they're designed by CLAMP. it has gotta be yaoi.
initial level of expectation: Negative.
what i got: zOMG it's LITERATURE! furthermore, it *actually* gives out yuri vibe, so i can't be missing it. the story is quite complex and the psychology aspect is kind of thrilling, as expected from early 20th century Japanese literary circles.
do i want to watch more: Yes Yes Yes. this is the second in my priority list after Ga-Rei -Zero-.

* Seto no Hanayome Jin
the premise: the chivalry is back.
initial level of expectation: High.
what i got: everything that made Seto no Hanayome a WIN is there, though it's kinda cramped. it's a must watch for SnH fans. personally i dont like the new little girl.
do i want to watch more: Yes.

* To Aru Majutsu no INDEX
the premise: a loli-living-walking-church-library-ofarcanetomesofeldritchlore and the bad guys who want the banned knowledge, set in a world where science and psychic force is commonplace. NinjaPirateZombieRobot, indeed.
initial level of expectation: Weak No.
what i got: that, and some. this is this year's Shakugan no Shana.
do i want to watch more: Weak Probably.

* Toradora!
the premise: there's this loli that's the living embodiment of RAGE, and like all girls, want to experience love. on the other side is a who looks like yakuza but actually is rather benevolent.
initial level of expectation: Weak No.
what i got: that, and that is that. however, even if the anime is rather plain, there's something about me that makes me want to connect with Taiga and allow her to flow her RAGE to me. i guess that's my nurturing side. also the ED is kind of good.
do i want to watch more: Weak No.

* Yozakura Quartet
the premise: four people act as law enforcer in a city where youkai live side by side with humans. actually, the Quartet consist of five people. Take It Easy.
initial level of expectation: None.
what i got: hmm... this could probably be a model for the upcoming touhou animu.
do i want to watch more: Weak Probably.

huh? "TKP"? what in blazes is that "Tabi Karasu Press"? is that some kind of strange animal?

Tabi Karasu Press Lebaran 2008

Have a good Idul Fitri ('Id-Ul-Fitr? Eid Mubarok?) for those who celebrate it. Man, this year i'm poorer than the sisters from Binbou Shimai Monogatari, and thus can't go to the big family home. Is there anything sadder than having to spend an otherwise merry time in an almost-deserted city, with no buddies around but a pile of animu? I'm in despair! The lack of zennies around 'Id-Ul-Fitr is putting me in despair!

on a brighter note, i get to see how the usually overwhelmingly busy city being extremely serene. that sure sets a contemplative atmosphere. maybe i'll finally find a solution to my perpetual zenny problem. or maybe i'll get taller.

Detroit Metal City 02, Strike Witches 08

Detroit Metal City 02

if there's anything that contain deep, profound beauty in postmodern media, that would be satires. to make a good satire, one need to know deeply about the subject matters. furthermore, by satirizing things, you actually avoid being pretentious. why? because satires are made with full knowledge that those who will enjoy the work know what they're doing, and will be very quick to point out when something is amiss-- much quicker than when you're doing "serious" non-satires. the irony is killing me.

Detroit Metal City (from this point on, DMC) is a satire about the culture of metal. it also points out the massive gap between the so-called MTV generation, and the then-counter-culture of metal. now, before you throw arguments, i for one was never part of any "band culture", be it metal, rock, rap, or ska. i hate bands, to be honest. those no-good people who think they're of any importance, and assert it with their loud noise they believe are (yikes!) music. i might as well listen to a primate's flatulence.

ahem, pardon my momentary lack of self-control. let's go over this again. MTV generations are those who overwhelm themselves with passive entertainment. for such an overwhelming amount of passive entertainment, someone gotta mass-produce them. and nothing is sacred in this schema. anything that those kids are willing to buy, someone will turn into entertainment. even if it's about shouting profanities while eating living bat raw (i pity the bats, honestly. poor, poor cute bats...). which is how the band DMC make a living.

now for the presented-as opposite, the "counter-culture". from what i can grasp from looking at this Cosmic Horroranarchy ball, it seems that the youths of that time (who are now the age of my eldest auntie) are dissatisfied by their reality. crass materialism was at its peak, and capitalism was really brutal in its zealous crusade to answer every question with "HAVE MOAR MONEY" (not that that changed much today). some of those oddballs are really disturbed, and disturbed people do shout out their thoughts in ways that are jarring. and thus were born metal (death metal, brutal death metal, satanic brutal death metal-- can't bother to recall all of them), et ceteras.

but then, what? life must continue. capitalism eventually triumphed over communism (and to some extent, socialism-- but socialism are enjoying a lot of revitalization today), and later on, triumphed over democracy as well. people can no longer understand this and that about what constitute a counter-culture, and just think that "it's cool". and if it's "cool", that can be made into an entertainment, that sells. what's "metal"? it's about "vending out your steam mindlessly", without thinking the really, really horrible world order that give way for the birth of this blasphemy known as metal. sure, many people have no time to think (shiver me timbers...), but still, it's a horrid (as in Cthulhu horrid) to see the unholy union that's MTV and metal...

the entire DMC anime is a satire that puts into animation this huge wall of text up to this point (and by an indie(?) studio, at that-- Studio 4*C).


Strike Witches 08

suddenly, a plot out of nowhere! but in the preview, it seems that they're all fine and well. after watching eps 08, i got this gut i feeling i haven't experienced since watching My-HiME. it's the instinctive ability to tell whether a silence is a scion of storm. it's the inevitable plot twist that turn a supposedly sweet and silly animu series into one full of betrayal and flaunt the dark nature of humans.

man, and i'm such a heavy Sakamoto//Wilcke shipper too. i interpret the "dont wanna lose significant others" while pointing gun at Sakamoto as i would rather see you dead by my own hands, not anyone else's. especially seeing how Sakamoto was very close to having a Neuroi shrapnel capped into her head. of course if that's true, logic would have to be thrown out of the window and into the Strait of Dover. let's see... i think only Chikane-chan have "that much schizoid of a personality".

four more episodes to go, dum dee dum...

Go to DMC !!!

so like, yesterday i managed to slip some time for rendezvous with my fellow local otaku circles. they're a relatively cool bunch, that's, when they got something that interest them. other times, they're just too lazy to do anything. of course, i'm one of those persons too.

so, one of those things that currently interest them is making spoof magazine covers. of course it's nothing new, but it's amusing nonetheless. i'm taking a go at it too, because there're things i want to express. the result is the following image:







pardon the:
1. use of my arterial language (Indonesian)
2. bizarre blending of local contents and global otaku niche
3. i can't really do graphic design, after all

anyway, i'm off for a re-read of Detroit Metal City manga.

Strike Witches Selayang Pandang

(pardon the bad Indonesian/Malaysian pun)

1. roll 1d20 on the Random Theme table (Table 1-1)
2. make the loli version of it.
3. make an anime based on the lolified version.
4. ????
5. Profit!

Table 1-1
1: critical failure (thou should not release lolified version of anything)
2: Space Opera
3: Nietzschean Philosophy
4: Mafia
5: World War 2, Aircraft
6: Lesbian Vampire
7: World War 2, Infantry
8. French Revolution
9. Humongous Mecha
10: Apocalypsm
11: Chanbara Movies
12: Cowboy Movies
13: Urban Legend
14: Silence of the Lamb
15: Shakespearean Play
16: Fist of the North Star
17: try recalling a memorable childhood anime, pick up the first title to come to mind.
18: go to the nearest movie shop and randomly pick a title from "discounted B-movie" box
19: roll again on this table once
20: roll again on this table twice, combine the result.

i think this is the winning formula in Japan. as for Strike Witches, i'm pretty sure that they rolled 5. which is good, because i dont really want to see what happen if they rolled 14.

it's not that Strike Witches should be denounced or anything. it shall fulfill its purpose. people who like yuri (i.e. me) will fall in love with the girls. people who like pantsu shot will have memorable fapping sessions. even WW2 aircraft otaku approve, because it's based on real aces, real aircrafts, etc. when people with spending potential are happy, then all is fine in the world.

ah well. in case you dont know what's Strike Witches, here's a short rundown.

the time frame of the world is World War 2, with the exception that instead of fighting each others, nations band together to fight mysterious entity known as Neuroi. Neuroi looks like gigantic version of modern aircraft, except that they're entirely pitch black save for few red crystals and a well-hidden core. Neuroi's nature seems to be completely alien, and it seems that they dont even originate from anywhere in this universe.

for an aircraft, a Neuroi have great maneuverability, outperforming any WW2 fighters. but that's not all. the red crystals that dot their body can shoot lasers-- thousands of them at once, capable of decimating a fleet of aircraft carriers even before a single human fighter can take off.

with this unstoppable air superiority, Neuroi have occupied virtually the entire European mainland. how completely non-human beings are capable of maintaining human populace is beyond me. i'll assume that all the humans were driven off Europe. to keep the Neuroi at bay, a Strike Witches air base is situated at Channel Strait. (that's, between England and the rest of the Europe.) their weapons are the only mean to destroy Neuroi core, which is the only way to take Neuroi down.

Strike Witches are girls with magical power who serve in the airforce. it seems that magic user is rather common in that world. to be able to fly, they put on a pair of engine powered with their magic, so that their respective magical talent can be used for aerial battle. so far this strategy works, although there's always shortage of pilots since not everyone --even those born with magical power-- can become Strike Witch.

the story of Strike Witches anime is about Yoshika Miyafuji, a new recruit in the 501th Joint Fighter Wings. she's from Fuso Empire ("Japan"). her magical power is to heal people, which is somewhat awkward for a will-be ace. of course, the other witches are even quirkier in their own way.

the good thing about this anime:
10. that the 3D aren't used excessively (see #8)
9. the Neuroi looks like boss units from 1945 or similar shmup games.
8. GONZO. judging from the size of their logo in the opening, it seems that they're taking this seriously.
7. for a rori animu, the characters are drawn just right.
6. the purity factor of the main character.HELL NO, apparently she's pretty lecherous herself (which is good).
5. the accurate materials of which the girls are based upon. (i'm not a WW2 otaku, and can't confirm this.)
4. how the girls have interest for each others. it's obvious that Perinne got the hots for Sakamoto. (my favorite ship)
3. the animal ears and tail. it's justified because it's the (aesthetically pleasing) side effect of using magic.
2. the gratuitous panty shot. apparently Neuroi's first tactical maneuver is to wipe out people who know how to make skirts.
1. (reserved for a post-airing review)

it's unfortunate that their flying machine isn't powered with kiss...

Haruka Shimotsuki (NG female human, bard 5/doujin artist 3)

i like fantasy genre, a lot. fantasy itself can mean a lot of things, from those with prankful fairy (faeries?) and slumbering giants to those with deranged cultists and supracosmic horrors. however, i generally tend to the former than the latter. when i think of fantasy, i think of a world so virgin, where fantastic beings lurk the forest just outside the village, ancient dragons make lair in the distant mountain, powerful wizards experiments with arcane secrets in their forbidding tower, and so on. the majority of the world is unknown to the humans, and when you do strike out for the world, you'll find so many things beyond your wildest imaginations-- in many cases, being the first to discover it.

in addition to that, i like fantasy the most when the world is so full of vast expanse of meadow and the sky is almost always blue. when you run or ride or fly through the meadow under the blue sky and feel the breeze on your youthful face, you can scream "freedom!!!" (i'm not talking about Scotland, really) and know that while no one will hear you scream and you're so small compared to the world, *you* matters a lot. it's the "running freely in the wind" feeling that's so vivid about the fantasy world.

and fantasy music is just about that. it's about the story of a traveler, his exploits that makes for his story in the world, the story that's told through songs, the songs that bards will sing for ages after he's no longer in the world. kids who hear a bard singing at the festival will be inspired for life, and probably become traveler themselves. such is the power of fantasy music, it breaks you from the dull and grayscaled reality.

these days we have Google Maps, GPS, coordinated SAR teams, and so on, so the thought of traveling like in fantasy is a passing glamer at best. (what? you want to travel on Mars? AFAIK there's also a Google Mars, too) but, for men who like romance (or never really quite grow up from their childhood phase) always feel the strong resonance of himself and the characters portrayed in those songs.

there's this artist whose music is generally about fantasy world, Haruka Shimotsuki. recently i've taken a liking for her songs (and probably for her person, too). i especially like her performance in the PS2 game Ar Tonelico 2. i dont have PS2 so i dont play those, but the vocal compilations are really really worth it for the music alone. she's also a doujin artist, so expect a lot of albums that's full of "Shimotsuki-ness".

this post is supposed to describe her, but dang it man, i end up talking about my childish dreams. oh well, can't help it. i like it when it's about myself (LOL).

btw, do you like Dungeons and Dragons (DnD)? it's a fantasy roleplaying game in its traditional sense, and it's relatively OK, if you dont mind sitting with a bunch of nerds shouting battlecries, obsessed with rolling dices (dies?). i dont play it myself (DnD isn't a single player game), but i do like reading books that "enhance your dnd experience" (whatever that means), since they're really interesting as far as the fantasy is concerned. i think i'll do a thorough statme session to make a bard NPC out of Haruka Shimotsuki. i'll post it here when it's finished, so you can put it in your campaign.