Seirei no Moribito- Episode One [Balsa The Female Bodyguard]

Seirei no Moribito

This is the second anime I’ve watched this season involving an older woman and the boy-ward she protects. The first is of course Claymore. There are some similarities, but on the whole the two series feel completely different.

The setting for this series is (I believe) some kind of Pseudo-Korea. I personally wouldn’t have been able to discern this, but that’s what I’ve read elsewhere so I’ll trust it for right now. The series is based off a series of novels Nahoko Uehashi. Scholastic has the rights to release the novels over here (let’s hope they get it done!). Like Juunikoki (The Twelve Kingdoms), only the first storyline focuses on Balsa and Chagum. However, like Youko’s story, it’s that segment that this anime has decided to focus on.

I did enjoy the first episode quite a bit, and will be continuing. I liked it more than the pilot episode of Claymore as well. However, the Claymore manga does start out a bit slow, and I knew that already. Not being outstandingly thrilled from episode one was something I expected. Because I’ve read far in the manga, and trust Madhouse’s ability to animate the series, I believe Claymore will get extremely good later on. Because of that, I’m not going to say this series is better because the pilot is better. The fact that this series is based on a novel, and is only twenty-six episodes, makes me think that the possibility of redundancy is less. Let’s hope I’m right.

This was on my definites list for sheer virtue of the solid looking animation and overall pretty. I knew very little about the premise going into it, outside of the fact that it was about a female bodyguard given the task of protecting a boy who holds a sacred power within him. After the first episode, we still know very little. However, I did do a cut and dry quick summary of the plot as of so far.

Click ‘read more’ for summaries, images, etc.

LJ Feed

Good news!

Calophi was kind enough to set up a livejournal feed for this blog. You can add it, and my posts will show up on your friends list. Check it out HERE. You can go directly here to add it to your friends list. No I won’t be able to see any locked posts if you do it. ^^

Heroic Age- Episode One [Star of Destruction]

 

Well here’s a series that I had in my ‘maybe’ section, but was pleasantly surprised. I was genuinely leaning towards ’suck’ on this one, but watched it and found myself quite entertained. Heroic Age is not the deepest title in the world, nor does it pretend to be. Like any mecha show (even some of the good ones), I found myself giggling a few times during serious scenes and overall had trouble taking it 100% seriously. However, like any good mecha show, it’s also a lot of fun to watch. Let’s hope it stays that way!

I know I’ve posted it here in the spring preview, but here is ann’s summary of it anyway:

Answering the call of the “Gold Race”, all the sentient races launch into space. The human race is the last to launch, and are thus known as the “Iron Race”. Much time has passed since then, and humanity is threatened with extinction at the hands of the more dominant “Silver Race”. In order to save her people, Queen Deianeira sets out on a journey to a galaxy far away, following the prophecies of the Gold Race handed down by the royal family. Then, she meets a boy named Age. Their encounter will change the fate of the universe…

 

Click ‘read more’ for thoughts and images.

Romeo x Juliet- Episode One (Destino)

This was my most anticipated title of the season, but I have to admit that I felt a small amount of hesitation despite the superb background of the staff and the quality of the trailer. It did not let me down. My fears were unwarranted. This was a great first episode, and I foresee it getting better. Of course there’s the small chance the quality level will drop drastically, but for now I’m extremely excited. I haven’t enjoyed the first episode of a ‘new’ (as in I’m watching it as it’s being released) title this much in quite some time, if ever. (It seems a lot of my favorites, I don’t end up seeing until their run is over.)

The story starts out fourteen years in the past. Juliet’s family, the Capulets, are taken out by Montague asassins. Juliet is saved and goes into hiding. Of course, already the story has deviated from Shakespeare heavily. I do not mind this. The story of ’star-crossed lovers’ found in Romeo and Juliet is so old and there are so many variations- one in almost every culture, that it would be difficult to fault a new version for changing it. Besides, at twenty-six episodes, complete loyalty to a two hour play is impossible.

Click ‘read more’ for thoughts and caps.

Spring Anime Season Thoughts

I’m looking at the Spring anime season and deciding what to watch right now/blog about. If you know me, you know I drop ninety percent of what I start. I’m overly picky and have the attention span of a goldfish.

Fall season I started seven series and I’m not consistently watching any of them. I dropped a few completely (Code Geass due to lack of direction and crazy writing, D Gray Man due to the onslaught of filler early on and just overall lack of interest, Perfect Girl Evolution because I’ve read the manga but the anime was not keeping my attention, and Red Garden because it was slow for me), and have yet to catch up on (although I plan to, probably in a marathon once they’re over) Death Note, Pumpkin Scissors, and Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori.

Last spring I started only four series and finished one (Haruhi Suzumiya), dropped one (Ouran High Host Club), and have yet to finish a third (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Saiunkoku Monogatari). On both of those, I definitely plan on finishing them ASAP. However I like to be able to watch the full arcs all in one sitting, so need to find the time.

I still think this season looks kind of dry, but it’s better than the fall season which had little to nothing I was interested in (I kind of forced myself to be interested in and try a lot of stuff) and even less that turned out well. These are listed in no particular order outside being separated by ‘definites’ and ‘maybes.’ And if there’s anything I absolutely MUST WATCH in your opinion, let me know. I’m not watching Darker than Black (Studio Bones doesn’t get my time anymore), Idolm@ster XENOGLOSSIA (not interested), or anything particularly loli-con looking.

Most summaries are ganked from the ever trusty ANN. Click ‘read more’ to see it all.

Welcome

Welcome to my anime/manga blog. I’ll try to get a more thorough welcome post up when I get the chance, but for now enjoy what I have here.

In addition to reviewing titles I’m reading/watching now, I’ll likely do posts reflecting on some favorites. Also, although I follow many new anime via fansubs/licensed release, I frequently watch/read older series. So if you want a taste of something old, or a taste of something new- I’ll probably have it here.

–Haro

Maison Ikkoku Live Action

I’m a big fan of Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi Rumiko’s 1980’s manga about life and romance in a run down Japanese boarding house.In 1986, a live action movie of the manga was released called Maison Ikkoku- Apartment Fantasy. Bad acting, cheesy dialogue, and even a musical number performed by the cast made for an infamously awful film. So you can understand why people were reluctant when a live action tv series was announced for Broadcast almost twenty years later.

However, the Maison Ikkoku live-action television show, set to air this spring, seems to be taking care to present an accurate universe to Takahashi’s manga. Misaki Ito (Gokusen, Densha Otoko), has been cast in the role of Kyoko. Godai will be played by an unknown by the name of Taiki Nakabayashi. He was selected through a rigorous audition process that allowed only college students with no previous film or tv experience, presumably to capture the ‘every man’ feel of Godai’s character.

My current excitement is over finally getting to see an image of the main cast outside of Kyoko and Godai. The other tenants staying in the Ikkoku boarding house range from crazy to… crazier and they, not Kyoko and Godai, are my primary concerns as far as casting.

I believe by the clothing chosen that they are keeping the series set in the 1980s, and that pleases me greatly. I hope that is the case. Akemi, who wears only a see-through neglige for a great majority of the series, is understandably more clad here. However, I do like the look of her actress. The hair-style is even correct. Yotsuya is a bizarre character who occupation is not ever revealed. He’s shown as almost a secret agent here, or something. I think it fits though. I always swore he was actually some kind of undercover agent for the government or another job equally out there. Yotsuya is such a unique character that I hope they got a bonafide comic actor to portray him. I can’t imagine it working otherwise. Godai looks great. Kyoko does as well and her clothing is an exact match. However I must say she is very tall. Mrs. Ichinose is a very overweight character in the manga, and here she’s quite thin. I found that odd, but I think she just doesn’t look too enthusiastic, something Ichinose has plenty of. It could just be the photo though.

I do love Soichiro though, Kyoko’s big dog. He is just too adorable.

I sincerely hope this series gets picked up by fansubbers or licensed. If not I’ll at least be seeking out the raws and probably blogging them. I’m quite excited for it and hope it lives up, or comes close to living up to, the manga.

-Haro