Uraboku: fanservice rules!

It’s been on my mind for a while: what in the world does one write about a series that most people stopped even trying to find positive things to note, much less actual food for discussion, just over half way through the series? A series that I only really watched because of its bishounen characters are mostly brought to life by voices that I love in varying degrees (along with one whom I had to battle to stop cringing at). Well, after reading Chronolynx’s “mildly sarcastic retrospective” on the series (on THAT anime blog), I finally figure out what I could try.

Series synopsis here – I’m lazy.

Initially, I was quite disappointed to find that they’d removed a lot of the humour from Uraboku. The manga usually gives me something to laugh or giggle about, albeit not when the story takes a serious turn, but very few of these light-hearted moments survived the animation process.

     

Practically forcing myself to catch up every couple of weeks, only the occasional SD moment kept me going.

Review: Suzumiya Haruhi 2009

Yes. THAT series. The one that will forever be remembered for taking a particular phrase way too literally.

Year Review 2009, part 1

i.e. the stuff I can decide without seeing the ending to my two favourites from yesteryear.

As with every such list ever made, these are just personal opinions of this paticular blogger. I don’t expect anyone to have the same tastes as me, much less to have watched the same range of series. But one thing that is different from a number of other lists is that I’m including Bakemonogatari and Higashi no Eden here as complete stories (i.e. webcast episodes and movies included). Which is why this list is so late – they’d both been scheduled to end by January when I first decided how I would deal with them. It possibly wasn’t such a bad idea, as it gave me a lot of time to wrap up my thoughts on everything I watched, and even get a few more series in *coughSoraKakecough*

Anyways, I’ve never been good at watching stuff for production categories like animation or editing, so I’ll just go with what I want to talk about.

Review: DARKER THAN BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini

I was going to do some others first…but then I saw the first OAD and realised that it would really affect this review if I put it off any longer!

DARKER THAN BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini was one of the series that I followed closely last season. I was quite excited when I found out about it, because the first series was one of the highlights of 2007, despite its less than satisfactory ending. The mere thought of seeing more fights involving BK201 had me grinning in anticipating, tempered only by the memory the of the ending the left so much to be desired. I should have remembered that BONES is also responsibly for such WTF finales as Eureka 7, Wolf’s Rain and RahXephon, though admittedly, I think I’ve read enough to understand the ending and movie for the latter.

Ryuusei no Gemini (Twins of the Meteor) picks up 2 years after the end of the original series, and gave all returning fans a pretty big shock. Misaki had been removed from her original position in her department, and Yin and Hei had parted ways. My favourite character from 2007 had somehow become an unshaven drunk. Needless to say, without even considering the plot revolving the new main character, Suou, the series had a lot of questions to answer. However, the OADs are answering the question of Hei’s ‘fall’, so let’s get to the rest. Warning: spoilers abound!

Review: The Old Man and the Sea

Just about the only English books I read nowadays are for bookclub…even though I still struggle to make any progress on the Japanese stuff on my backlog. I wish people would stop choosing 300-400 page bricks! This particular choice was an exception, but it might not have been the best choice for, as it turned out to be, a group of people who haven’t read much Hemingway.

Published towards the end of Hemingway’s life, The Old Man and the Sea was initially widely acclaimed for being so completely different from the rest of his oeuvre, a departure from the realism that characterises all his other works. Word is that this novella was the major catalyst for Hemingway’s Nobel Prize for Literature. Since then, however, views have become more critical, with some like Robert P. Weeks pointing out the irony that the extensive focus on natural objects in this novella belies the romanticism with which they are treated, especially from an author who had been criticised for his devotion to realism.

So, what did a Hemingway virgin think of it?

Quick Review: Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae

After meandering on this series for about 2 months (admittedly, a visitor who stayed for 2 weeks prevented me from watching anything apart from an episode of Bakemonogatari), I finally marathoned it whilst studying, just to get it off the backlog.

Ai returns?? but how? and why???

Mitsuganae is framed by a new character, Mikage Yuzuki, whom Ai initially uses as a replacement for the body she lost at the end of the last season. But why has Ai come back – what does Yuzuki have to do with it?

Review: Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou

Natsume Yuujinchou is originally a manga, which is still ongoing. Hence, it wasn’t much of a surprise when a sequel was announced…nor is it a surprise that it still hasn’t reached a conclusion. And since there’s more to the story, this will be short.

As with the first season, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou continues in episodic fashion, which could really make it incredibly boring, like a certain other anime I’m floundering on atm. However, this sequel actually succeeds in developing first season ideas further through Natsume’s new and continuing relationships with the people and youkai around him.

Review: Genji Monogatari Sennenki (源氏物語千年紀）

Based on the classic Japanese novel, The Tale of Genji (源氏物語), this series follows the life and (some of the loves) of the second son of a emperor, known to readers/viewers as Hikaru Genji. As the second son born to a lowly concubine, Genji cannot succeed the throne, but is loved deeply by his father and thus granted education and assets befitting his place in royalty. However, none of this can give him that which he most desires…love.

Review: The Tower of Druaga

(1) The Aegis of Uruk and (2) The Sword of Uruk.

Set in the world of Namco’s The Tower of Druaga game franchise, this anime series by Gonzo features events that occur about 60 years after Gilgamesh defeated the Tower with the aid of the priestess Ki. Since then, the tower has been reborn again, drawing many to its challenges by the rumours of a legendary treasure that can be claimed from its top floor. When the approach of 3rd Summer of Anu, a season in which the monsters of the tower weaken, inexperienced guardian Jil numbers amongst the numerous “Climbers” planning to tackle the tower. Most of them, including his brother Neeba and Kaaya, a girl he promises to take to the final level, have their reasons for climbing, but where do the truths begin?

Review: Kuroshitsuji (anime)

「執事とは、影の様に主人に付き従う者」

A butler is one who, like a shadow, follows his master faithfully.

In Victorian England, strange incidents occur in the hidden worlds of the capital. Investigating and solving these issues that may threaten the state is the responsibility of the Phantomhive family. And the faithful butler of this house will fulfill every last order given by his young master…though not necessarily out of faithfulness… Beneath the perfect exterior lies a Faustian contract made in order for Ciel Phantomhive to discover the truth behind the deaths of his parents and thus conduct his revenge.