The Anime Review #1
Wednesday, October 4th, 2006Ooh, can anyone smell a thinly valed attempt to catch up on all the shows I’ve neglected to blog? Me too, and it smells like SUCCESS.
Incidentally, NHK has been dropped. Not in the brutal, you-digust-me way — rather, I fell behind after episode five and never caught up. In many ways the apathy I feel towards it speaks more than any embittered rant. Shame, really. Hopefully the manga will be more essential, whenever Tokyopop get around to releasing it.
Honey & Clover (episode 12)
Bless it, I should really give the final episode of one the most important anime for years its own entry, but no. Ultimately there’s not much more to be said. This second series was something of a tour de force in terms of heart-breaking resolution and I’d happily rate it equally with the first, though both are quite different in intention and execution. Even the more bothersome aspects like Hagu’s injury felt legitimised with this final episode (it serving to underpin the need security and stability in her winning suitor). I’m still slightly confused over the nature of Hagu and Shuuji’s relationship. If it was nothing more than platonic, why can’t Hagu have a boyfriend and Shuu as her guardian? It’s a hard nut to crack, so to speak, because there hasn’t been any sexual interest from Shuuji relating to Hagu, apart from that infamous blush I guess, but then when has there ever been anything overtly sexual in Honey & Clover (bar Miyama and Rika in II)? Tricky, and the creepy implications keep the resolution in murky, grey waters. Maybe it’s for the best to avoid sullying an otherwise beautiful, affecting series. Also, I still think Shuuji was gay for Harada. Either way, a solid ending. My only regret is Takemoto’s seeming unimportance towards the end. He and Yamada were my favourites.
Gunbuster 2 (episode 6)
Another finale to a series I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I want to rewatch all six episodes in relative succession to get a more complete opinion, but generally Gunbuster 2 has had the air of an enjoyable, if flawed, epic. This, its conclusion, felt surprisingly focused and informative considering it’s been quite confusing for most of its run. It kept up the ridiculous flamboyancy that made it so charming and had enough excitement to honour the whole ethos of a finale. I’m not going to pretend it was the perfect OAV, not even the all-hallowed FLCL can claim that, but the Tsurumaki-Sadamoto effect is in full-force enough for me to yield like a loyal fanboy. Fun!
Kemonozume (eps 3 & 4)
The visual style of Kemonozume has gone beyond the initial novelty now and turned into something more fundamental. It may seem superficial to suggest (and obvious), but Kemonozume wouldn’t be as distinctive without it’s unique visual style. Not just aesthetically, but the direction and atmosphere it banks on for most of its impact. It’s hard for the discerning viewer to decide what makes it such an enjoyable show to watch: the pretty pictures, or the more respectable aspects like writing and direction. I’m inclined to think something successful would need both to be of a decent standard and the more I watch the more secure I feel in calling Kemonozume a Good Show. This was only strengthened by episode four’s flashback history lesson, which was fantastic and immensely entertaining. I think having that as a foundation to build on will only benefit future episodes. Plus, it adds a bit of intrigue and mystery to proceeding, which I heartily support.
Right, that’s enough for now. Lots of things left unsaid, but such is life. Hopefully more protracted blogging coming soon when university stops bludgeoning me violently with, like, schoolwork. It’s just a bit rude, really.
