Rikuo Nura, a kid that is part human and a quarter youkai (demon), lives in a house full of spirits along with his grandfather. Trying to escape his fate of acting like a demon, he does good deeds in order to avoid becoming one. Despite his grandfather's wish to succeed him as master of the Nurari youkai clan.
http://www.tenmanga.com/book/Nurarihyon+no+Mago.html
What makes Hana-Saku Iroha work so well from the outset is the way it tweaks all the usual teenage clichés—parental figures actually declare their intention to leave instead of being assumed nonexistent; the heroine takes matters into her own hands instead of being forced to move; even a standard confession of love comes with its own particular charm. And the characters themselves, with their carefully animated expressions and gestures, feel like genuine people with thoughts and feelings, not the stock anime stereotypes that show up all too often.
Even the scenery seems to have a life of its own—the sunset reflecting off steel and glass in the city when Ohana contemplates her predictable future, the picturesque greens and blues as she takes the train ride out to escape that future, and the views from the grounds of the inn itself, reminding us that there are still oases of nature-filled beauty in the modern world.
And as this thoughtful episode points out, sometimes poison water lurks at the bottom of the oasis.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Fantasista Chapter 102
Fantasista
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
More galactic misadventures await the lovely young ladies of the Rune Angel Troupe! Android catgirl Nano-Nano teams up with space princess Natsume to form a singing idol group, but will their newfound popularity threaten to disband the Rune Angel Troupe? Then, when the original Galaxy Angels announce an upcoming visit, the girls find themselves taking on all sorts of ridiculous projects in hopes of impressing their elders. A rainy day and a mysterious phone call leads to a perilous supernatural mystery for the group, and perpetually greedy Anise tries her hand at the "celeb" lifestyle when she comes upon a large sum of money. Of course, things don't work out quite as planned once the rest of the team hears about Anise's good fortune...
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
More galactic misadventures await the lovely young ladies of the Rune Angel Troupe! Android catgirl Nano-Nano teams up with space princess Natsume to form a singing idol group, but will their newfound popularity threaten to disband the Rune Angel Troupe? Then, when the original Galaxy Angels announce an upcoming visit, the girls find themselves taking on all sorts of ridiculous projects in hopes of impressing their elders. A rainy day and a mysterious phone call leads to a perilous supernatural mystery for the group, and perpetually greedy Anise tries her hand at the "celeb" lifestyle when she comes upon a large sum of money. Of course, things don't work out quite as planned once the rest of the team hears about Anise's good fortune...
Fantasista Chapter 101
Fantasista
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
If you must have one reason to buy the third Galaxy Angel Rune DVD, let it be Aya Hirano. No, not because of her voice acting—one could watch any anime made in the last five years for that—but because of the bonus short film where she acts out a poignant slice-of-life moment. After all, the mere sight of Hirano's celestial beauty is enough to bring all true believers to their knees, and how many other anime DVDs can you buy that include a live-action clip of the seiyuu industry's most radiant star? But I digress. Maybe you're buying Galaxy Angel Rune to actually watch the anime, in which case, it's safe to say that this is more of the same. Look forward to a merchandise-driven, mid-budget effort that's one part genre experiment and three parts goofball comedy, with varying levels of success.
The genre experiment on this disc happens to be one episode out of the four: a horror-mystery where the Angels are picked off one by one by a ghostly predator. Yes, it's pure B-movie formula, but compared to the shallow storytelling elsewhere in the series, this is near-masterpiece material. In the absence of good original content, it's safer to just copy what already works in the genre: suspenseful pacing, a puzzling plot, one-by-one elimination, and the use of technology as a horror element. Creepy phone calls? Internet rumors? Instant winner! The entire episode is such a departure from the rest of the series that even though it doesn't take itself too seriously, it's still worth it just to follow the story and see where it leads.
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
If you must have one reason to buy the third Galaxy Angel Rune DVD, let it be Aya Hirano. No, not because of her voice acting—one could watch any anime made in the last five years for that—but because of the bonus short film where she acts out a poignant slice-of-life moment. After all, the mere sight of Hirano's celestial beauty is enough to bring all true believers to their knees, and how many other anime DVDs can you buy that include a live-action clip of the seiyuu industry's most radiant star? But I digress. Maybe you're buying Galaxy Angel Rune to actually watch the anime, in which case, it's safe to say that this is more of the same. Look forward to a merchandise-driven, mid-budget effort that's one part genre experiment and three parts goofball comedy, with varying levels of success.
The genre experiment on this disc happens to be one episode out of the four: a horror-mystery where the Angels are picked off one by one by a ghostly predator. Yes, it's pure B-movie formula, but compared to the shallow storytelling elsewhere in the series, this is near-masterpiece material. In the absence of good original content, it's safer to just copy what already works in the genre: suspenseful pacing, a puzzling plot, one-by-one elimination, and the use of technology as a horror element. Creepy phone calls? Internet rumors? Instant winner! The entire episode is such a departure from the rest of the series that even though it doesn't take itself too seriously, it's still worth it just to follow the story and see where it leads.
Fantasista Chapter 100
Fantasista
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
The three other episodes, on the other hand, are completely predictable in where they lead: cute girls doing dumb things which are supposed to be funny, except sometimes they're not. Nano-Nano's brief stint as an idol is a clear example of "not", as the musical stage performances and the Troupe's attention-grabbing hijinks all fall flat. (Why is it that no anime can do a funny take on idol music, anyway? Is it because the genre is inherently absurd?) The upcoming visit from the original Angel Troupe results in some better comedy material, with each character going to extremes to improve themselves: beauty-conscious Kahlua resorts to alchemical sorcery for the perfect makeup, Nano-Nano tries to become the ultimate nanomachine by mecha-combining with every creature in the universe, and so on. Even Milfeulle and friends manage to squeeze in some absurdity as they try to make their way to the space station. The last episode on the disc, featuring Anise's "trade a paperclip into a house" trick and nouveau-riche indulgence, falls somewhere in between the others: not exactly a constant stream of humor, but still energetic enough to succeed at times.
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
The three other episodes, on the other hand, are completely predictable in where they lead: cute girls doing dumb things which are supposed to be funny, except sometimes they're not. Nano-Nano's brief stint as an idol is a clear example of "not", as the musical stage performances and the Troupe's attention-grabbing hijinks all fall flat. (Why is it that no anime can do a funny take on idol music, anyway? Is it because the genre is inherently absurd?) The upcoming visit from the original Angel Troupe results in some better comedy material, with each character going to extremes to improve themselves: beauty-conscious Kahlua resorts to alchemical sorcery for the perfect makeup, Nano-Nano tries to become the ultimate nanomachine by mecha-combining with every creature in the universe, and so on. Even Milfeulle and friends manage to squeeze in some absurdity as they try to make their way to the space station. The last episode on the disc, featuring Anise's "trade a paperclip into a house" trick and nouveau-riche indulgence, falls somewhere in between the others: not exactly a constant stream of humor, but still energetic enough to succeed at times.
Fantasista Chapter 99
Fantasista
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
The series' visual quality might be described in the same way as the story and humor: about half-decent half the time. Viewers who enjoy bright colors, sharp lines and simple shapes should be easy to please, but those with more exacting standards will be disappointed. There is no subtlety or grace to the misadventures of the Troupe: every pratfall goes directly from one extreme pose to the next; every act of comic violence can be reduced to a couple of repeating frames. Fortunately, a handful of other visual tricks help to cover up the cheap animation: the horror episode makes frequent use of a grainy filter, while Anise's celeb lifestyle involves lots of wacky faces and super-deformity. The main character designs, although not immediately striking, at least have enough variation to tell apart; however, side characters and backgrounds (especially crowds) show obvious signs of cutting corners.
Music is another aspect where the production quality is limited: most of the soundtrack involves jaunty pop instrumentals that only exist to accentuate just how wacky the Angels are. The only departure from that is the horror episode, which relies on more traditional orchestration to achieve its creepy atmosphere. If they can go all out with episodes that are "different," why not put more effort into the regular material as well? In any case, the theme songs probably the most accurate indicator of what the series is about: high-speed, hyperactive bubblegum, with little lasting value but catchy while it's there.
Teppei Sakamoto is a boy living in the countryside. He loves soccer, and all his soccer skills were taught to him by his sister. Finally, his sister wants him to join in Mizumoto High School soccer team. Teppei's turn in life has come!! How will this soccer newbie fare in the new environment?
25 Volumes (Complete)
http://manga.animea.net/fantasista.html
The series' visual quality might be described in the same way as the story and humor: about half-decent half the time. Viewers who enjoy bright colors, sharp lines and simple shapes should be easy to please, but those with more exacting standards will be disappointed. There is no subtlety or grace to the misadventures of the Troupe: every pratfall goes directly from one extreme pose to the next; every act of comic violence can be reduced to a couple of repeating frames. Fortunately, a handful of other visual tricks help to cover up the cheap animation: the horror episode makes frequent use of a grainy filter, while Anise's celeb lifestyle involves lots of wacky faces and super-deformity. The main character designs, although not immediately striking, at least have enough variation to tell apart; however, side characters and backgrounds (especially crowds) show obvious signs of cutting corners.
Music is another aspect where the production quality is limited: most of the soundtrack involves jaunty pop instrumentals that only exist to accentuate just how wacky the Angels are. The only departure from that is the horror episode, which relies on more traditional orchestration to achieve its creepy atmosphere. If they can go all out with episodes that are "different," why not put more effort into the regular material as well? In any case, the theme songs probably the most accurate indicator of what the series is about: high-speed, hyperactive bubblegum, with little lasting value but catchy while it's there.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Deadman Wonderland chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Summary
Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.
Artist(s) Kondou Kazuma
Genre(s) Action, Horror, Mature, Sci-fi, Shounen, Supernatural, Tragedy
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/deadman_wonderland/
But as the show moves forward, it loses sight of its ideals, becoming bogged down in the non essential experiences of secondary characters and contrived exploits at school. It leaves love a little too far behind, grinding the growth of its characters to a near halt. The friends and family of the protagonists, earlier used so skillfully to build Yukino and Arima's characters instead become the focus, much to the show's discredit.
As this final volume begins, it is clear that His and Her Circumstances is a show looking to rediscover its meaning. Where it started with a clear focus on the love developing between two people, and expanded into a commentary on its impact on the characters lives, the show now attempts to come full circle. Their characters firmly developed, Yukino and Arima look to contextualize their relationship by filtering it through their respective lives. They begin to take stock of how they have developed over the course of the show. Each must decide the role the other plays in their lives—what shape their mutual investment might take. This is an essential development, one that finally gives meaning to the entire scope of the show, while demonstrating to the viewer just how far these characters have come. Always dependent on the mindset of others, Yukino, for all her brashness, starts the show timid and insecure, looking for praise as a confirmation of her existence. By the time the credits roll on the final episode, she is confident, open and free. Love is all the confirmation she needs. Arima initially comes off as a bit of a loner, living deeply within himself while leveraging his success as a means of thanking the kindness of his (adoptive) parents. He ironically ends up finding himself through Yukino, discovering a sense of satisfaction through her understanding. Their love lies at the core of his being.
Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.
Artist(s) Kondou Kazuma
Genre(s) Action, Horror, Mature, Sci-fi, Shounen, Supernatural, Tragedy
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/deadman_wonderland/
But as the show moves forward, it loses sight of its ideals, becoming bogged down in the non essential experiences of secondary characters and contrived exploits at school. It leaves love a little too far behind, grinding the growth of its characters to a near halt. The friends and family of the protagonists, earlier used so skillfully to build Yukino and Arima's characters instead become the focus, much to the show's discredit.
As this final volume begins, it is clear that His and Her Circumstances is a show looking to rediscover its meaning. Where it started with a clear focus on the love developing between two people, and expanded into a commentary on its impact on the characters lives, the show now attempts to come full circle. Their characters firmly developed, Yukino and Arima look to contextualize their relationship by filtering it through their respective lives. They begin to take stock of how they have developed over the course of the show. Each must decide the role the other plays in their lives—what shape their mutual investment might take. This is an essential development, one that finally gives meaning to the entire scope of the show, while demonstrating to the viewer just how far these characters have come. Always dependent on the mindset of others, Yukino, for all her brashness, starts the show timid and insecure, looking for praise as a confirmation of her existence. By the time the credits roll on the final episode, she is confident, open and free. Love is all the confirmation she needs. Arima initially comes off as a bit of a loner, living deeply within himself while leveraging his success as a means of thanking the kindness of his (adoptive) parents. He ironically ends up finding himself through Yukino, discovering a sense of satisfaction through her understanding. Their love lies at the core of his being.
Deadman Wonderland chapter 50
Summary
Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.
Artist(s) Kondou Kazuma
Genre(s) Action, Horror, Mature, Sci-fi, Shounen, Supernatural, Tragedy
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/deadman_wonderland/
And so this is the show, thematically. Yukino and Arima are fascinating characters to watch, and this volume adds the final bit of necessary depth to their perspectives. Where we run into trouble is in the narrative structuring these revelations are based off. While the play Yukino and her friends are working on is no doubt to be an extended metaphor for their lives, we'll never know for sure: the show ends before we even get to see it. Tonami and Tsubaki might make an interesting couple, but it'll hardly matter to those that don't reach for the manga. Coming so late in the game, their development seems contrived. The only scenes involving a secondary character that seem truly relevant are those with Asaba. His few subdued moments with Arima offer a candid look at a friendship that has developed mostly behind the scenes.
This is a good show, then, built around a superb core of characters, yet unapologetically rough around the edges. Those willing to work for their enjoyment will be rewarded for their loyalty.
Ganta Igarashi has been convicted of a crime that he hasn't committed, and sent to a new, privately owned and operated prison, where the inmates are the main attraction in a modern day twist to the gladiatorial coliseums of ancient times. Throw in a healthy dose of weird little girl, some new-found super powers, and a little conspiracy theory, and you have Deadman Wonderland.
Artist(s) Kondou Kazuma
Genre(s) Action, Horror, Mature, Sci-fi, Shounen, Supernatural, Tragedy
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/deadman_wonderland/
And so this is the show, thematically. Yukino and Arima are fascinating characters to watch, and this volume adds the final bit of necessary depth to their perspectives. Where we run into trouble is in the narrative structuring these revelations are based off. While the play Yukino and her friends are working on is no doubt to be an extended metaphor for their lives, we'll never know for sure: the show ends before we even get to see it. Tonami and Tsubaki might make an interesting couple, but it'll hardly matter to those that don't reach for the manga. Coming so late in the game, their development seems contrived. The only scenes involving a secondary character that seem truly relevant are those with Asaba. His few subdued moments with Arima offer a candid look at a friendship that has developed mostly behind the scenes.
This is a good show, then, built around a superb core of characters, yet unapologetically rough around the edges. Those willing to work for their enjoyment will be rewarded for their loyalty.
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