May '02 Anime Updates
Anthony D. Baranyi
anime that are currently being broadcast on TV, cable or satellite in Japan
that I get to watch thanks to a friend in Japan who likes to trade tapes of
TV anime for tapes of North American TV shows such as "X-Files", "Mysterious
Ways", "CSI", "7th Heaven", "Judging Amy", "24" and others. ( My friend has
as eclectic taste in US TV shows as I do in anime. ) This time I'm clumping
the series into little groupings.
1 - Must Rave About :
"Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai" - The absolutely mad, insanely funny new
Gainax parallel world series that crams more details, references and jokes
into every frame than can be believed. Best thought of as an offspring of
"FLCL" and "Excel Saga". Where else could you find in an episode a
discussion of the controversy over "Apatosaurus" versus "Brontosaurus", as
well as a pink dinosaur with huge pink boobs and a caveman who not only
energetically picks his nose, but eats the large black boogers too?
"Hikaru no Go" - This "sports series" with a twist, about a boy who is
haunted by the spirit of a 1000 year dead Go master has incredible drama,
characterization and intelligence. More than just a coming-of-age story,
this is also an intense dramatic look into the contemporary world of the
game of Go in Japan. Now at near 30 episodes, Hikaru is even starting to
surprise Sai from time-to-time.
2 - Solid Satisfaction :
"Meitantei Conan" - Conan continues to hide the secret of his true identity,
but it is getting harder as tougher, smarter, and even more sinister forces
start to pry into Conan's fragile world of lies. The series continues to
skillfully merge the needs of the younger audience with the demands of the
older general audience who together make this a continuing prime time TV
success.
"Inu Yasha" - The series does occasionally slide off into less intense or
even humorous side stories, similar to "Conan", but the main drama continues
to unfold as Inu Yasha and Kagome continue to try to track, corner and
destroy Narako in an ancient Japan full of supernatural evil. The one thing
I can't figure out yet is why is Inu Yasha so prudish? Does he only "go into
heat" twice a year or something like that? (g)
"One Piece" - This adventure series has succeeded in transforming and
surpassing itself as the depth of characterization has grown. The current
"Alabaster" story arc is full of drama, pathos, sacrifice, deception and
loyalty. Now when we get momentary comic relief from Rufi or Usopu, it seems
almost out of place. To top it off, the general animation quality and
direction remain superb.
3 - Classics :
"Nadia" - I'm starting to wonder if I am going to stick around for the
entire re-broadcast of this adventure series that is very loosely based upon
concepts from Jules Verne. I've gotten as far as episode 14 and the "chase,
capture, escape" arcs are getting a bit repetitious. I probably would have
fallen in love with Nadia and the show when I was 12 years old, but that was
a long, long time ago.
"Fancy Lala" - I just finished watching the Kids Station rebroadcast of this
wonderful show and I still get a smile thinking about it. "Fancy Lala" was
everything a mahou shoujo series ought to be, as well as being intelligently
plotted, and the magic didn't overwhelm the feeling of familiarity and
normality in the characterizations.
4 - Guilty Pleasures :
"Rizelmine" - The more I watch this new series, the more I like it. Sure, it
is a rip-off of "Urusei Yatsura", but it is done with such energy,
enthusiasm and charm that I find myself wanting more right afterwards. Also,
Rizel is neither a Lum clone nor a Noelle clone - instead she is cute and
puppy-like in a way that reminds me of Doris from "D4 Princess". I also love
the opening song and can't wait to order the CD when it comes out in a
couple of months.
"Pitaten" - Another show that is exceeding its material - this is not just
another "AMG" or "Mamotte Shugogetten" clone, and the resemblance to
"Risky/Safety" is getting weaker with each episode. Instead, I have the
feeling that we are going to see a turnabout in the story line, similar in
tenor to what happened half way through "Tenshi ni Narumon".
5 - Cruising Along :
"Shiawasesou no Okojo-san" - I got a bit worried recently when this brisk
and witty shoujo satire series got a new "cute" animal character and new
"cuter" opening and ending themes, but the series has gone back to the
"stranger in a strange land" theme with the interaction between Okojo-san
and the various humans taking center stage again.
"Shichinin no Nana" - I'm still not sure where this odd hybrid series is
going. It's not really a mahou shoujo series, and it isn't a true shounen
adventure series either. But it is starting to go off in more serious
directions that remind me somewhat of the way that "Brigadoon" went off into
serious mode half way through. I do wish that the soundtrack would come out
soon than it is.
"Rave" - This "poor man's" version of "One Piece" has yet to go beyond its
shounen fight-of-the-week roots, mainly because the characters are still so
one dimensional. Also, the creators of the show have missed out on the
opportunity build upon the strangeness of the setting the way that "Trigun"
did. This is a show that I wouldn't really miss if I couldn't receive it any
longer. ( But I miss the first ending animation with all those great 1950's
cars with fins and chrome. )
6 - Newcomers with potential :
"12 Kokuni" - I've seen four episodes now and this adventure show is
definitely fulfilling its promise. Yoko is finally starting to realize that
the only thing that separates her from death or torment is how quickly she
can pull that sword and use it. And the complicated background details of
the situation are only barely starting to open up. NHK has a real winner
here and should for quite a while.
"Hack/Sign" - Definitely the most stylish of the new series, I love the
animation, the imaginativeness and the vagueness of the characters and their
motivations. To a good extent the series exudes a sense of dreaminess that
is eminently appropriate for a story about people stuck in an adventure
computer game. But if you didn't like "Noir", "Lain" or even "Tron", you
probably should stay away.
"A Cheeky Angel" - The opening song is a blast, the characters are appealing
and the animation is quirky. Those three things together are maintaining my
interest and enjoyment of this series. I only wonder, however, how the plot
line and dramatic tension are going to be maintained. And I'm also beginning
to wonder if Megumi was ever a boy at all, or is this some sort of
psychological rejection of oncoming adulthood.
"Chobits" - Unfortunately, I've only been able to see the first episode so
far, but I liked what I saw of this CLAMP seinen series and I am looking
forward to see more of it and Chii. For once the robot girl is acting more
like a machine than a cheap hooker in a hurry.
"Atashi n'chi" - This funny and witty series is a breath of fresh air -
smart humor, believable characterizations and no magic or sci-fi. Which
means that if you don't care for "slice of life" series, and want
"realistic" character designs in "fantasy" settings, this story of every day
life for a "normal" family might not be your cup of cha.
7 - Still Deciding :
"Tokyo Underground" - Another shounen fight-of-the-week series that is
suffering from overly familiar "chase, capture, escape" plotting. Unless
this is going to be a very short series, what will happen after Lumina and
Chelsea rescue Ruri - another chase? I may give up on this series within the
next couple of episodes unless something different starts to occur.
"Tokyo Mew Mew" - This mahou shoujo series is very heavy on the "cute" and
very light on plot and characterization. We still don't really know anything
about any of the characters, except that Ichigo looks much cuter as a cat
girl than as her normal self. So at the moment I have no reason to care
about the characters. Given my druthers, I'd rather be watching repeats of
"Dr. Rin".
"Mirumo" - This rather twisted shoujo series about a reluctant and snarky
fairy is quite fun as long as it doesn't stray too often into the "two girls
after one guy" plot. And the Pillsbury Dough Boy fairies are a fun change of
pace from the traditional spry designs. I'll continue to watch to see if it
can avoid being too predictable. But the character designs sure remind me a
lot of "Daa, Daa, Daa".
8 - Fell by the Wayside :
"Rockman Exe" - I usually don't like toy-based series and this one is no
exception. I have no doubt, however, that it will someday turn up in a
successful kid's time slot here in North America.
"Full Moon o Sagashite" - I usually have a high tolerance for mahou shoujo
series, but the poor writing and major logic and plot holes were too much
for me. The writers were obviously trying very hard to avoid being too much
like "Fancy Lala", but they succeeded by making the story ridiculous.
"Hikarian" - Essentially a futuristic "Thomas the Tank Engine" meets the
kids from Pokemon, with a lot of "tongue in cheek". But the first couple of
episodes just didn't generate anything for me. As with "Rockman Exe", expect
an easy transition to Saturday morning cartoon time slots in North America.
Dave Baranyi
alan
> "A Cheeky Angel" - The opening song is a blast,
Speaking of opening songs, what's that instrument called that makes the
creaky/wind-up-toy noise. The last time I heard that was in a David
Bowie song from the 60's or 70's
D B Malmquist
"Anthony D. Baranyi" wrote:
>
> Well, here is another of my quasi-quarterly collections of brief comments on
> anime that are currently being broadcast on TV, cable or satellite in Japan
> that I get to watch thanks to a friend in Japan who likes to trade tapes of
> TV anime for tapes of North American TV shows such as "X-Files", "Mysterious
> Ways", "CSI", "7th Heaven", "Judging Amy", "24" and others. ( My friend has
> as eclectic taste in US TV shows as I do in anime. ) This time I'm clumping
> the series into little groupings.
<<snips>>
> 4 - Guilty Pleasures :
>
> "Rizelmine" - The more I watch this new series, the more I like it. Sure, it
> is a rip-off of "Urusei Yatsura", but it is done with such energy,
> enthusiasm and charm that I find myself wanting more right afterwards. Also,
> Rizel is neither a Lum clone nor a Noelle clone - instead she is cute and
> puppy-like in a way that reminds me of Doris from "D4 Princess". I also love
> the opening song and can't wait to order the CD when it comes out in a
> couple of months.
I've got mixed feelings about this show. Rizel is adorable and cute
as a button, but given her age the situation she's in is pretty
uncomfortable. Iwaki clearly can't treat her like his wife, what she
needs are some friends and some decent parenting. Thinking back to
"Kodomo no Omocha", it was obvious right from the start that Sana's
mother was in complete control of the Rei/Sana relationship, but the
"Papas" don't seem to be anywhere near as responsible or competent.
Also, in the first few episodes there was Rizel fanservice, which
bothered me.
Is the live-action "Steel Angel Kurumi" continuing to be as freakishly
abysmal as you described?
> "A Cheeky Angel" - The opening song is a blast, the characters are appealing
> and the animation is quirky. Those three things together are maintaining my
> interest and enjoyment of this series. I only wonder, however, how the plot
> line and dramatic tension are going to be maintained. And I'm also beginning
> to wonder if Megumi was ever a boy at all, or is this some sort of
> psychological rejection of oncoming adulthood.
In episode #1, in Megumi's flashback to when she was changed into
a female, just before the change, her friend calls her "Megumi-kun".
Can Megumi ever be a man's name?
<<snip>>
> 7 - Still Deciding :
<<snip>>
> "Tokyo Mew Mew" - This mahou shoujo series is very heavy on the "cute" and
> very light on plot and characterization. We still don't really know anything
> about any of the characters, except that Ichigo looks much cuter as a cat
> girl than as her normal self. So at the moment I have no reason to care
> about the characters. Given my druthers, I'd rather be watching repeats of
> "Dr. Rin".
I'm waiting for them to finally combine their apparently unrelated motifs
and serve desserts made from endangered plants and animals in the coffee shop.
Thanks for the updates,
- dbm
Galen Musbach
>
>"A Cheeky Angel" - The opening song is a blast, the characters are appealing
>and the animation is quirky. Those three things together are maintaining my
>interest and enjoyment of this series. I only wonder, however, how the plot
>line and dramatic tension are going to be maintained. And I'm also beginning
>to wonder if Megumi was ever a boy at all, or is this some sort of
>psychological rejection of oncoming adulthood.
I wonder that as well; which is more likely, that the demon
changed his gender and all the records and the memories
of everyone else who knew him, or that he only altered the
memories and perceptions of the two people he was talking to?
>
>
-Galen
You didn't review Azamanga Daioh.
Anthony D. Baranyi
"D B Malmquist" <d.b.ma...@com.swap-com-and-rcn.rcn> wrote in message
news:3CE20CD4...@com.swap-com-and-rcn.rcn...
That of course, is the interesting source of dramatic tension in the show -
Iwaki is starting to realize that he should provide some sort of
family-style support to Rizel, but he is too young to really know how to.
And other than the teacher, the adults in the show are acting less
responsible than the kids.
>
>Thinking back to
> "Kodomo no Omocha", it was obvious right from the start that Sana's
> mother was in complete control of the Rei/Sana relationship, but the
> "Papas" don't seem to be anywhere near as responsible or competent.
> Also, in the first few episodes there was Rizel fanservice, which
> bothered me.
>
> Is the live-action "Steel Angel Kurumi" continuing to be as freakishly
> abysmal as you described?
>
Worse - it's painful to even fast-forward through. It should be required
viewing for all cosplayers before they go on stage, just so they realize how
they are going to appear.
> > "A Cheeky Angel" - The opening song is a blast, the characters are
appealing
> > and the animation is quirky. Those three things together are maintaining
my
> > interest and enjoyment of this series. I only wonder, however, how the
plot
> > line and dramatic tension are going to be maintained. And I'm also
beginning
> > to wonder if Megumi was ever a boy at all, or is this some sort of
> > psychological rejection of oncoming adulthood.
>
> In episode #1, in Megumi's flashback to when she was changed into
> a female, just before the change, her friend calls her "Megumi-kun".
>
Certainly in business relationships a girl can have the "kun" title attached
to her name by colleagues. I just don't know about current "friendship
rules" for kids.
> Can Megumi ever be a man's name?
>
Don't know - I should look up the kanji to see if there is any clue.
> <<snip>>
>
> > 7 - Still Deciding :
>
> <<snip>>
>
> > "Tokyo Mew Mew" - This mahou shoujo series is very heavy on the "cute"
and
> > very light on plot and characterization. We still don't really know
anything
> > about any of the characters, except that Ichigo looks much cuter as a
cat
> > girl than as her normal self. So at the moment I have no reason to care
> > about the characters. Given my druthers, I'd rather be watching repeats
of
> > "Dr. Rin".
>
> I'm waiting for them to finally combine their apparently unrelated motifs
> and serve desserts made from endangered plants and animals in the coffee
shop.
>
I'm waiting for anything other than a monster-of-the-week. This is supposed
to be shoujo - where are the relationships? (g)
Take care -
Dave Baranyi
Anthony D. Baranyi
"Galen Musbach" <musb...@xtn.net> wrote in message
news:uob4eu8vndmi25f59...@4ax.com...
Or was there actually a demon at all, or was this some play acting between
friends that has been carried on too long. One plot hole that bothers me is
that we don't see the intervening years between the spell and high school.
Has Megumi "suddenly" blossomed or has the transformation been occuring all
along? And why wouldn't Megumi have been going through the same sort of
problems with her male classmates in junior high?
So one of the things that interests me about the series is to find out if
they take a "trivial" approach to all this or do they go off on a more
complicated explanation? Of course, this is a Shonen Sunday series, so it's
likely that what we see is what we get.
> >
>
> -Galen
> You didn't review Azamanga Daioh.
>
I haven't seen it yet. It's a pain for my friend to tape series that are
shorter than 30 minutes. I'll probably pickup the first DVD to see what it
is like. What do you think of it so far?
Dave Baranyi
Anthony D. Baranyi
"Anthony D. Baranyi" <abar...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:oRlE8.15345$t8_....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
> Well, here is another of my quasi-quarterly collections of brief comments
on
> anime that are currently being broadcast on TV, cable or satellite in
Japan
> that I get to watch thanks to a friend in Japan who likes to trade tapes
of
> TV anime for tapes of North American TV shows such as "X-Files",
"Mysterious
> Ways", "CSI", "7th Heaven", "Judging Amy", "24" and others. ( My friend
has
> as eclectic taste in US TV shows as I do in anime. ) This time I'm
clumping
> the series into little groupings.
>
Oops - I forgot one -
9 - Mental Block -
"Full Metal Panic" - This is the only Wowow anime that I'm watching this
season, and it's becoming harder and harder to continue to watch it to the
end. The "battle" arcs of FMP are great examples of what are the worst
stereotypical aspects of mecha shows :
- The "impervious mecha" that can't be harmed by bullets, rockets, bombs,
lasers, etc., but can be destroyed by a big knife carried by another mecha
- The "impervious villain" who gets shot, blown up, blasted, smashed and
whatever numerous times but keeps on coming back
- The "noble hero" who is brought back from near death to achieve victory
due to a memory of the girl
Yeah, yeah, I know, this sort of crap is supposed to symbolize the
"nobility" of single combat, but I find it to be infinitely tiresome. It's
just too bad that the series couldn't have kept the focus on the
mis-adventures at school rather than the "same old, same old" of the battle
arcs. Blech, blah, yuck. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.
Dave Baranyi
Anthony D. Baranyi
"alan" <acf...@yahoo.do_not_spam_me.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.174b9d554...@nntp.stanford.edu...
It's is a Latin percussion instrument called a Guiro. ( Which is IIRC,
pronounced sort of like "uweedo" - it's been too many years since I've
spoken any Spanish. ) You can see a picture of one at :
http://www.lpmusic.com/Product_Showcase/Guiros/cp_fish_style_guiro.html
I have a similar one that I picked up in L.A. many years ago when I was
interested in Latin percussion instruments. ( I also have a wooden cuica
that I picked up at Gonbops in the early 70's. )
Dave Baranyi
alan
>
> "Galen Musbach" <musb...@xtn.net> wrote in message
> news:uob4eu8vndmi25f59...@4ax.com...
> > You didn't review Azamanga Daioh.
> >
>
> I haven't seen it yet. It's a pain for my friend to tape series that are
> shorter than 30 minutes. I'll probably pickup the first DVD to see what it
> is like. What do you think of it so far?
>
> Dave Baranyi
Basically, there are those who like it, and those with no sense of humor
and bad taste.
Each episode is a series of 5 shorts, totaling the standard 20-some
minutes. It is based on a set of 4 panel comics. Each segment is sort
of Seinfeld-like, e.g. based on some small, minor, random things. There
seems to be no overall story arc, no plot, just incidents and character
interactions. The feel is pretty similar to the comic, which can be
found at www.j-comx.com under the download section.
The TV show is pretty interesting in its use of timing and pauses to get
the punch-line across.
The show has pretty high re-watch value, since you don't have to "sit
through boring parts" like in a normal plot-driven show. It also means
that if you don't watch it for a while, it's easy to pick up again.
(I've kind of lost interest in Hikaru's go and Infinite Ryvius, simply
because I haven't watched them in a while)
Rodrick Su
> Well, here is another of my quasi-quarterly collections of brief
> comments on anime that are currently being broadcast on TV, cable or
> satellite in Japan that I get to watch thanks to a friend in Japan who
> likes to trade tapes of TV anime for tapes of North American TV shows
> such as "X-Files", "Mysterious Ways", "CSI", "7th Heaven", "Judging
> Amy", "24" and others. ( My friend has as eclectic taste in US TV
> shows as I do in anime. ) This time I'm clumping the series into
> little groupings.
>
> "Hikaru no Go" - This "sports series" with a twist, about a boy who is
> haunted by the spirit of a 1000 year dead Go master has incredible
> drama, characterization and intelligence. More than just a
> coming-of-age story, this is also an intense dramatic look into the
> contemporary world of the game of Go in Japan. Now at near 30
> episodes, Hikaru is even starting to surprise Sai from time-to-time.
At its current pace, they will catch up with the manga (which the manga
writer is currently putting out at a slowed pace, recharging after the
first major story arc is complete) in another 15 episodes or so. It
wouldn't be a bad place to actually stop the anime when the 'event'
occured.
> 2 - Solid Satisfaction :
>
> "Inu Yasha" - The series does occasionally slide off into less intense
> or even humorous side stories, similar to "Conan", but the main drama
> continues to unfold as Inu Yasha and Kagome continue to try to track,
> corner and destroy Narako in an ancient Japan full of supernatural
> evil. The one thing I can't figure out yet is why is Inu Yasha so
> prudish? Does he only "go into heat" twice a year or something like
> that? (g)
As of episode 68, they finally finished the brief anime original storyline
and going back to manga storyline.
> 6 - Newcomers with potential :
>
> "12 Kokuni" - I've seen four episodes now and this adventure show is
> definitely fulfilling its promise. Yoko is finally starting to realize
> that the only thing that separates her from death or torment is how
> quickly she can pull that sword and use it. And the complicated
> background details of the situation are only barely starting to open
> up. NHK has a real winner here and should for quite a while.
I've watch 3 episodes, and even at this early junction, you can only start
to grasp at the complexity of the situtation they've gotten themself into.
This is indeed a good show.
> 8 - Fell by the Wayside :
> "Rockman Exe" - I usually don't like toy-based series and this one is
> no exception. I have no doubt, however, that it will someday turn up
> in a successful kid's time slot here in North America.
If I'm not mistaken, it IS coming via 4Kids' total control of FoxKids'
Saturday lineup, next Fall, along with plenty of Ultraman.
--
[ Rodrick Su [ ]
[ r...@tigana.com [ I might be crazier than you think ]
alan
Thank you. I have wondered that for a long time. I feel as if one of
the great mysteries of life has been answered.
Galen Musbach
<abar...@rogers.com> wrote:
>
>"Galen Musbach" <musb...@xtn.net> wrote in message
>news:uob4eu8vndmi25f59...@4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 15 May 2002 04:53:40 GMT, "Anthony D. Baranyi"
>> <abar...@rogers.com> wrote:(snip)
>> -Galen
>> You didn't review Azamanga Daioh.
>>
>
>I haven't seen it yet. It's a pain for my friend to tape series that are
>shorter than 30 minutes. I'll probably pickup the first DVD to see what it
>is like. What do you think of it so far?
I like it. It's pure character comedy; reminds me of Steven Wright.
-Galen
>
>Dave Baranyi
>
LostJonny
>
> "Anthony D. Baranyi" wrote:
>> 4 - Guilty Pleasures :
>>
>> "Rizelmine" - The more I watch this new series, the more I like it.
>> Sure, it is a rip-off of "Urusei Yatsura", but it is done with such
>> energy, enthusiasm and charm that I find myself wanting more right
>> afterwards. Also, Rizel is neither a Lum clone nor a Noelle clone -
>> instead she is cute and puppy-like in a way that reminds me of Doris
>> from "D4 Princess". I also love the opening song and can't wait to
>> order the CD when it comes out in a couple of months.
>
> I've got mixed feelings about this show. Rizel is adorable and cute
> as a button, but given her age the situation she's in is pretty
> uncomfortable. Iwaki clearly can't treat her like his wife, what she
> needs are some friends and some decent parenting. Thinking back to
> "Kodomo no Omocha", it was obvious right from the start that Sana's
> mother was in complete control of the Rei/Sana relationship, but the
> "Papas" don't seem to be anywhere near as responsible or competent.
> Also, in the first few episodes there was Rizel fanservice, which
> bothered me.
>
I like the innocence of the Rizel character, but find Iwaki to be too
abusive to like. Sure, he's got the hots for his (engaged) teacher, but
that's no reason for him to treat Rizel in the manner he does. I find
myself watching the show to see if he'll develop or grow up, at the
least. Maybe, maybe not.
LJ
D B Malmquist
His feelings for his teacher have nothing to do with his feelings
for Rizel - he *can't* respond to her in the way she thinks she
wants (but clearly doesn't understand), since she's twelve years
old. As for abusiveness, I cringed at the episode where he sends
her away by air-mail, but the most recent episode, where she's been
humiliating him publicly all day, and he snaps and spins around
without thinking and knocks her "bento" over, seems pretty realistic.
How else would a 15 year old boy act if some 12 year old girl had
been repeatedly shaming him, at home and school, for the past
several days? It's seems likely that, if Rizel could somehow learn
to "cramp his style" a little less, that he'd be willing to adopt
a big-brotherish role around her.
- dbm
Anthony D. Baranyi
"Rodrick Su" <r...@tigana.com> wrote in message
news:Xns920F403CCA6...@64.164.98.29...
> "Anthony D. Baranyi" <abar...@rogers.com> wrote in
> news:oRlE8.15345$t8_....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com:
>
> > Well, here is another of my quasi-quarterly collections of brief
> > comments on anime that are currently being broadcast on TV, cable or
> > satellite in Japan that I get to watch thanks to a friend in Japan who
> > likes to trade tapes of TV anime for tapes of North American TV shows
> > such as "X-Files", "Mysterious Ways", "CSI", "7th Heaven", "Judging
> > Amy", "24" and others. ( My friend has as eclectic taste in US TV
> > shows as I do in anime. ) This time I'm clumping the series into
> > little groupings.
> >
> > "Hikaru no Go" - This "sports series" with a twist, about a boy who is
> > haunted by the spirit of a 1000 year dead Go master has incredible
> > drama, characterization and intelligence. More than just a
> > coming-of-age story, this is also an intense dramatic look into the
> > contemporary world of the game of Go in Japan. Now at near 30
> > episodes, Hikaru is even starting to surprise Sai from time-to-time.
>
> At its current pace, they will catch up with the manga (which the manga
> writer is currently putting out at a slowed pace, recharging after the
> first major story arc is complete) in another 15 episodes or so. It
> wouldn't be a bad place to actually stop the anime when the 'event'
> occured.
>
TV Tokyo does have a penchant for running their longer series for 40 - 45 or
so episodes - "Dr. Rin", "GTO", "Comet-san" come to mind. So another 15
episodes would fit in quite comfortably with that trend.
> > 2 - Solid Satisfaction :
> >
> > "Inu Yasha" - The series does occasionally slide off into less intense
> > or even humorous side stories, similar to "Conan", but the main drama
> > continues to unfold as Inu Yasha and Kagome continue to try to track,
> > corner and destroy Narako in an ancient Japan full of supernatural
> > evil. The one thing I can't figure out yet is why is Inu Yasha so
> > prudish? Does he only "go into heat" twice a year or something like
> > that? (g)
>
> As of episode 68, they finally finished the brief anime original storyline
> and going back to manga storyline.
>
My suspician is that they will do more of this to match what is done with
"Meitantei Conan". Those two shows attract high-priced sponsors like crazy.
> > 6 - Newcomers with potential :
> >
> > "12 Kokuni" - I've seen four episodes now and this adventure show is
> > definitely fulfilling its promise. Yoko is finally starting to realize
> > that the only thing that separates her from death or torment is how
> > quickly she can pull that sword and use it. And the complicated
> > background details of the situation are only barely starting to open
> > up. NHK has a real winner here and should for quite a while.
>
> I've watch 3 episodes, and even at this early junction, you can only start
> to grasp at the complexity of the situtation they've gotten themself into.
> This is indeed a good show.
>
One of the neat things about the series is that the characters are also
starting to realize the mess they are in.
> > 8 - Fell by the Wayside :
> > "Rockman Exe" - I usually don't like toy-based series and this one is
> > no exception. I have no doubt, however, that it will someday turn up
> > in a successful kid's time slot here in North America.
>
> If I'm not mistaken, it IS coming via 4Kids' total control of FoxKids'
> Saturday lineup, next Fall, along with plenty of Ultraman.
>
Like I said, that's not surprising - it's a marketeer's dream.
Dave Baranyi
sabotender
azumanga daioh is obviously the best anime of 2002
D B Malmquist
alan wrote:
>
> On Wed, 15 May 2002 10:16:28 GMT, Anthony D. Baranyi wrote:
> >
> > "Galen Musbach" <musb...@xtn.net> wrote in message
> > news:uob4eu8vndmi25f59...@4ax.com...
>
> > > You didn't review Azamanga Daioh.
> > >
> >
> > I haven't seen it yet. It's a pain for my friend to tape series that are
> > shorter than 30 minutes. I'll probably pickup the first DVD to see what it
> > is like. What do you think of it so far?
> >
> > Dave Baranyi
>
> Basically, there are those who like it, and those with no sense of humor
> and bad taste.
>
> Each episode is a series of 5 shorts, totaling the standard 20-some
> minutes. It is based on a set of 4 panel comics. Each segment is sort
> of Seinfeld-like, e.g. based on some small, minor, random things. There
> seems to be no overall story arc, no plot, just incidents and character
> interactions. The feel is pretty similar to the comic, which can be
> found at www.j-comx.com under the download section.
So far the director has done a good job of structuring the shorts,
so that each one has a degree of closure, but when strung together
they have some overall continuity. It's exactly how a good daily
four-panel comic strip is paced.
- dbm
sk...@goddos.net
>
> > You didn't review Azamanga Daioh.
> >
>
> I haven't seen it yet. It's a pain for my friend to tape series that are
> shorter than 30 minutes. I'll probably pickup the first DVD to see what it
> is like. What do you think of it so far?
IIRC, while it plays as short episodes on M-F, the Saturday episode is 30
minutes, compiling the short episodes from the previous week.
> Dave Baranyi
Damien Roc
Anthony D. Baranyi
"D B Malmquist" <d.b.ma...@com.swap-com-and-rcn.rcn> wrote in message
news:3CE2B121...@com.swap-com-and-rcn.rcn...
Yes, and she is not only 12, but has been raised in an non-normal
environment and doesn't have any normal social skills, just unrealistic
expectations.
>As for abusiveness, I cringed at the episode where he sends
> her away by air-mail,
That's almost a "tradition" in comedy animation, going way, way back to the
glory days of Warner Brothers animation in the 40's and 50's.
> but the most recent episode, where she's been
> humiliating him publicly all day, and he snaps and spins around
> without thinking and knocks her "bento" over, seems pretty realistic.
> How else would a 15 year old boy act if some 12 year old girl had
> been repeatedly shaming him, at home and school, for the past
> several days? It's seems likely that, if Rizel could somehow learn
> to "cramp his style" a little less, that he'd be willing to adopt
> a big-brotherish role around her.
>
I'm also wondering what "special" characteristics she is supposed to have,
other than the explosive tears.
Dave Baranyi
> - dbm
Anthony D. Baranyi
<sk...@goddos.net> wrote in message news:3CE2B7E2...@goddos.net...
Oh, I didn't realize that. I'll have to see if the compilation is playing on
any of the feeds that my friend receives.
Thanks -
Dave Baranyi
> > Dave Baranyi
>
> Damien Roc
Anthony D. Baranyi
"sabotender" <n...@listed.com> wrote in message
news:Xns920F8E4...@24.94.165.86...
> wtf
>
> azumanga daioh is obviously the best anime of 2002
I haven't seen it so I can't comment. Do you care to expand upon your
reasons for liking the show?
Thanks -
Dave Baranyi
Galen Musbach
Invulnerability? She fell from a an airplane
without a parachute, crashed through the roof,
and thought it was all good fun. She likes being
tossed across the room by Iwaki, presumably
because it doesn't hurt at all. Explosions that
blast the room apart don't affect her at all.
-Galen
>
>Dave Baranyi
>
>> - dbm
>
Anthony D. Baranyi
I've been attributing that to "Loonie Toons" effects (g) - there must be
some other characteristic in Rizel than her just being a "toon" from "Roger
Rabbit".
Dave Baranyi
sabotender
_.70...@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com:
Synop: Short comedy stories of a group of highschool girls and their
teachers.
I forget where I read this, but someone else put it best when they said one
of the most shocking things about this anime is that it contains NO
romantic, or dramatic elements. It is a lot like Seinfeld in that it is
mostly about the girls making observations and commenting on their daily
school lives. The character design, writing, and voice acting is top
notch. There are a ton of funny and interesting characters.
Here is some more information about the show:
Azuma's HP:
http://www15.xdsl.ne.jp/~azuma/menu210.htm
Official show HP:
http://www.imagica.co.jp/shop/azumanga/
English fansubbed manga:
http://www.nnanime.com/azumanga/
http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/kf49/animeObserver/Azumanga.htm
IMO, Azumanga and Abenobashi (maybe Tenchi) are the only two noteworthy
anime this season. The rest is trash like Tokyo Underground or fancandy
like Chobits.
Anthony D. Baranyi
> "Anthony D. Baranyi" <abar...@rogers.com> wrote in news:k7zE8.20360$t8
> _.70...@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com:
>
> >
> > "sabotender" <n...@listed.com> wrote in message
> > news:Xns920F8E4...@24.94.165.86...
> >> wtf
> >>
> >> azumanga daioh is obviously the best anime of 2002
> >
> > I haven't seen it so I can't comment. Do you care to expand upon your
> > reasons for liking the show?
>
> Synop: Short comedy stories of a group of highschool girls and their
> teachers.
>
> I forget where I read this, but someone else put it best when they said
one
> of the most shocking things about this anime is that it contains NO
> romantic, or dramatic elements. It is a lot like Seinfeld in that it is
> mostly about the girls making observations and commenting on their daily
> school lives. The character design, writing, and voice acting is top
> notch. There are a ton of funny and interesting characters.
>
You ought to check out "Atashi n'chi" then, because it has a similar sort of
approach, albeit concerning a family instead of just high school classmate.
> Here is some more information about the show:
>
> Azuma's HP:
> http://www15.xdsl.ne.jp/~azuma/menu210.htm
>
> Official show HP:
> http://www.imagica.co.jp/shop/azumanga/
>
> English fansubbed manga:
> http://www.nnanime.com/azumanga/
> http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/kf49/animeObserver/Azumanga.htm
>
> IMO, Azumanga and Abenobashi (maybe Tenchi) are the only two noteworthy
> anime this season. The rest is trash like Tokyo Underground or fancandy
> like Chobits.
Thanks for the heads-up - I'll definitely have to try to see some of it.
Dave Baranyi
paranormalized
>wtf
>
>azumanga daioh is obviously the best anime of 2002
I dunno, Magical Shopping District Abenobashi *could* beat it out as
far as comedies go, but then, the people fansubbing it have only
finished ep 1 so far, so it's somewhat hard to judge. I'm pretty
interested in it from hearing Mr. Baranyi's descriptions of later eps
though.
And if your taste runs to dramas, then Azumanga Daioh probably won't
even be in the running, from what I've seen of ep3. (only one I've
seen so far- dialup limits selection)
Re: Mahou Abenobashi Shoutengai- Why is there so little progress on
the fansubs? Is it pretty hard to translate correctly, or is
Gainax/Akahori Satoru wackiness out of favor this year? Or is
everyone doing Chobits still?
Ah well. The only group I know of subbing MAS is gaijin fansubs,
(http://gaijin-fansubs.eu.org ) who need translators but don't even
show up on google searches! That probably explains some things, but
still...
Jonathan Fisher
----------
paranormalized man, subnormalized otaku
ROT13 and then delete all instances of the letter after R to email
sabotender
> the fansubs? Is it pretty hard to translate correctly, or is
> Gainax/Akahori Satoru wackiness out of favor this year? Or is
> everyone doing Chobits still?
I've heard there is a sort of movement in the fansub community to stay away
from shows that are likely to be picked up locally (ie: abenobashi.)
Galen Musbach
>"Anthony D. Baranyi" <abar...@rogers.com> wrote in
>news:oRlE8.15345$t8_....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com:
>
>> Well, here is another of my quasi-quarterly collections of brief
>> comments on anime that are currently being broadcast on TV, cable or
>> satellite in Japan that I get to watch thanks to a friend in Japan who
>> likes to trade tapes of TV anime for tapes of North American TV shows
>> such as "X-Files", "Mysterious Ways", "CSI", "7th Heaven", "Judging
>> Amy", "24" and others. ( My friend has as eclectic taste in US TV
>> shows as I do in anime. ) This time I'm clumping the series into
>> little groupings.
>>
>> "Hikaru no Go" - This "sports series" with a twist, about a boy who is
>> haunted by the spirit of a 1000 year dead Go master has incredible
>> drama, characterization and intelligence. More than just a
>> coming-of-age story, this is also an intense dramatic look into the
>> contemporary world of the game of Go in Japan. Now at near 30
>> episodes, Hikaru is even starting to surprise Sai from time-to-time.
>
>At its current pace, they will catch up with the manga (which the manga
>writer is currently putting out at a slowed pace, recharging after the
>first major story arc is complete) in another 15 episodes or so. It
>wouldn't be a bad place to actually stop the anime when the 'event'
>occured.
Episode 28 of the Anime is Chapter 59 of the manga.
There's still qualifying for the pro exam and then
preparing for it by playing all the Go salons; 15 episodes
might bring us to ... the end game of the Pro Exam?
Those chapters haven't been translated yet.
-Galen
Anthony D. Baranyi
"paranormalized" <cnendabe...@rndeguyvdax.arg> wrote in message
news:4uo5eus5v085a6gda...@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 15 May 2002 18:59:31 GMT, sabotender <n...@listed.com> wrote:
>
> >wtf
> >
> >azumanga daioh is obviously the best anime of 2002
>
> I dunno, Magical Shopping District Abenobashi *could* beat it out as
> far as comedies go, but then, the people fansubbing it have only
> finished ep 1 so far, so it's somewhat hard to judge. I'm pretty
> interested in it from hearing Mr. Baranyi's descriptions of later eps
> though.
>
> And if your taste runs to dramas, then Azumanga Daioh probably won't
> even be in the running, from what I've seen of ep3. (only one I've
> seen so far- dialup limits selection)
>
> Re: Mahou Abenobashi Shoutengai- Why is there so little progress on
> the fansubs? Is it pretty hard to translate correctly, or is
> Gainax/Akahori Satoru wackiness out of favor this year? Or is
> everyone doing Chobits still?
>
I suspect that there will be a lot of angonizing and arguments over the best
way to translate the dialog in Abenobashi - it isn't that straight forward,
particularly in the episodes subsequent to episode 1. How do you capture the
jokes inherent in the uses of different accents, dialects and slang? Also,
there is a lot of high speed dialog and parallel dialog going on at the same
time - this will be like subbing KareKano.
BTW - any commercial outfit that picks this series up for the US is going to
have to be very, very careful of how they market it - there are a lot of
jokes based upon nudity of both of the 12 year old protagonists. ( For
example, episode 5 has got a "blue elephant head" visual joke that is as
explicit as you are ever likely to see outside of a porno flick. )
Dave Baranyi
Rodrick Su
Ok, my calculation is off. The 'event' I was alluded to occured at chapter
110 of the manga (beganning of Manga volume 15). They got a while to get
there.
Rodrick Su
Just finished episode 4 myself. This show is indeed getting better and
better. And from the preview of episode 6, it would appear that Yoko is
heading for the eastern country of Kei (The sword she's wielding is the
symbol of the kingship of that country), and meeting up with the walkig and
talking mice. Trust, even from the one from her own country seemed rather
tenious.