Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 12 (Completed)

With its major story arc completed and the Flask Plan defeated, but with no time to move into its next major story, Medaka Box Abnormal doesn't so much break the fourth wall as smash it to pieces with an almighty hammer in the name of explaining what follows in its final episode - a side-story featuring the newly introduced Misogi Kumagawa before his transfer to Sandbox Academy.

Thus, after that odd introduction by Najimi Ajimu, we join Fishtank school's student council president as he looks to help out his council colleague Saki Sukinasaki after an abrupt colour to the change of her hair causes her untold hassles in her school life.  Given that she didn't perform this colour change herself, it doesn't take long to find the true culprit - Fude Ezumachi, a loner with the ability to control colour and bend it to its will, and a boy with a bit of a grudge towards Kumagawa after his heavy-handed removal of the previous student council president.

The lines are drawn henceforth, as Fude looks to make Kumagawa suffer using his ability while Kumagawa himself looks to use his All Fiction to win the day in the name of.... well, protecting the colour of girl's panties for the most part.  The whole conflict pans out with Kumagawa also looking for someone with the potential to defeat Ajimu (aka Anshin'in), but it seems that when push comes to shove little can stand in the way of All Fiction, especially when this ability to undo absolutely anything even extends to removing entire colours from the world.

All in all, I'm a little torn about this finale to Abnormal - in some senses I appreciate the way in which it's introduced Kumagawa into the show, and as a stand-alone episode is arguably did a better job of presenting itself for the small screen than most of the series proper from a viewpoint of "this wouldn't have worked as well in manga form".  On the other hand, I'm not sure quite how well this introduction of important characters sits against doing it "by the book" (the manga book, in this case), although time will tell on that note - assuming we ever get a third series, that is, and that prospect must surely be up in the air after a second season that has been an improvement over the first, yet still lacklustre in the grand scheme of things thanks to a lack of real energy or flamboyance to its adaptation of the original manga.  As someone who tends to enjoy watching anime more than reading manga even when the former is based upon the latter, it's rare for me to hold a definitive preference towards the written original material, but that's exactly what Medaka Box has succeeded in doing so far, which sadly is far from a glowing reference for what GAINAX have done here.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 11

Now that Medaka is back to normal (or as close to it as you could possibly go when it comes to defining her as "normal"),  it's time for the final basement showdown in the battle to destroy the Flask Plan.

If Oudo Miyakonojou wasn't a tough enough final boss as it is, it appears that he's been hiding another technique almost literally up his sleeve - the ability to steal the techniques of others, something which he demonstrates brutally on Koga, in turn reducing Naze to a bawling mess as she goes back on all of the tenets that she's been living by.

If it seems as if this is going to be too much for Medaka, you might have reckoned without her War God mode, but then again it seems that Kurokami also has another trick up her own sleeve; an alternate version of this very same War God mode that is entirely under her control, rather than the out-of-control version that occurs when she flies into a rage.  Couple that with her ability to learn and perfect any technique she sees only once without needing to steal it, and it soon becomes clear who the winner will be, even before Oudo tries to snatch Medaka's abilities from her only to be pushed back by the sheer horror of the darkness she carries within.  Thus, the day is won, and the Flask Plan dismantled, so all's well with the world - until the group reach the first floor again, at least...

After spending so many weeks bemoaning the fact that Medaka Box's anime adaptation has rarely added anything of note or interest to the original work, this week's episode was at least an example of how seeing things unfold in animated form can be more powerful - with some decent visual flourishes, a small sprinkling of action and a powerful soundtrack, this episode did a great job of depicting the climax to this particular story arc in an enjoyable and relatively gripping fashion.  If only the rest of the series had managed to do likewise, we might be talking about this series far more, although with the next major arc of the manga now set up it seems that GAINAX are already betting on a third season getting the green light.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 10

With the brainwashing of Medaka complete, what sort of monster has emerged as a result?  Certainly, this isn't the Kurokami that we've grown used to...

Instead, this new revision of Medaka is far more embracing of her talents, and wants nothing more than to rejoin the Flask Plan and join their quest as the head of their attempts to create a perfect human being - a human being who would, of course, be Medaka herself.  As she dismisses the student council and pays little heed to their woes, it seems as if all is lost...

...but if that's the case, why is she crying?  As Zenkichi refuses to stand down and instead faces off against his former childhood friend, we get to look into Medaka's past and the dark side of her genius as it pertains to her relationship with others, all the way through to her first meeting with Hitoyoshi which turned everything around for her.  Even this doesn't seem to be enough to overcome her brainwashing until, although ultimately the realisation that Zenkichi also remembers that first meeting is enough to turn her around, putting us back on course for a final battle to put an end to the Flask Plan.

In terms of story and plot, this was another pretty decent episode of Medaka Box - over-the-top and dumb to a point, but knowingly so and somehow able to roll with it to create a suitable narrative.  Again though, it's hard to put a quantity on what the transition from manga to anime has brought to that story, as there's so little effort put into that animation that you aren't gaining anything from partaking in this version of the series.  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it feels as if GAINAX simply aren't making any effort with the show, and it's a shame to see a relatively big name series given such a treatment.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 9

Medaka captured and in the process of being brainwashed; Hitoyoshi and Akane out for the count; it's well and truly Kikaijima's turn to step up to the plate for this week's Medaka Box Abnormal.

Although her lung capacity is such that she has little trouble putting up with her opponent Yukuhashi's sleeping gas, her ease at being provoked threatens to be her downfall as he pushes her into making an attack, which in turn sees her breathing in some of said gas.  When Mogana rips off a nail to prevent herself succumbing to its effects however, it starts to become clear that there is a downside to Yukuhashi's abnormality - mind reader he may be, giving him the upper hand when it comes to deflecting attacks, but it also means that he can feel his opponents pain.

Once Kikaijima realises this and makes a gutsy play to exploit it for all its worth, it seems as if she's won the day - not the best moment for Oujo to make a grand reappearance then.  Although Hitoyoshi comes around just in time to save her from his immediate attack, his ability to control others effectively sets Zenkichi up to kill his own fellow student council member as we drill down into exactly what Oudo's exact abnormality entails.  It could just be that any future battles are rendered moot anyhow, as Medaka's brainwashing is complete and she already seems to be a very different person...

As expected, Medaka Box continues to be a series of words over animation for the most part as it sticks rigidly to the dialogue-heavy form of the original manga without any of the bells and whistles that the likes of SHAFT introduced to other Nisio Isin adaptations - when this straight adaptation bumps up against a pretty good part of the story, such as the first half of this week's episode, it actually works quite well regardless of the lack of real action, but without those stronger moments it quickly threatens to get bogged down in its conversations with nothing else on-screen to help it along.  It's still interesting to watch, but once again I just can't shake the feeling that you're far better served just reading the manga.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 8

If you're expecting a touching reunion between sisters in this week's Medaka Box, then expect away, because that ain't what you're getting.

Even though Naze's lost memories of her role in the Kurokami family seem to have at least somewhat returned, she still has no interest in either her (now ailing) brother or her sister, while for Medaka's part she seems happy to regard Naze as both an enemy and a sister (a concept to which I'm sure many people with siblings can understand).  Of course, Medaka's problem is that she's trusting to a fault, and when she offers to swap places with Maguro as Naze's guinea pig for her formula that suppresses abnormalities, Naze uses it as an opportunity to disable both of them.

Not that Medaka is brought down permanently that quickly, and she's soon back on her feet again regardless of "losing" her abnormality, meaning that Naze has to pull the exact same trick again, this time offering up an "antidote" to the previous jab which is, in fact, designed to wipe Medaka's memory.  This time around it seems that this is too much even for this all-powerful Kurokami daughter, and she's whisked away for brainwashing by Miyakonojou.  Is this the end of it all?  Possibly not, as the remaining members of the student council find themselves offered assistance from some unlikely sources... although with the so-called "Plus Six" arriving on the other side of the conflict, things certainly aren't getting any easier for our increasingly ragtag bunch of "heroes".

There was certainly no shortage of stuff going on in this week's Medaka Box, although dialogue-heavy as it is it remains pretty light on, well, animation for the most part.  There are some interesting things going on however, and the episode has a few snappy lines and jokes to boot, but if only GAINAX could find some visual panache to help things along a little further.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 7

Although even Akune at his finest as a "destroyer" was having a struggle despatching Naze and her cyborg sidekick Koga, is the appearance of master analyst Maguro on the scene really going to make any difference to this particular battle?

It certainly doesn't seem like it given his proclivities, and his obsession with Naze's underwear seems likely to be nothing but counter-productive as it turns into a wager between the two of them, effectively betting on Akune or Koga in a game of strip judo.  With knowledge of Koga's super-fast healing, Akune instead aims to dislocate her joints in the hope that this will stop her rampage, but even this is something that she can shrug off in short order.

Eventually, Maguro finally proves to be useful as he nudges Akane in the right direction towards figuring out Koga's weakness, and in the ensuing moments it appears that the day is won.  Rather than having her strip for him however, Maguro has something else in mind for Naze... making her remove her mask.  This in turn reveals the true identity of Naze - an identity that is a shock to even Maguro, as we're introduced to a member of the Kurokami family who treats said family's wealth and talent as a curse, instead pursuing a path of sheer Hell.  Given her unflinching attitude towards her brother in the aftermath of this revelation, could it be that Maguro has just made things worse for all concerned?

As appears to be the default for this adaptation by this point, this week's Medaka Box was again an utterly devoted transplant of the original manga to the small screen - something which certainly avoids it making any major errors, but also something which leaves it feeling drained of life, as scenes which work fine on the printed page are left feeling stilted by this adaptation.  With what feels like a decidedly low budget approach to the animation itself, this leaves us with little to really get excited about it - a disappointing fate for source material that arguably deserves better.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 6

Following the trials and tribulations of recent episodes, a trip to the zoo seems to be exactly what Medaka Kurokami and company needs.

Then again, this is hardly a "trip" to the zoo, and rather the group stumbling across a makeshift zoo within the walls of the Flask Plan - while Medaka and Kikaijima clash over whether or not the animals or cute, more sinister goings on are afoot, and this time around it's Akune who finds himself in the spotlight as we stumble across Naze, the current mastermind of the Flask Plan as it stands, and her friend and experimental cyborg Koga.

In the midst of this latest battle, we endure flashbacks aplenty, explaining Akune's former role as the "Destroyer" and the its cause and effect relationship which resulted with Medaka herself during middle school, and Koga's place as the world's most normal girl until her encounter with the decidedly abnormal Naze turned her into what she is today - a mean, lean (and busty) fighting machine.  Separated from his friends, Akune isn't beyond showing some of the techniques that he still holds back from his time as the Destroyer, but is it enough to beat a genius and her cyborg sidekick?  Maybe not, but perhaps the appearance of Maguro out of the blue can even those odds...

To be honest, this week's Medaka Box was a little too heavy on its flashbacks, but then again it still continues to almost religiously adapt the original manga in that sense.  I'm not sure that Akune needed that much time to fill in his back story, to the point where it does begin to detract from and water down some of the stronger characters within the series upon their débuts within the show in animated form - interesting times are ahead however, and if this series is going to break out and do more than the bare minimum in adapting its source material the coming episodes will be the time to do it.  My hopes aren't high (in spite on some well-played moments of comedy this week), but stranger things have happened...

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 4

Training complete, the student council's journey to the heart of Hakoniwa Academy's nefarious Flask Plan begins in earnest this week, with a face-off against an Abormal claiming to be the strongest of the bunch.

The student in question, Takachiho, certainly looks the part with his boxer's stance and physique, and he's also not short on confidence to the point where he carries all of his own Flask Plan research data around with him - an obvious taunt to Medaka to see if she can take it, which she duly does with little trouble.  Keeping that data however, proves to be a rather more difficult matter...

As their fight progresses, it soon becomes clear that Takachiho is the owner of some fearsome reflexes, to the point where his brain doesn't even get involved when it comes to avoiding attacks - this is in stark contrast to Medaka herself, as we come to realise that her own reflexes have effectively been "turned off" entirely.  In other words, we have a mismatch on our hands between two polar opposite opponents... but is having no reflexes to speak of really a handicap?  Not in Kurokami's hands, that's for sure, and come the end of their battle both parties have learned some decidedly important lessons and skills as we move onwards towards the Flask Plan's laboratory.

Watching this episode of Medaka Box Abnormal, it is really starting to feel like this is a series with no real budget to speak of - despite a pretty hefty smattering of action across this episode, it's all carried out in a very functional and basic way without any panache, to the point where it doesn't particularly offer anything over and above reading the manga if you were hoping for something a little more spectacular from GAINAX's adaptation.  Still, it is at least a solid translation of said manga to the small screen, and there is a certain amount of joy to be had from seeing the first of many ludicrous battles to come in animated(-ish) form.  It's a shame that such a popular manga hasn't been subject to a more lavish production, but if you haven't been reading the manga then this could continue to be a half-decent way to see what all the fuss is about.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 3

After just one night of training from her big brother, Medaka and Zenkichi are ready to face the former's "date" with the wanna be ruler of the world Miyakonojou.

Between proving themselves to be effectively immune to his command voice and with Hitoyoshi, striking out surprisingly effectively with an attack of his own, Miyakonojou is at least impressed enough to reveal a little more about the so-called Flask Plan - a plan filled with the Abnormals of Class 13 as its subjects, but also one which ultimately looks to use the whole of Sandbox Academy as its testing ground.  It's this news that really sets Medaka's mind on the task at hand - getting to the core of the Flask Plan to find out all she can about it, and then quite possibly to destroy it.

Rather than involve the entire student council (which is currently run ragged with complaints about Class 13's members from students anyway), Medaka and Zenkichi choose to go it alone... or at least they would have done were it not for the interference of Shiranui in telling the other two council members what is going on and pointing them in the right direction.  They arrive not a moment too soon, with Medaka easily passing the first test of the Flask Plan's laboratory complex by entering a code of a million combinations correctly and leaving Hitoyoshi to pass through using his own abilities - a task which leaves him wavering until the others show him how its done.  A simple door is about to become the least of their problems however, as they reach their first true test within the complex...

After a sluggish and overly wordy first half that adapts the original manga faithfully but adds no frisson to account for its animated nature, I was a little worried that this series was going to start slipping in quality again after a decent enough start - thankfully, the second half of this week's instalment felt a little more energised in terms of both its subject matter and presentation to make things just that bit more compelling.  The real test for Medaka Box Abnormal is how it handles events to come however - this could just be the time to shine for this series, so it needs to make a convincing job of it.

Medaka Box Abnormal - Episode 2

Now that the Flask plan is out of the bag, things are about to get a lot tougher, and not just for Medaka Kurokami...

Indeed, it's Hitoyoshi that runs into trouble first as he encounters Oudo Miyakonojou - a majestic member of class thirteen and the Flash Plan who seems himself as ruler over all and sundry, to the point where those around him are completely immune to resist his commands.  While it's no surprise to see Zenkichi kneeling before Oudo at his command as he tries to ascertain the location of the suggestion box, it's entirely more surprising to see Medaka herself brought to her knees at his behest.  What's more, it seems that Miyakonojou has taken rather a shine to our protagonist, wanting to take her as his wife and thus asking (or rather, commanding) her to go on a date with him the following days.

If it wasn't already obvious to Medaka, it's now clear that she needs some serious additional training to cope with the problems about to be flung her way, and there's only one man up to the job of getting the best out of her - her brother Maguro.  Known as a wizard and a genius when it comes to management, strategy and maximising the potential of anything and everything, Medaka goes to Maguro in search of help despite his... "overbearing" affection for his sister.  Is he the man to suitably train both Medaka and Zenkichi in time for the former's dare with Oudo and to give them the tools they need to crush the Flask Plan?  Quite possibly...

Having dished out a fair dose of action and craziness to kick off Medaka Box Abnormal, things slow down a little here as a pre-cursor for what is to come - thankfully, even without any real action to speak of this still feels like a much improved effort over the show's first season, with some much-improved humour and, well, a feeling that GAINAX are actually making an effort in terms of animation quality and story-telling this time around.  Perhaps my having read the manga up to its current point in the gap between seasons is helping, but right now Medaka Box Abnormal seems to be simmering quite nicely - hopefully the next couple of instalments will well and truly bring it to the boil if this second season really can prove itself to be a cut above the first.

Medaka Box Abnormal- Episode 1

For all of the hopes placed upon it, Medaka Box turned out to be a decidedly poor and broadly dull showing from GAINAX - with better source material ahead and a second bite at its proverbial cherry, can this second season fare any better?

Following on directly from the first series, Abnormal's first episode brings us to the aftermath of Medaka Kurokami's defeat of Unzen, leaving a hefty chunk of the school requiring rebuilding and a gap normally filled by Unzen's role... not simply in the school disciplinary committee, but also in the secretive "Flask Plan" made up of members of the mysterious Class 13.  Called to the office of Hakoniwa Academy's chairman, Medaka is regaled to a brief explanation of the Flask Plan's existence, with Chairman Shiranui (yes, he is related to that Shiranui keen to get Medaka on-board as one of the purported "Abnormals" that the plan is looking to find and perfect.

Unsurprisingly, this doesn't exactly sound like Kurokami's cup of tea, and thus she refuses - a decision which is about to put her into a whole lot of danger when it comes to her interactions with the other Abnormals of the Flask Plan.  Before that however, it seems that Medaka has a direct rival for her place within the Flask Plan - Myouri Unzen's sister Myouga, a girl who wears (and attacks with) iron balls and chains and literally talks in numerical form.  With Medaka insisting on taking a pacifist stance in the face of what she sees as Myouga's unprovoked attack, things aren't looking good for the student council president... luckily for her Nabeshima has no such qualms about getting involved in an unnecessary fight, which sees her face-off against Unzen via her own unique style.

Only one episode in, Medaka Box Abnormal already feels like it has far more life to it than its predecessor, with more action and a plot far more interesting than simply answering requests in a suggestion box.  That isn't to say that this episode is a resounding success - it still feels as if GAINAX are "phoning in" the series in terms of animation quality and the like, which is a real worry as the show's action quote looks likely to ratchet up in this second season - but it at least has a lot more going to it from its insanely quirky characters through to the glee with which it compares itself so knowingly to other shounen offerings.  While even this show's source material can be a love/hate affair at the best of times (yes, I have read through the manga to date between the end of the first series and the start of Abnormal), simply recreating those feelings would be a definite step up from the dislike most people felt for the show's first season.