Level E - Episode 1

The Earth is packed full of aliens - good and bad, common and endangered, all roaming around the planet and largely minding their own business... not that humans seem to have noticed this yet however.

To be honest though, aliens are the last things on the mind of Yukitaka Tsutsui - he's finally managed to move away and get a place of his own courtesy of a scholarship as an ace baseball player for Kisaragi High School, and there's even a cute girl living next door to him in his new apartment complex.  What could possibly be better?  Not walking into his new home for the first time only to find that some strange, blonde-haired guy has already made himself at home and pinched some of this clothes, I would imagine.

Of course, this striking individual claims to be an alien who has crash-landed and lost his memory - a likely story it seems, until he produces what seems to be a piece of alien technology to bolster his argument; a piece of technology that Tsutsui inadvertently uses to blow up his new friends escape pod-cum-spaceship.  After much to-ing and fro-ing, Yukitaka eventually agrees to allow his bizarre house guest to stay for one night at least, but before he knows it he's pulled into all sorts of trouble that certainly proves that this individual is an alien, but also leaves him harbouring a possible alien murderer.

As opening episodes go, this was actually a pretty entertaining affair - think Occult Academy meets Men in Black.  While the verbal sparring between Tsutsui and his unwanted guest are highly improbable coming from the mouth of an amnesiac, crash-landed alien, that doesn't stop them being pretty snappy and funny, allowing the first half of the episode to breeze along on its comedy alone.  As the episode progresses we get into more serious territory as our alien friend's true form and the lengths he's willing to go to in order to protect himself seem to be emerging - this leaves the future direction of the series and exactly where it plans to head in the balance, but it's a case of so far so good for this show that nobody seems to be talking about right now.  Could it be a little hidden gem of the winter season?  Only time will tell.

Bakuman - Episode 14

Although coming in third place in the final questionnaires after being feature in Jack NEXT seems pretty decent to most people, it simply isn't good enough for our pair of wannabe manga artists - a feel of disappointment that leads to them tearing up their current ideas and deciding to go back to creating some good, old-fashioned battle manga instead.

Of course, this decision proves to be difficult in a number of ways - Akito tries to get into the right mindset by sparring with Miyoshi (never a good idea, incidentally), while Moritaka looks to hone his drawing skills by copying images from all of the popular series he can get his hands on.  Still, at least these two boys aren't the only ones coming across new obstacles while following their dreams, as Miyoshi reports that Azuki has failed some voice actress auditions as she attempts to follow her own dreams.

The next obstacle for Moritaka and Akito is their editor Hattori, who is pretty much incensed at their plans to return to attempting to create mainstream manga which he (quite rightly, if you ask me) feels is a waste of their talents and potential.  As these two sides argue the toss about the best way forward in the Jack offices, it turns out that Eiji Nizuma's editor is having an even harder time thanks to the blasé attitude of his oddball charge.  While Nizuma creating chapters for an entirely different manga to the one the magazine had chosen to serialise, Moritaka and Akito end up meeting their big rival for the first time... only to find out that Eiji loved their work on "Money and Intelligence", while also getting a first-hand view of what makes him the manga-making genius that he is as Nizuma knocks out a couple of names in half an hour.  Amazingly, even this doesn't dissuade our two main lads from their currently chosen path, so it looks as though its going to be a continuing struggle to produce decent mainstream manga for them for the time being.

As much as I have a pretty intense dislike for Eiji Nizuma during the course of Bakuman thus far, it has to be said that he added a lot to this particular episode, thanks not only to his self-centred shenanigans but also by immediately creating an intriguing dynamic between himself and Akito and Moritaka which I'm hoping will be explored further in future episodes.  Overall, this episode was entertaining without doing anything incredible or out of left-field, which probably goes to show that it's enjoyable on account of its characters and their simple trials and tribulations rather than anything deeper or more complex.  That's absolutely fine by me, so long may the series continue along its current path.

Star Driver - Episode 14

A new opening title sequence means that we're now officially into the second half of Star Driver's narrative.  Who knows, maybe we'll even see some stuff happen in the remaining twelve episodes?

That said, everything is pretty much "as you were" for the first half of this episode - Mizuno is still running around and riding on buses like a little kid, to the point where she ends up leaving her shoes on the top of said bus on one occasion, meaning that she ends up needing a piggyback ride from Takuto to make it home.  Still, things between Mizuno and Takuto seem to be going pretty swimmingly from her point of view, as she's granted the lead female role in the drama club's latest production which involves a kiss scene... of course, Takuto is the male lead in this production, which leaves Wako feeling just a little big jealous.

Away from these high school hijinks there are more important concerns at hand however, with the Glittering Crux Brigade preparing to repair and launch Ayingott, which should give them the ability to search for the remaining and as yet undiscovered maidens on the island.  Of course, with Marino the designated pilot of said Cybody, she's determined that she isn't going to give away the secret about Mizuno, but as we enter the inevitable Zero Time aspect of the series it's clear that this is going to be a rather different Cybody sortie.  Instead of the usual brief fight between Tauburn and whoever Takuto's opponent happens to be, instead we see Ayingott's search for the missing maiden turn into something else entirely, as this Cybody corrupts and takes over its pilot, leading Ayingott to attack Takuto.  Of course, this attack is beaten down swiftly enough and with a minimum of fuss but hey, at least it made a bit of a change right?  Come the end of it all, Marino swears that her Cybody was unable to find their all-important missing maiden but let's face it; she isn't exactly the most convincing of liars, setting things up for some major drama in the next week or two.

While a week away from Star Driver over the new year didn't exactly leave me refreshed and ready to face this series again, I do have to hand it to episode fourteen for at least posting some definite improvements over the constant repetition we've seen in recent weeks.  Yes, the overall episode layout is tiresomely similar to what we've seen for the previous thirteen instalments, but the early slice of life comedy was a little sharper (to make me smile a couple of times if nothing else), and the actual Cybody battle and Zero Time segment of the episode was easily the best we've had so far with a little more at stake for all parties involved.  That said, I do have to point out that pretty much everything that was good about the second half of this episode was blatantly stolen from Evangelion (and more specifically its recent movies), but if pinching cool visual concepts and ideas from that series makes Star Driver better than I say go for it.

Overall, this episode hasn't left me with renewed confidence that this series has a clue what it's doing or what its end-game is, but it's at least managed to find a little more potential and promise to keep me watching for the time being.  If only it hadn't taken so long to do so...

To Aru Majutsu no Index II - Episode 13

After what seems like about twenty years of running around, largely aimlessly, To Aru Majutsu no Index II's latest story arc finally takes us to an out of the way airfield for said arc's finale.

Cue what really turns into little more than a glorified and magic-infused punch-up, with Oriana on one side and Stiyl and Touma on the other, with the usual shifting balance of power and aggression that such scraps bring coupled with chunks of dialogue as Touma in particular tries to convince is opponent of the error of her ways... before giving up on that and just punching her in the face a few times instead.

Despite defeating Oriana however, the problem of the Croce Di Pietro and its impending activiation still remains, and with news filtering through that this religious device is in place outside of Academy City and just minutes away from being activated, it appears as though all hope is lost and there's nothing that Touma and company can do about it.  What sort of miracle can possibly save the day at a time like this?

Fireworks.  Yes, that's right ladies and gentleman - fireworks are our saviour here, blocking the view of the stars in the sky and thus preventing Croce Di Pietro's activation.  In other words, this entire god damned story arc was a complete waste of time - Oriana was little more than a decoy, and Lidvia's plans were never going to work from the start because she hadn't checked the timetable for the bloody school sports day!  With that all done and dusted, we're left with a few Touma-related items to polish things off at his end, while Lidvia seemingly gets her come-uppance as she tries to flee with the Croce Di Pietro - or does she?

I'm not going to beat about the bush here - this story arc sucked, horribly so.  After all of those episodes of running around and wasting time with frivolities, the entire plan by the Roman Catholic church to take over Academy City was defeated by motherfucking fireworks?!  It's almost enough to make Endless Eight's ending feel like a deep and complex way to end an otherwise overly long story.  On the positive side there were some nicely done shots of animation during Touma and Stiyl's fight with Orsola, but that's scant consolation for a story arc that dragged us along for so many episodes for the sake of a fireworks display.  Words fail me, they really do....

Gosick - Episode 1

In case you're wondering no, Gosick isn't about taking a day off sick from work because you can't be bothered to sit in an office all day when there's new anime to be watched.  That said, maybe that isn't such a bad idea for a new show in this day and age...

Anyhow, instead of all of that Studio BONES' adaptation of the Gosick light novel series finds us within the fictional European country of Saubure, at a prestigious academy at the base of the Alps.  We're introduced to this setting via Kujo Kazuya, a Japanese living in Saubure who has already earned himself the nickname of the "Dark Reaper" on account of his jet black hair and dark eyes... a rather harsh nickname to be given, as it turns out he's actually rather a nice chap.  Still, misfits coming together as they tend to in such series, and with Kazuya advised by his teacher to read up on some ghost stories to help him make some friends, a trip to the library soon introduces Kujo to a mysterious blonde and slightly creepy "doll" who seems to have told him a fortune of some kind.

Of course, this is no doll in reality, but instead one of Kazuya's classmates (although she rarely actually bothers with such frivolities as classes) - a girl named Victorique (played by Aoi Yuuki doing her Murasaki from Kurenaivoice, of which I heartily approve) who seems to be a bit of a genius when is comes to solving locked room mysteries in a flash and without a hint of effort.  A good job too, as we soon see her visited by the eccentric detective Grevil de Blois - you can tell he's eccentric because of his hair, by the way.  Of course, Grevil uses Victorique's intellect to solve a seemingly insoluble crime as Kazuya looks on, before going off to claim the glory (and a rather nifty prize or two) as if he solved the murder in question himself.  Once Kazuya gets wind of this he demands a share of the spoils with Victorique in mind, only to set in motion a chain of events which soon accelerate as it becomes clear that there was more to this murder case than first met the eye.

Starting out on the positive side of this opener to Gosick, there are certainly things for me to like here.  For starters, you can't go wrong with a good murder mystery particularly when that mystery is a locked room affair, and from that point of view this show promises to be some kind of Jonathan Creek with a young girl who pretends to smoke a pipe - I loved her lightning-fast solution to the case presented to her, which turned the usually long and arduous solutions to such things on its head.  Indeed, Victorique's character seems a lot of fun all around in this episode - cutesy on the one hand, an oddball on the other, all exquisitely voiced and with plenty to keep us guessing about this all-important character.

Away from that, elements of this instalment somehow felt a bit "messy" - Kazuya seems was likeable enough I suppose and the other supporting characters did their job, but the tail-end of the episode felt a little rushed and ill-considered to the point where it almost spoiled what had gone before.  It's too early to start criticising a series for having ill-judged pacing, but the balance of episode one seemed "off" to me, and I hope it isn't an issue that's going to plague the series as it feels like an outing that has some compelling tales to tell.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Episode 1

It's always nice to see some original anime works in any new season line-up, and this time around we've been served up an intriguing affair for winter 2011 - a SHAFT-produced, Shinbo-directed magical girl affair with character designs by Ume Aoki of Hidamari Sketch fame.

This opening episode sets out its stall in terms of eye-catching backdrops and scenery immediately, dropping us into a world seemingly on the brink of collapse and the show's titular character Madoka watching an unknown girl fighting (and seemingly losing) a battle of some kind while some bizarre (yet cute) creature tells Madoka that she can change her destiny with the powers she possesses if she becomes a magical girl.

Of course, all of this turns out to be a dream, allowing us time to be introduced to Madoka's every day life - a swish, spacious futuristic house, devoted parents and some great friends.  Of course, it isn't long before things start to get a little odd for our future magical girl, and this descend into all sorts of insanity begins with the introduction of a mysterious transfer student (aren't they always) named Homura Akemi; a girl who also looks uncannily like the one Madoka saw in her dream.  Indeed, Akemi seems to have an interest in Madoka as well, eventually asking her for help finding the nurse's office at school only to deliver a decidedly odd speech on how important it is for Madoka to be herself.

If that wasn't odd enough, things really take a turn for the surreal as a visit by Madoka and her friend Miki Sayaka to a CD store ends up with Madoka finding herself called by the despairing cries of the odd creature from her dream, which in turn sees her coming face to face with Akemi.  Throw in a descent into madness (or stepping into a Beatles music video perhaps - it was near a CD shop after all) and an encounter with another magical girl, and you have yourself a thoroughly odd introductory instalment.

Certainly, if there's one thing to be said about Puella Magi Madoka Magica from this first episode it's that it succeeds in catching the eye - we're used to flashes of SHAFT's visual insanity, but it's often relegated to opening or ending credits rather than a pivotal moment of an episode, and its use here is jarring and psychedelic but nonetheless pretty effectively.  Similarly, the precise, angular backdrops (a la Bakemonogatari) gives the show a very futuristic aesthetic which doesn't mesh entirely with the slightly sketchy feel of the characters themselves in my head just yet, but again it's an intriguing clash that may well work in the long run.

As for the plot itself, it's really far too early to say where it's heading - for an opening episode it certainly set everything up pretty solidly and gave us a feel for its major characters, but the real key to the show's success is going to be where it goes from here.  Either way, this looks likely to be the season's most eye-catching (and arguably its most ambitious) series, so let's hope it has a story, plot and character development to match.

Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season - Episode 0

So it's new anime season time again!  That said, this is looking like a pretty quiet one for me at first glance, so judging by what tickled my fancy writing the new season preview I'll probably only pick up half a dozen shows this series at best.  That said, first out of the bag is probably also the one I'm looking forward to the most, that being a second season of Kimi ni Todoke.

Of course, as you might have gathered from the title this isn't the start of the new series in the strictest sense, instead we're re-introduced to the show via some wistful monologue and flashbacks from Kurumi (or Ume, if you prefer).  In other words yes, this is pretty much a recap episode.

That said, if you're hoping that you can simply skip watching the first season (if you haven't already seen it, you philistines!) via this recap then prepare to be disappointed - this episode is far more a vehicle to ease existing fans back into the swing of things rather than an introduction to anyone new to the franchise.  Thus, Sawako's character and its development is barely touched, it's tough to get any real feel on why Kazehaya and Sawako are so close, and most of the other supporting characters are ignored entirely in favour of focusing on the rivalry between Kurumi and Sawako as it grows, peaks and boils over, suggesting that we'll be seeing more of this as the second season gets underway properly no doubt.

For those of us who are already fans of Kimi ni Todoke, this interesting angle of attack as recap episodes go worked well enough - it certainly refreshed some of the show's great moments in my head which is always welcome, while also acting as something of a taster for what's to come.  That said, a recap is still a recap, so with that out of the way let's get straight back to where we left things back in March of last year!