Saki - Episode of Side-A - Episode 1

After going into it with low expectations, I was amazed at how heavily I got into mahjong anime Saki by the time its original series came to a close, beginning a bit of a love affair with the game that has never fully dissipated since.  Although it isn't the second season of the series proper that we've been craving, this spring does at least fill that tile-sized hole in my heart courtesy of this Episode of Side-A side-story, written by the same author as the series proper.

Indeed, the link between this series and Saki itself takes no time to emerge, as we're introduced to a transfer student who goes by the rather familiar name of Nodoka Haramura.  Despite being a little aloof and with a rather unique dress sense, Nodoka soon strikes up a friendship with the energetic Shizuno and her buddy Ako.  The fun these girls have together is only amplified when Nodoka is introduced by the others to the mahjong club at Achiga Girls Academy - well, I say club, but "former club" would be the correct term, with its existence only continuing thanks to a legendary former player for the club Harue Akado, who keeps it running as "rehabilitation" for a particularly distressing defeat.

Of course, Harue isn't going to run the club forever, and her departure signals its ultimate demise, which in turn breaks up our group of friends with Ako choosing a different middle school to pursue her love of mahjong while Nodoka eventually finds herself transferring away on account of her mother's work.  The story seems to be over at this point, until a chance snippet of television viewing from Shizuno reveals Nodoka's new place as a middle school mahjong champion - a shock which fires up Shizuno to rekindle her love for the game and reform Achiga's mahjong club with the aim of meeting and playing against Nodoka once again.  But can she really build a club capable of qualifying for the national tournament when the area's neighbouring high school has such a fearsome reputation within the game?

If I were to have one criticism of this first episode of Episode of Side-A, it's that it covers too much too soon.  I realise that everything we see here is simply setting the stage for the important stuff to come, but it still feels rushed to the point where it's difficult to really enjoy or get to grips with the main characters or their emotional attachments to both one another and mahjong.  On the positive side however, I did feel that familiar Saki tingle when it came to the (admittedly brief) mahjong playing time itself, firing up my love of the game once again regardless of the daft and crazy but fun "superpowers" sported by the show's better players.  It's this that I'll be looking forward to more of from the rest of this series, and hopefully Episode of Side-A can deliver it in spades.

Natsuiro Kiseki - Episode 1

Four young girls with a shared dream believe they've found a rock at their local shrine that will allow them to achieve that shared ambition - if only life was that simple, eh?

Of course, in reality times change, people grow up and following your dreams can become tougher.  It's this kind of harsh reality that strikes two of the main characters as Natsuiro Kiseki (or "A Summer Coloured Miracle", if you prefer) begins.  While Natsumi Aizawa seems to have found her passion as a dedicated member of her middle school's tennis club, her partner in this sport and best friend Saki Mizukoshi seems to have lost her desire for the game and the drive to reach the national finals, seeking to avoid her friend and skip practice whenever possible.  Needless to say, the friction this generates soon reaches a head, with the two girls having a major falling out over the issue.

While their mutual friends Yuka and Rinko seem relatively unperturbed by this development - after all, friends fall out all the time when they're just kids - it soon becomes clear that there's more to Saki's behaviour than meets the eye, as the last day of school before the summer holidays brings with it the announcement that she's leaving the school as her family moves to Tokyo.  Although this might seem like a good time to put their current differences between them, the news serves only to further erect a barrier between them.  Ultimately, it's left to Yuka to do the best she can to reinvigorate the two girl's friendship, bringing the whole group back to the rock around which their previous promises were based.  Just as it seems as if the entire group's relationship are about to disintegrate entirely, a most unlikely wish is answered for the four girls...

Trying to ignore its utterly stupid "miracle" to finish this first episode (which takes our regular slice of life drama, glues it to our suspension of disbelief and then shatters it with a big hammer), this first episode of Natsuiro Kiseki was pretty much the epitome of "okay".  With four stereotypical characters, an equally predictable promise between them and an uninspired setting, this opener gives the impression of a by the numbers series designed to sell its voice actresses rather than do anything particularly interesting in terms of story or character development.  Perhaps the biggest issue with this first instalment is that it throws us straight into the show's drama without first building up the relationship between its four girls (and with the viewer for that matter) - say what you like about K-ON and its ilk, but at least it understands that we have to see the friendships between characters exhibited and developed before setting any cats amongst the proverbial pigeons.  Instead, Natsuiro Kiseki throws us straight into the drama, and as a result it doesn't really work because we haven't had any time to care about the characters or their relationships to one another, or indeed for their dreams and ambitions.  I get the feeling that the series doesn't care about such things however, provided we all pick our favourite character archetype and buy all the CDs and merchandise.

Lupin III: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna - Episode 1

A couple of points to kick off my coverage of this particular series - firstly, I've never watched any of Lupin III's previous outings before, and secondly I wasn't planning on watching this one until more details began to emerge about the staff working upon it came to light, in turn sending the hype machine into overdrive.

Even for newcomers to the franchise, it takes very little time to become accustomed to the lay of the land here, as we're quickly introduced to our titular master thief Arsene Lupin III himself, as well as the subtitular femme fatale Fujiko Mine, as they come into contact with one another  in the midst of a religious community in a beautiful place out in the... ocean.  The object of both party's interest is a rather particular narcotic, in the possession of the "priest" of this cult and the source of his power over his subjects.

Of course, these two thieves have very different ways of going about their criminal business - Fujiko has a body to die for and knows it, and her powers of seduction know no bounds, whereas Lupin's own abilities are no less subtle but a little less direct in their approach.  Nonetheless, neither individual is to be reckoned with, and thus we spend this opening episode watching both Lupin and Fujiko try to outsmart their cultist hosts as well as one another to find and retrieve the valuable drug at the heart of their efforts.  Before we know it, we're watching lipstick bullets flying around while a rocket-powered Buddha offers up a perfect escape plan.  But can either party succeed in their gambit?  Either way, it seems that Lupin's next target is a decidedly more personal one that, it seems, is going to take quite some stealing.

Right from the off, Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna (I don't know why I'm sticking with the Japanese title, but hey) screams "watch me" with his highly stylised and often incredibly striking animation style which carries a retro vibe which fits perfectly with the character designs, music and general feel of this first episode - it's good old-fashioned fun as we watch our two main characters face off against one another in ever more inventive ways to make for a perfect pair of anti-heroes.  In fact, so compelling is the ride this opener invites us aboard that the only real criticism I'd have is that on occasion the art style tries too hard to make an impact - there's a point where "heavily stylised" turns into "a mess"; a couple of scenes look like they've been interfered with by a small child bearing a black crayon, which in turn jars to the point of breaking you out of the mood of the piece, if only briefly.  Putting that to one side however, this first episode of Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna is a real triumph - it's smart, sexy and satisfying to watch.  Now, our next question is whether it can keep this level of quality moving forward throughout the series - based on this outing however, my hopes are high that it can continue in a similar vein.

Medaka Box - Episode 1

With an innate ability to be good at... well, pretty much anything really, it isn't a huge surprise to find Medaka Kurokami crowned the new student council president at her school, Hakoniwa Academy - a perfect starting point for new spring season shounen manga adaptation Medaka Box.

However, Medaka's big promise to gain that presidency by an incredible margin (winning 98% of the votes, as this episode is fond of reminding us) is a hugely ambitious one - a vow to solve the problems of any student within the academy at any time, no matter what that worry or issue might be.  Dragged into this project is Medaka's hapless childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, who seems to be rather the apple of her eye even if he can't quite see it for himself, perhaps blinded by his own soft centre when it comes to Medaka.

No sooner has the new president taken up residency than she finds herself tasked with her first duty - clearing a bunch of delinquents who have made themselves at home within the school's kendo club building.  With some rather fearsome kendo moves of her own and an overwhelming sense of superiority, setting this bunch of aggressive types straight proves to be no problem for her - but what of the student who requested her help in the first place?  There's more to this scenario than meets the eye, but thanks to Hitoyoshi and a little help from Medaka on account of the second request to drop into her suggestion box, all's well that ends well.  Except for Hitoyoshi perhaps, who finds himself offering to officially become part of the student council.

After growing in status markedly in recent years and starting this year by opening our eyes to the full gamut of uses for a toothbrush, it's now time for Nisio Isin's attempt at trying his hand at shounen manga to hit the small screen.  As opening episodes go this was decent enough if unspectacular for the most part - there were some small but notable moments which are hallmarks of the kind of dialogue and humour he's best known and most loved for, and Medaka and Hitoyoshi's characters both work almost surprisingly well in their respective roles.  It's too early to pick holes in the show's plot, with this warm-up instalment feeling a little rushed in places and clumsy in others, but the premise is in place for a show that could be pretty fun for the most part provided Gainax can find harmony between its visuals and reams of dialogue, which again occasionally threatened to become jarring on occasion.  Still, at least it can't be as dumb and boring as SKET Dance's early episodes, right?

Future Diary - Mirai Nikki - Episode 24

Now that the truth about Yuno Gasai and the third body in her house has been revealed, along with the true extent of the insanity of our favourite yandere, where on Earth can Mirai Nikki go next?

With the current world looking decidedly unstable, it seems that it's time to put an end to this survival game, with Murmur all set to crown Yuno as the victor once again - such thoughts are, however, a little premature, as Yukiteru refuses to go quietly.  With our protagonist both realising (finally) just how crazy Yuno is, and also conversely how crazy he is about Yuno, Yukkii's choice is to fight to save Yuno from her own fate - a decision which is, of course, easier said than done, especially with the guiding hand of Murmur around.

After being rescued from his fate by the re-appearance of an unlikely saviour in the form of Ninth, Yukiteru and Uryuu pursue Murmur and Yuno back in time - two years into the past to be precise, leaving us with a third world to consider as its own survival game begins its inception.  With all of the characters we've come to know throughout the series alive and kicking in this new world however, just who is Yukkii going to choose to save?  His main aim is to protect Yuno from her fate, but that soon becomes problematic once other people precious to Yukiteru are thrown into the mix.

Having tried to figure out just how and why Mirai Nikki's weekly dose of insanity works so well as an entertaining story, this particular episode perhaps proves perfectly what it does so well - stretching the viewer's suspension of disbelief to breaking point, only to snap it back into place thanks to the logic of a base premise that effectively allows the series to do whatever the hell it likes.  Thus, this episode has our characters flying around like an FPS video game character with "noclip" turned on, yet we barely bat an eyeline because the episode also points out that this makes sense within the show's world.  On top of all that, the introduction of time travel now leaves us with a deliciously complex and convoluted finale to the series which manages to bring back previously deceased characters while leaving our focus on Yukiteru and Yuno, which is as it should be.  Once again, Mirai Nikki manages to get away with being absolutely bonkers while remaining no less enjoyable for its deluded insanity which seems to have little respect for the human condition.  It shouldn't work, but by god it does, if only by the skin of its teeth at times.

Space Brothers - Episode 1

Have two brothers ever been born at such fateful times as Mutta and Hibito Nanba?  While the former's birth coincided with a Japanese sporting disaster as they failed to qualify for a World Cup at the last possible second, the latter's occurred on the same day as a legendary baseball triumph - events which seem to mirror the fortunes of the brothers themselves.

Some years later, we rejoin these two brothers as another pivotal moment of their life matches up with a memorable sporting event - as Zinedine Zidane is having a close encounter of the first kind in the World Cup Final, Mutta and Hibito, our two siblings are having a close encounter of the third kind, with a fun expedition to explore their local area leading them to see what seems to be a UFO.  Needless to say, this is a huge moment of inspiration for both of them, leading to them both promising to become astronauts to pursue the dream of reaching the Moon and beyond.

Fast forward to 2025, and that dream has come true... for one of the brothers at least.  With Hibito all set to join a team of NASA astronauts on a trip to the moon, it seems that the younger brother has outstripped his elder sibling, who is having a rather more difficult time having lost his job as a car designer following a "Zidane moment" of his own.  Of course, finding a new job after that incident is nigh-on impossible, but perhaps for once good fortune is smiling upon Mutta as his childhood promise comes back to haunt him, bringing him one step closer to becoming an astronaut himself in the process.

With a live-action movie in production alongside this animated adaptation, Space Brothers is big news in Japan for 2012 and, judging by this opening episode, it's easy to see why.  There's an easy sense accomplished story-telling here, mixing up just enough drama and comedy within its family-friendly, feel-good plot to engage and entertain in equal measure.  Ignoring the huge leap that comes from believing that an unemployed car designer would be accepted as an application to become an astronaut, this was a fun opener that brought us plenty of engaging characters and some laugh out loud moments set against a subtle but ever-present emotional and moral backdrop.  The real trick for this series will be keeping that kind of level of engagement up across a full TV anime series (which is where a one-off movie seems better suited to the subject matter perhaps), but this is a promising start with the kind of story and delivery that could easily draw in those who wouldn't typically watch anime given its premise.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the series can do with its concept - I just hope it has the legs to go the distant while it's reaching for the stars.

Persona 4: The Animation - Episode 25 (Completed)

It's always a little worrying when you hear news of an OVA "True End" episode before you've finished watching a series proper itself, but anyhow, here we are at the TV finale of Persona 4's animated outing.

Narukami and company might have finally tracked down and outed the individual responsible for starting the string of murders and disappearances around Yasoinaba, but the culprit in question is hardly repentant for what he's done - far from it in fact, he seems to be welcoming the merger of reality and the world of Shadows in the hope that the latter will take hold and bring forth what he sees a more suitable place for himself give his apathy towards the real world which he's fed up of.  There are, however, still signs that this isn't entirely the case, as a refusal to pull the trigger and kill Narukami exhibits, and ultimately its the strength of will of our heroes which turns things around and puts paid to their final opponent.

At least, that's the end of the line for their final human opponent, as they soon face an ever graver concern in the form of Ameno-sagiri, the being who created the world beyond the television and the Midnight Channel within it, even going as far as to suggest that he allowed select individuals to enter this world by his own will.  That said, the being in question claims to simply be the will of mankind, who seek to escape reality at every corner by creating their own false worlds to enjoy and worship.  He may have a point, but he has reckoned without the strengths of the bonds between our group of heroes - when push comes to shove and Narukami's life is in danger of being extinguished, their reaction is sufficient to win the day, sealing this mysterious world before it collides with reality - for now, at least.

So Persona 4: The Animation comes to an end (well, kind of) in a hugely satisfying and well-produced finale which worked perfectly to tie up the series and bring us a happy ending to proceedings.  Despite its early mis-steps, which were thankfully quickly cleared up, watching Persona 4 has been a terrific experience from my perspective of someone who hasn't played the original game beyond a few hours after starting to watch the series.  It's rare to find a series that manages to make its story elements which could be regarded as "filler" so consistently entertaining, and at times these comedic side-stories threatened to eclipse the main thrust of the series itself - thankfully, when it came to the crunch the show's "proper" story-telling was similarly impactful, with its only disappointments coming courtesy of some cop-outs and odd decisions from the source material rather than anything this adaptation specifically got wrong.  With a UK release on the horizon, I'll genuinely be looking forward to watching Persona 4: The Animation again in the future, and as an example in how to adapt a video game to anime well this must surely be one of the strongest reference cases out there.  It's a job incredibly well done for the most part, and I hope that its "True End" bonus episode does nothing to spoil that.