Series Reviews:

Genshiken –

Our starter for this semester was one I had not seen since I was in high school.  At the time, I was rather amused with it, but after re-watching the first season, I found that the series hasn’t held up as well as I had thought.  Let me be clear:  It’s not a bad series; I don’t think so, anyway.  But whenever Genshiken’s not poking a good-natured elbow in the ribs of hardcore anime fans, the overall result is disappointing.  The humor tends to be awkwardly spaced; whole episodes can go by with scarcely a slice of wit to hold interest, relying instead on the (mostly bland) antics of local basket-case Madarame to keep the whole thing from grinding to a halt.  Add to that rather generic BGM and character design, and what’s left is a series So Okay, It’s Average.  You could do worse than this dull little piece of work, but you could do much better as well.

Wolf’s Rain –

Ain't he pretty?

I must admit, I was pretty skeptical about this series.  Just looking at the character designs made me shudder; I like bishounen as much as the next fan, but I didn’t walk in expecting much in the way of, well, anything else.  Thankfully, Wolf’s Rain does not disappoint.  It has its issues, mind you; the plot moves at the pace of cheap pancake syrup and the dialogue can sometimes suffer as a result.  But thus far, it’s been nothing short of a treat to watch.  The backgrounds and character animation are, as expected, fantastic, with real eye for detail and cohesion.  And the music! Man, Kanno-sensei should really go make an album or something.  If she does stuff like this for a show… Ah, I digress.  Anyway, if this series can overcome its pacing problems and deliver its already unique story already, then it’s well on its way to becoming a favorite of mine.

Outlaw Star –

Ah yes, the nostalgia factor for this semester.  I never caught the original run on Toonami, but I regret it now.  Though all too often obscured by what appears to be a rave party’s missing strobe light, what we have here is an excellent example of good, clean fun.  This is what happens when you mix a catchy opening, pretty characters and related art, kick-ass action, the burning of the laws of physics, and a psychic cactus (!) into the same anime.  Though it sounds difficult to believe that such a series could even get off the ground, I believe that Outlaw Star has been nothing but entertaining.  I’m not without some reservations, though; apart from the frequent screen flashes, I can only hope that all this fantastic build-up goes somewhere in next semester’s episodes.  But even if it doesn’t, that’s okay, too.  I’m having too much fun to care, anyway.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni –

(Sonozaki Shion did it with the hatchet in the hospital room!)

To me, the plot reads a tad bit like Lost or some such show, as it raises far more questions than it answers along the way.  Stick with it though, and your patience is well-rewarded.  Higurashi is all about the atmosphere.  From the epic, haunting opening theme to just before the laughable ending theme kicks in, you are yanked by the collar into a fantastic blend of murder, violence, horror, and moe.  No, seriously: Trying to explain the sheer emotional whiplash in the first arc is futile.  For something as unique as this, you must experience its horror in order to truly appreciate the effort that went into its crafting.  Do not be fooled by its appearance: Beyond a few moments of animation-failure and some loli-fanservice, it’s nothing short of horrifyingly excellent.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha –

Ah, yes.  Nanoha.  Hm.

…

To be frank, I find that despite all evidence to the contrary, this isn’t a bad show.  It’s not a good show, not by a long shot, but it at least retains enough of a sense of purpose to function, hampered as it is by the occasional loli S&M-scene.  Though it has more than its fair share of shortcomings, Nanoha retains at least enough integrity to seek out and entertain an audience.  In that regard, it’s clear to see where the various efforts from preproduction went:  Every last thread of Nanoha went into increasing its ability to hold the attention of an audience desiring cute little girls who fire giant lasers at each other (and occasionally a bad guy or two).  In that regard, it succeeds.  Season 1 serves nearly every trope in the magical girl textbook on the rocks with a twist of lime.  It takes itself so seriously, in fact, that it’s irresistibly fun to mock when the occasion presents itself!  (Need a quick way to get hammered? Why not watch the last few episodes and play the “Nanoha/Feito-chan” drinking game? XD)

He has very little screen-time, but still enough to temper the raw loli in this show.

While not always not a ponderous case of mediocre art and music acting as a backdrop for hyper-sexualized grade-school girls who talk like teenagers (have no fear, though; plenty of that to be had), Nanoha does do a few things differently.  Fate’s very presence, for example, adds a much needed dose of originality to a series largely entrenched in cramming as much mundane moe per episode as possible.  Plus, perhaps in an effort to dilute the loli somewhat, the artists were kind enough to throw in Yuuno and Chrono to break up the monotony.  (Props, guys!) Still, Nanoha (and its superior sequels) has more than found its niche, and that’s well and good if you ask me.  If lolis and lasers are your thing, look no further.  If you’re looking for the next Card Captor Sakura, though, please seek such admirable quality elsewhere.

ClaΨmore –

Just when you think that the shounen-action genre has done it all, ClaΨmore tosses out some of the most time-honored traditions of an action series in favor of atmosphere, style, and an undeniable penchant for some remarkably human drama.  Although it does occasionally suffer from some of the usual pitfalls (so-so pacing, fight scenes that waver between wickedly celeritous and horribly drawn-out), the over effort is quite solid.  The art is crisp and well polished, and the characters make for quite an entertaining cast to watch.  Though the theme songs stick to the ears quite nicely, I wish the same could be said for the actual soundtrack.  It’s good, just not something I’ll be humming anytime soon.  So far, so good; let’s hope it stays that way.

Baccano! –

Oh.  Oh my.  Without a doubt, this became the showstopper for this semester.  Man, I could gush for a page or so about just how damn good this series is, but I’ll keep this simple in the interest of keeping things moving:  Baccano! is one of the best examples I’ve seen in the last decade of how to weave art and entertainment into a seamless, unified whole.  The atmosphere is superior; creative character design, fantastic backgrounds, and a perfectly crafted soundtrack all help to shape the stylish, classy, and refined demeanor of this series.  Acting in tandem is the equally well-penned story, filled with excellent humor, drama, romance, action, and insanity, and always in the best of taste.  And if that weren’t enough, the whole thing’s topped off with an opening theme that rivals “Tank!” Yeah, I said it.  The only bad part? The long wait to see if Aniplex adapts more of the series.

The masters at work.

And last but not least:

Ouran High School Host Club –

Why is this picture here? No reason, really. Just 'cause.

It’s been a quite while since I’ve seen Ouran, so the initial excitement I had during its original run has long since died down.  Upon watching the series again, I find that (to my relief) it has aged quite well indeed.  While not the best anime I’ve ever seen, Ouran remains an impressive effort in every aspect.  The animation is fluid and well-directed, aided by polished backgrounds, and a real knack for chiaroscuro and cute character design.  Though the writing quality can waver from time to time, the humor is witty and the drama is genuine.  An episode’s laughs are usually a careful mix of good-natured pokes at otakudom, ridiculous visual gags, a few puns, and, of course, a clever insult or two.  While it may appear forced at first, Ouran’s solid script manages to keep the drama out of the sickeningly-sweet and win a genuine emotional response each time thanks to an all-star cast and their delivery of the good dialogue they were written.  The music, a series of orchestral pieces, only serves to enhance the nature of the scenes, be it a case of shoujo-melodrama, a bit of curious backstory, or just Tamaki being silly again.  And throughout it all, Ouran keeps things tasteful, delighting with a rare brand of charm and class usually absent from modern shoujo.  It’s more than willing to treat its audience with intelligence and respect, and it shows, even halfway through the series.  Even if you aren’t part of the targeted psychographic, be sure to give Ouran a chance.  In all likelihood, you will not be disappointed.

Movie:

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro –

I’ve never actually seen the Lupin series, but I found that that didn’t seem to prevent me from enjoying this film.  I had only passing knowledge of who the main characters were, yet I couldn’t help but be entertained by the just how well such a simple piece works.  The concept itself is elementary: Take an international caper, throw in some classy thieves, some fantastic Ghibli art, a harrowing car chase, and more than a few jokes to make for nothing less than a first-rate, good-old-fashioned Cops and Robbers film.  Complex?  Nah.  Fun?  Every minute.  Just watching the titular thief himself outsmart the best Interpol and the bad guys have to offer alone is worth it.

OVA:

Shinesman –

Ladies and gentlemen, I have but one line for you:  “Sheena, get in the glowing, green square.”

Oh, sure:  I could on for a paragraph or two about the Super Sentai history and this and that, but that’s futile.  No, all that must (or can) be said about this OVA is summed up in that one, hilarious quote.  This is how you write parody, simple as that.  It’s fun to laugh at, it’s fun to laugh with, and if you ever saw Power Rangers or Super Sentai, the jokes are just that much better.  Ignore the subbed verision; only the gag-dub is worth it, lest you watch in horror as the best jokes fall flat.

Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen.  I hope the past semester was as good for you as it was for me.  Thoughts?

12:00 - Elemental Gerade 1
12:25 - Fate/stay night 2 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 1
12:50 - Nabari no Ou 1
1:15 - Cowboy Bebop 1
1:40 - BREAK
1:50 - Hayate the Combat Butler 1 & 2
2:40 - Planetes 1
3:05 - GAMESHOW!!!
3:50 - [movie] Origin: Spirits of the Past
5:30 - DINNER
6:30 - Romeo x Juliet 1
6:55 - Genshiken 13 - 15
8:10 - BREAK
8:30 - Wolf's Rain 13 & 14
9:20 - Outlaw Star 13
9:45 - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 13
10:10 - BREAK
10:25 - Cowboy Bebop 6
10:50 - Baccano! 14 -16

Notice that at our first meeting, we will be showing the classic Lupin III movie, The Castle of Cagliostro (Aug. 29).  We will be advertising the movie more as the beginning of the semester nears.

This semester, we have five series that will be making their CJAS premieres, all of which have been released in the past few years in the U.S. Higurashi no Kaku Koro ni is a horror series about a small town and its mysterious annual festival. Newly-arrived Keiichi must attempt to uncover the secret behind Hinamizawa’s disappearances and murders before he meets the same fate. In Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Nanoha Takamichi is a normal Japanese grade-schooler who, after finding a shape-shifting ferret, gets mixed up in an intergalactic crisis. Claymore focuses on Claire, a Claymore warrior whose purpose is the eradication of Yoma, monsters that feed on humans. Along the way, they have to fight to keep their own humanity intact or face the consequences. Baccano! features a story about immortals, the mob, and one unforgettable train ride, set in the 1920s. The many seemingly disconnected threads do eventually weave together into a coherant picture; in the meantime, enjoy the ride! And I hope you have your ticket… Ouran High School Host Club is a brilliant send-up of the shojo genre that plays off just about every archetype imaginable while still managing to have compelling characters of its own. This is a series that can be enjoyed by jaded veterans and newcomers alike.

In addition to these new series and the movie, we will be showing three popular series and one very popular OVA from past schedules. In Genshiken, a freshman is drawn deeper and deeper into the mysterious world of “anime”, thanks to his school club “Genshiken”, the biggest bunch of weirdos ever to assemble in a single room to discuss “Why This Week’s Episode of Kujibiki Unbalance Was Awsome”. Wolf’s Rain, an elegantly melancholy post-apocalyptic anime, features a group of shape-shifting wolves searching for paradise in a world where they’re supposed to be extinct. In Outlaw Star, outlaw Gene Starwind, his young partner Jim Hawking, and their motley crew battle against space pirates and law enforcement alike in pursuit of the ultimate treasure. We end our semester schedule with Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman, a parody of the famous Super Sentai series. This one is a real “can’t miss” OVA.

Below are the complete summaries of everything we will be showing.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Keiichi Maebara moves from the big city to the small town of Hinamizawa, which appears at first glance to be a simple countryside village. He soon discovers, however, that the town has suffered a series of mysterious disappearances and outright murders which no one seems willing to talk about. When he starts finding clues left behind by one of the villagers who disappeared, he becomes increasingly suspicious of his new friends, and attempts to aid the police in solving the incidents while avoiding suffering the same fate. While this series seems at first to be quite light-hearted, its dark nature quickly seeps through the cracks of the town’s idyllic façade, and it becomes a genuinely creepy (and at times disturbing) experience.

Ouran High School Host Club
In this brilliant parody of the stereotype-laden shojo genre, poor, study-absorbed nerd Haruhi Fujioka enters a rich high school only to be mistaken for a boy and forced to work as a “host” for the academy’s young ladies. Her Host Club colleagues present themselves to customers as well-worn shojo archetypes, from the adorably earnest princely leader to the childish-seeming short kid (voiced by and greatly resembling Momiji from Fruits Basket). Off the clock, though, their motives for acting the way they do vary from conniving desire for profit to mischief-craving ennui to genuine starry-eyed passion for making upper-class young ladies’ days. The whole affair is presented in a very self-aware, hyperbolic way which plays off of just about every shojo trope out there while still managing to have compelling characters of its own, creating a show which can be enjoyed by jaded fans and newcomers alike.

Outlaw Star
In this sci-fi adventure, Gene Starwind and his young partner Jim Hawking run a shop that “fixes any problem, from engines to relationships;” but an encounter with a mysterious outlaw woman thrusts them well over their heads into conflict with pirates. Joined with the bio-android Melfina, Gene sets out to find out the truth behind his new ship, the Outlaw Star, as well as Melfina herself. The series features an ensemble of colorful characters, each motivated by their own disparate goals. The series begins as a straightforward action-adventure, combining an old West lawlessness with high-technology space sci-fi. Outlaw Star gets better and better as it progresses, however, eventually culminating in a highly-symbolic climax and addressing themes of self-determination, identity, and what it means to be human. A definite classic.

Wolf’s Rain
People say that wolves have become extinct centuries before. People are wrong: wolves have just become better at hiding. As humanity shelters beneath huge domes that shelter them from the frozen wastes outside, wolves wander among them, disguised as humans themselves, with only the most subtle of signs to give them away. And while humans seem to have given up on both science and beauty, the wolves have their own lore and legends. Among them, it speaks of paradise. Four wolves have decided to find paradise, dragging others along with them and upending parts of what remains of the world in their passage. But nothing is free, and on this cold earth, prices are higher than most.

Claymore
This series takes place in a world of abundant towns where humans coexist with shape-changing demons called Yoma.  These monsters hide in human form until they feed on humans.  As they feed, they take possession of the memories of those they eat, allowing them to better disguise themselves.  A group of skilled Claymore warriors protect humans from these demons.  The story follows the adventures of the beautiful Claymore warrior Clare, who fights demons and struggles to hold on to her humanity.
[Summary adapted from TVRage]

Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
This movie is a crossover between two fine old franchises: Hayao Miyazaki and Lupin III. Many anime pay tribute to (or parody) this movie, especially the bits with the clocktower. Can our dashing young thief (a blend of James Bond and Inspector Gadget), along with his gunman, swordman, sometimes-girlfriend, and the cop that’s perpetually a step behind, manage to find the treasure, defeat the evil Count, and rescue the princess? Well, of course! But don’t you want to see HOW?

Baccano!
An old mobster tries to recreate the elixer that made him immortal. An immortal child seeks a safe haven. A girl looks for her brother. A young mobster starts out to make a name for himself. Two clueless but surprisingly competent thieves take a train ride. A younger set of thieves realize they picked the wrong train to rob when a mob war breaks out in the dining car. And those bloodstains seem to indicate that “Rail Tracer” is killing everyone in sight. There is also a fire, a homunculus, a stolen bottle of elixer, lots of fancy hats and costume changes, at least one car chase, and more gunplay than you can imagine, in, and this is the kicker, no particular order.

Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman
Aliens have secretly invaded Earth and are trying to take over!…But since they’re attempting an economic takeover, who better to protect us than a group of costumed businessmen? They just shouldn’t have been allowed to choose their own colors…Cheer on Shinesmen Red, Grey, Sepia, Salmon Pink and Moss Green as they simultaneously save the day, seal the deal, get romantically entangled with aliens, visit a theme park, inspire children, discover new powers, and start more plot threads than can possibly be resolved in two episodes!

12:00 Getbackers 1
12:25 Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok
12:50 Kyo Kara Maoh! 1
 1:15 Kyo Kara Maoh! 2
 1:40 Break
 1:55 Neotokyo
 2:45 Planetes 1
 3:10 Eureka 7 1
 3:35 Eureka 7 2
 4:00 Break
 4:15 CJAS Game Show
 4:45 Infinite Ryvius 1
 5:10 Samurai 7 1
 5:35 Now and Then, Here and There 1
 6:00 Dinner
 7:00 Shadow Star Narutaru 1
 7:25 Hare Nochi Guu 1
 7:50 Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! 12
 8:15 Samurai Champloo 26
 8:40 Kare Kano 26
 9:05 Genshiken 11
 9:30 Genshiken 12
 9:55 Break
10:10 Le Portrait de Petite Cossette 1-3