OAV TimeZ

"Whose Eyes are Those Eyes?" Anime Review: Chaos;Head

2009-03-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

What if the world is not what it seems? And the popsicle you are eating isn't real? How sure are you that the dream that you are dreaming isn't a dream at all? Are you sure that what you see is real? How can you be sure that the person your with is a friend, or an enemy? And... If you are God, and the delusions becomes reality. About what kind of the nodes you get? Is it the sensual world? The despotic society? The destuctive sanctions? Or...

Takumi Nishijo has lived the life of a recluse ever since as a child. Afraid of the real world, he spends his days watching anime, collecting vinyl figures, and living a virtual life as Knight Hal in the MMORPG Empire Sweeper Kingdom. He attends school on a minimum basis, obtaining enough credits to pass the mark and living his days as a hikkikomori in his container truck of a room. Until one day while chatting with a friend online, he gets a private message from an unknown chatter named Shogun. Clinking on a link attached to a message, he views a pic of a gruesome murder— one that hasn't happen yet. Thinking of it as just some weird joke someone is passing along the web, he forgets about... that is on the following evening, he stumbles on the actual scene himself.

Chaos;Head (Kaosu Heddo) is a twelve episode psychological suspense anime set in the flashy district of Shibuya. An Anime adaptation from a Japanese visual novel produced by Nitro+, Red Flagship, and 5pb. — the same visual novel studio that brought you Myself;Yourself. Produced by MadHouse, the same Anime studio that brought you Death Note, Gunslinger Girl, Claymore, Tenjou Tenge, Metropolis, and Trigun fame. Set in the backdrop of the popular Shibuya district; with shops and cafes can be found in Shibuya itself— those names have been altered. Also you may notice that upon watching the Anime, some of the websites that Takumi browses thru are parodies of such popular sites such as Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, and Yahoo.

As he receives more info on the murder he witnessed, which is part of a string of bizzare murders called The New Generation Madness. As much as he tries to forget the incident himself, unwanted messages from Shogun and daily feeds from his online friend Grim about the NewGen murders, hounding Takumi daily of the murder. Accused by a female sempai as the actual perpetrator of the NewGen murders and finding out the following day, that the blood-covered girl he saw at the murder scene, is same class as he is, and worst, a long time friend since junior high.

Is he really the perpetrator? Does he have a dual personality? How come he can't recall right away that the girl he's with a friend? Does he have lapses in memory? As he tries to find further the truth behind himself and the murders that have been happening around him, he gets himself entangled with other strange girls. Each having their own reasons for contacting him. The plotline in the first five episodes unravels slowly, but speeds up in the latter parts of the anime, as Takumi steps outside the boundaries of his hikkikomori lifestyle in order to find out the truth. As a bizarre earthquake errupts in the middle of the Shibuya district and other strange events follow afterward. Takumi finds out the name of the organization behind the strange turn of events happening around his home.

If you think this is your typical harem type romance— your dead wrong about it. Not unless, you have a thing for girls carrying swords. The only fan service you get are a by-product of Takumi's attack of schizophrenia, wherein Takumi suddenly views the girls in their lingerie, or acting out 'flagged' scenes found in common date sim or eroge games. And in this case, none of the girls are interested in Takumi for the standard reasons in most date sim games. That is, the near end of the anime may say otherwise.

Chaos;Head is a short anime series with a decent plotline with fair amount of complicated twist to keep the suspense going. Action-wise, those looking for an all-out-sword-battling action, may be disappointed, since most of the action happens at the latter half of the anime. But a good storyline and plot build-up to the end, Chaos;Head is great anime worth watching.

Mahou Shoujo Nagi!!! Japan's latest Pop Goddess!!!! - Anime Review: Kannagi

2009-02-19T23:19:00.000-08:00

Kannagi a.k.a. Crazy Shrine Maidens is a Japanese anime that tells the story of Jin Mikuriya, a typical Japanese high school student with a not-so-typical dilemma at hand. After doing an all-niter to finish a statue for a school district exhibition, Jin wakes up with barely an hour to spare to go to to school. Unable to carry the woodedn statue he just finished, he grabs his bicycle in order to carry it to school. If that wasn't enough of a hassle, the statue that he worked so hard to finish on time starts to accumulate particles of earth. The statue shatters, revealing a young girl. Totally stunned, Jin pokes the girl in the face to make sure that he isn't dreaming it up. Jin, still in a stupor, gets patted by the girl like a little boy who got lost. Jin tries to asks the girl questions but gets the table turn on him, as the girl who introduces herself as Nagi, interrogates Jin on how he was able to summon her.

Based on a manga of the same title, created by Eri Takenashi, published by Ichijinsha, serialized in Comix Rex on December. 09, 2005. The anime was produced by A-1 Pictures and started airing in Japan on October 4, 2008 and finished on December 27, 2008. Kannagi tells the adventures, or should I say mis-adventures of Jin and Nagi, as Nagi claiming to be a guardian goddess dictates to Jin that in order to atone for using her sacred tree, must assist her to regain her powers as a goddess and destroying 'impurities' that may infest upon Jin's town.

From the on set of the anime, you might mistake as another 'boy-meets-magical girl' story wherein the boy gets entangled in typical useless guy who somehow helps the magical girl defeat some kind of monster sort of plot line. But rest assured, Kannagi is far from it, the only thing that comes close to it, is Nagi using a magical girl toy wand as an improvished exorcist staff. Plus her exorcism chant is rip off of a magical girl spiel from an anime that Nagi became fascinated with after being summon.

Much of the comedy in the anime comes from the situations that Jin gets into, thanks to the wacky and obliviously non-sensical ideas of Nagi. From having Jin buy a toy wand and paper to make an exorcism staff, to infiltrating Jin's school to build a fan base of followers to adore her, all are the biazare machinations of Nagi. For me, most of the anime's humor comes from the 'puns' that Nagi spurts out whenever Jin tries to scold her for doing something crazy again. Also that, Nagi talks more like a obasan but at the same time a selfish girl trying to pose as a mature woman.

Much of the storyline and 'puns' of the anime are the same in the manga, unlike other animes wherein the storyline is modified for commercialized purposes. Kannagi retains the plotline, dialogue,and humor of the manga. thus attesting to the Eri Takenashi's skill as a manga-ka.

In opening theme "Motto Hade ni ne!", Nagi sings on a stage like a J-Pop idol with side clips wherein the cast are portrayed as stereotyped characters in the pop idol industry. The intro was animated to a degree that it imitates how a real J-Pop idol performs on a stage. Another pun perhaps, or just some random idea the producers thought, either way, it was so catchy even I started singing some lines from the song. Minus the baton =)

Another short anime series that delivers a punch, Kannagi is a great anime to watch over and over again. A solid story full of humor never leaving a dull moment for you to yawn or pause. But also with rare snippets that we get to see a more sensitive and vulnerable Nagi that is much as kawaii as her comical self. I recommend Kannagi to everyone that wants to watch a great anime with a well-written script and great humor to match. If there are already translated versions of the actual manga, buying them is not a waste of your money.

Sadly, both for the manga and the anime are short lived, the reason for which, the manga-ka Eri Takenasi had to undergo surgery this past December 2008. In a press release by Ichijinsha this past January, the manga is in hiatus while the author is still recovering from surgery. Word in the web, has it that the suspected reason for the halt, is due to unwarranted reactions from a minority of fans of the manga over Nagi's 'civil status'. I for one, pray for the speedy recovery of Eri Takenashi and hope that she gets back to finishing up the manga. I want to read more of Kannagi and see how Jin and Nagi's relationship progress further.

sore demo ji-mi-da-NE!HONTO no koi-da-NE! kitsuite

anata dake ni atsui AN DOU TOROWA misete ageru sotto

Hard day’s night game

TOROke sou

Song of the Heart: Anime Review on "Myself; Yourself"

2008-08-26T21:49:00.001-07:00

Myself; Yourself is as thirteen episode romantic comedy that tells the story of Hidaka Sana, a sixteen year old boy who returns to his home town of Sakuranomori. Returning after five years, he is surprised that much hasn’t change in his home town. Taking a detour to the local temple, he makes a prayer and notices a beautiful long haired girl in shrine clothing watching him. As he attempts to get closer, the girl moves away and disappears.

Heading straight to his landlord’s place to get the keys to his apartment, he is surprised to see his childhood friend, Oribe Aoi. Much to Aoi’s dismay and Sana’s embarrassment, he doesn’t recognize right away ‘Aoi-chan’ for the sudden growth in ‘certain’ areas of her body. The following day at school, he finds out that he is the same class with two other of his childhood friends, Shusuke and Shuri Wakatsuki. While talking with Shuu and Shuri, Sana sees that the long haired shrine maiden is one of his classmates as well. Trying to introduce himself, the girl suddenly slap in the face. Being slap for no apparent reason, Sana quickly reacts and sees a sakura bracelet on the girl’s wrist, and realizes that the girl is Yatsushiro Nanaka, another of his childhood friends.

From then on, Nanaka gives him the cold silent treatment and one instance, leaves him at the library when both of them are suppose to go to class representatives meeting— of which the two of them have been elected class reps of their sophomore class.

Even though Myself; Yourself is a romance comedy, unlike numerous anime comedies which are often harem romances involving one guy surrounded by numerous girls. In Myself; Yourself the story focuses primarily on the relationship between Sana and Nanaka, with the rest of the other girls being nothing more than supporting characters. Sana Hidaka, is a live person that has an actual personality, not like Hiroyuki of To Heart and Wataru of Sister Princess— the stereotype male protagonist in most harem type anime/games, which often doesn’t say much and generally agrees with whatever a girl says. Also, Sana harbors a phobia for bloody knives— or anything that pertains to blood, thus showing a male protagonist with flaws just like any regular guy, and really speaks. But Sana is still the typical nice guy who helps out anyone— which is often the cause for Nanaka’s jealous streak throughout the series.

Although a romance comedy, the series has some sub-episodes relating to the rest of the other female characters in the series. With the exception of two episodes which focuses primarily on the Wakatsuki twins, most the episodes have Sana along with one of the other female characters— as a sympathetic ear ready to listen. I enjoyed the two episodes that involved Hinako Mochida, a ten year old middle school girl who joins the cast in Episode 03. The series starts out as the typical romance comedy with all the mishaps and misunderstanding between the two, but at the near end of the series, the tone gets serious and dramatic as the reason for Nanaka’s cold demeanor is reveiled piece by piece.

When Haruhi met Kyon: Anime Review on "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya"

2008-08-21T00:10:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you cross a time-traveling girl, a humanoid alien that can spurt out quantum equations per nano second, and an all too smiling bishonen esper into the life of a normal teenage boy who is trying to keep his temperamental girlfriend in checked. Rewind *ahem* female classmate from blowing up the world, and you have the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Based on a series of light novels written by Nagaru Tanigawa, illustrated by Noizi Ito, and published in Kadokawa Shoten, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, is the story of Kyon, an average Japanese teenager entering his first year of senior high school, gets entangled in the wild and self-amusing antics of Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon’s enstrangement, or should I say, enslavement to Suzumiya begins when Kyon baffled by Haruhi’s speech at the start of the school year, gets him to engage Suzumiya in a string of casual conversation. Haruhi’s answers to his questions are an enigma and way off bizarre coming from a long brown haired beauty. Kyon makes a happenstance hypothesis about Suzumiya’s hairstyle. And the following day, Haruhi cuts her hair short— an all too drastic thing for any girl to do.

Warn by his two friends, Taniguchi and Kunikida, to stay the hell away from Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon still engages Suzumiya in conversation and surprisingly, gets actual answers. Kyon’s world turns upside-down, when Haruhi inspired by a chide speech given by Kyon, announces amidst an ongoing class session, that she is forming her own club. There’s nothing unsual about forming a school club— not unless your club slogan is to invite time travelers, aliens, espers, and every other supernatural, extra-terrestrial, and psychic being to come in and join. And the first ‘victim’ to get dragged into this demented club is no other buy Kyon himself.

Soon they are join by Yuki Nagato; a stoic book worm(who might as well be a clone of another beloved anime heroine), Mikuru Asahina; a shy, busty, and cute sophomore, and Itsuki Koisumi; who as Haruhi would like to call ‘The Mysterious Transfer Student’.

Kyon finds out that these seemingly hapless ‘victims’ of the SOS Brigade(a.k.a. Save the world by Over-loading it with fun by Suzumiya Haruhi— believe me, even the original Japanese acronym says the same thing), are actually secret agents sent to monitor and keep in check Haruhi Suzumiya. Who doesn't know, has the power to alter and create new worlds. Thus it is their task— and Kyon’s nerve-wracking responsibility to keep her imperial highness in check. And how does one keep a temperamental god in control— why, keep her amuse with utter senseless antics and gimmicks.

The fourteen episode series starts with an amateur-made movie written and directed by Haruhi Suzumiya, and followed by the first and second episode of the series, what follows after is a side story episode involving a trip to an exotic island . The fifth episode is the actual third episode, the continuation of the episode three (which is really episode two). Everything is set in an anarchronologic order, one episode gets followed by another episode which seems to be another story on its own, then followed by the actual chronological episode.

It was voted as the anime of the year 2006 and appeared on the cover of New Type USA. It also won the Animation Kobe award for TV feature in the same year. The series was produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Ishihara Tatsuya, with character design by Ikeda Shoko. After its TV launch in April 2006, a fandom of otakus calling themselves ‘Haruhi-ists’ emerged, adding to the success of the series. Heck, if Suzumiya knew that she had such a large fan base in the real world— she might have shifted worlds to this one.

Though most episodes of the series like side stories wherein the main focus of the story is to keep her imperial highness entertain— least, unknown to herself, threaten to annihilate the world. You will get a kick at how Kyon, still trying to reason out that the whole idea of Suzumiya being a God is absurd, gets dragged in every stunt or gimmick Haruhi perpetrates herself and trying to maintain the safety of the world.

Despite all the unusual yet hilarious stunts that shown in the series, there are still touching moments in the series that will make Haruhi irresistibly kawai. In episode 08, Someday in the Rain, Kyon wakes up— resting after enduring another demanding command of her imperial highness— and sees a slightly worried Haruhi standing over him. After doing some stand-in singing in episode 11, Live alive, Kyon finds Haruhi resting under a tree during lunch, pondering over the meaning of life. Kyon looks at her with such tender eyes that Haruhi mistakes for ridicule and she tries throw some grass at his face. But it seems the wind isn’t entirely in her control and strips of grass fly into her face. In episode 12, we get to know more about Haruhi Suzumiya.

After watching it, it is no small wonder why the series was voted one of the best anime in 2006 and created such a fan base after the airing of the series. A hilarious yet serious anime that will make you laugh to no end, and at the same time, start you to think whether there’s more to this world than it seems. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is one of those rare short anime series that you will love to watch, watch all over again, and never tire of. Where in the hell is Season 2?!#?*!!!!

When Tomorrow Comes Today: Review on "Asatte no Houkou"

2008-08-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

While most animes we get out of Japan, are either mecha series on world dominance or peace, or romantic harem-type comedies, either way an excess of the two is enough already. So it's good to see a series that sticks more to a good storyline without the excess sugar or overly rehashed formulas on world conquest, peace, or whatever. Asatte no Houkou (translated: “A Direction of the Day After Tomorrow”) is a slice-of-life anime on the interesting twist of fate that affects the lives of Iokawa Karada, an eleven year old girl, and Nogami Shouko, a young woman of twenty. The anime begins on a quiet sunny day, while Shouko is taking a stroll along the countryside she meets a young girl praying in front of a small shrine on the side of the road. Upon asking what is the girl praying for, the girl introduces herself and states that is a secret. Karada’s brother, Hiro(which she calls ‘Hiro-nii’ throughout the series), and Karada finds out that Shouko went to the same university her brother studied in while in the United States. Upon impulse, Karada invites Shouko to the beach on the coming Sunday. Shouko tries to refuse, but a hint from Hiro convinces her to come along.

On the day of the trip, they are joined by Karada’s classmate, Amino Tetsumasa, and his older sister, Touko. Through out the entire trip to the beach, Shouko stays aloof and doesn’t join in on much of the activities. Later on, Touko makes a passing joke at her about her relationship to Hiro. At which Shouko quickly denies, embarrassing the both of them. Doing some last-to-the-minute shopping before going home, Karada shows to Shouko a pair of white hair ribbons that Hiro bought for her. Shouko makes a snide remark at her which sends Karada running in tears. Later on, after sending Karada home, Hiro confronts Shouko about the incident, reveiling that they were more than friends in the US. Shouko slaps him in the face, this time she is the one running in tears.

She finds herself back at the shrine where she first met the two and meets Karada again, praying in front of the shrine. They stare at each other in the light of a full moon, a cloud passes, and in a instant, Karada becomes a grown woman of twenty and Shouko reverts to an eleven year old girl. Based on a manga series written by J-ta Yamada and published in Comic Blade Masamune in March 2005. It was adapted into a twelve episode series, directed by Sakurabi Katsushi, character design by Ito Ikuko, and produced by J.C. Staff. The series was aired in Japan on October 05, 2006.

I like the series cause it didn’take on a comedic stereotyped approach to the age-switch scenario. In most other anime series, the idea of an age-switch— or any other switch for that matter— would have been a one-episode with the usual formulated slapstick comedy. Asatte no Houkou takes more of a plausible and serious storyline approach, as Karada gets her wish; she realizes that although she is a grown woman physically, she is still a child with limitations to what she can do on her on. Shouko, on the other hand while reverted to a body of the child, maintaining an adult’s reasoning despite the change, comforts Karada as she breaks down and cries.

Despite the reflective tone of the series, and this being an anime, moments of comedy still occur. While going shopping, Shouko jealously realizes how big of a ‘bust’ size Karada has. A puzzled Hiro and Shouko wonder why Karada is still standing on a kids chair just to turn on the kitchen exhaust fan. And Hiro, despite knowing that is it still his little sister, gets embarrass when Karada leans towards him to remove a piece of lint off his shirt.

It is a journey of sorts for the two of them as they get to live with each other. Shouko realizes that despite Karada’s age, she doesn’t want to be treated as a kid and takes up adult responsibilities at home such as, buying the groceries, doing the laundry, and cooking. Karada starts to admire Shouko and becomes close to her.

A light anime drama that looks into the relationships of people and how despite the difference within ages, people can be either grown men and women on the outside, yet hold still a child’s heart on the inside, and vice versa. Asatte no Houkou is anime series that touches the heart without any mushy and sentimental clichés. A well-written anime with a good solid storyline, great character design, and a rustic sound score to match— you might even think adding the ending song ,“Sweet Home Song”, to your iPod or any music player gizmo you have. Asatte no Houkou is a gem of an anime series worth adding to ones DVD collection as a future classic.

The Baka side of High School Life: “Joshikosei Girls High"

2008-01-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

Girls were much as a mystery to me during high school as much as women are to me now today— although I know a few things now. I think. So it’s nice to see a bishoujo anime that doesn’t have any subtle undertones of lesbianism, or a guy’s pre-conceived notion of what high school girls are— kawaii, sweet, and often too doleful to be real. “Joshikosei Girls High” is a twelve episode series that shows an all too real yet somewhat ecchi depiction of what high school girls are, beyond the shut door of a girl’s locker room. Based on a currently ongoing manga series by Towa Oshima— daughter of Yasuichi Oshima, the renown manga-ka of Batsu & Terī —originally published by Futabasha's Weekly Manga Action magazine in 2001. “Joshikosei Girls High”, or Girls High for short, depicts the comic yet slightly raunchy misadventures of Eriko Takahashi, Fuma Suzuki, Ayano Satou, Akari Kouda, Kyoko Himeji, and Irue Ogawa, as they enter senior high school at Yamasaki Girls Academy— abbreviated in the series as ‘Saki Girls Academy’.

Eriko Takahashi leads her two friends, Yuma Suzuki and Ayano Satou, into taking an impromptu tour of Saki Girls Academy. Believing that Girls high school is the epitome of grace, beauty, and charm— as oppose to a boys high, as Eriko states as dirty, filthy, and smelly. Eriko’s naïve misconceptions gets knock off her ivory pedestal, when they step into the girls swim team locker room, they find a room littered with P.E. swimsuits hanging in the air and trash littered about. Even an open pack of sanitary pads in the open and a sheet of tissue on a desk table with very short curly hair that can only be pubic hair.

Finding out that all girls senior high school isn’t all the prim and grace that she so dream about, Eriko runs out the room— with Yuma and Ayano chasing after her— and stumbles on a flight of stairs, falling butt first into the face of Akari Kouda. Akari with her friends, Kyoko Himeji and Irue Ogawa, assume by mistake that Eriko, Yuma, and Ayano are sophomores and starts to ask Eriko all about high school life. Only to find out the following day that they are in the same class.

Similar in theme to “Super Gals”, wherein a bunch of high school girls who meet up at the start of the first semester and become friends for life. Unlike ”Super Gals”, wherein romance seems to be still the usual flavor of bishoujo anime, Joshikosei Girls High focuses more a down-to-earth, somewhat real, yet somewhat ranchious depiction of high school life on the girls side of the fence. While Gals, like all other bishoujo anime primarily focus on romance, Girls High deviates from the usual flow, discussing such matters such as girls’ hygiene, porn, and the usual back talk that girls talk about boys— aside from the bonds of friendship which is the usual plotline. While Gainax Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, “His and her Circumstances” tackles the angst, the pain, and trials of high school life, all in the traditional style of Gainax— thought provoking and full of cinematic drama. Girls High takes a light, humorous, ecchi yet witty approach to the whole high school life drama. It’s refreshing to see a bishoujo anime wherein girls talk about porn, personal hygiene, boys, and dating under the sun— minus the cliquey embarrassed blushing and all-too-sugary sweetness typical of other bishoujo anime.

The first two episodes of the anime— and some later episodes— have enough fan service to outlast an otaku’s lifetime. Even sending some first time viewers screaming hentai. But despite the excessive fan service— pantie flashes and sexually suggestive positions, what makes Joshikosei Girls High, an anime worth watching over and over again, is its candid yet humorous portrayal of high school girls who can talk about porn, sex, boys without the clique blushes of embarrassment or doleful eye effects. Girls that as close to real girls and experience things as typical girls do. Plus the comic antics and stupid misadventures, making us believe that girls do have a baka side— once in a while.

The only flaws that I found with Joshikosei Girls High is the brevity of the series and the lack of character storyline on Kyoko Himeji and Irue Ogawa. While most of the other primary characters— Eriko Takahashi, Yuma Suzuki, Ayano Satou, and Akari Kouda— had each an episode or two showing us a storyline focus on each. Except for episode 8, where we see a fat Himeji who upon the advice of ‘three angels’ transforms herself from fatty to hotty— all for the sake of love. We don’t get to much storyline on these two characters, transforming them in later episodes as just simple background characters— even like personal attachments or accessories to the other four. If there is to be a Season 2— and I hope there is, I hope the producers of the anime provide more in-depth storyline on the two. Maybe, an episode or two dedicated to Yuma’s little sister, Momoka Suzuki. Besides I would love to see more baka misadventures of the Moron Corp as they brave through second year of senior high.

"School Days" Are Here To Stay, a Review

2007-11-08T02:03:00.000-08:00

"School Days" is a gripping, slice-of-life anime that tackles the darker aspects of high school life normally not portrayed in Anime. The story revolves around Makoto Itou, a freshmen student at Sakakino Academy, who is in love with Kotonoha Katsura— a girl in the same year as he is and travels the same train he rides on. Watching from a distance, he only gains the courage to talk to Katsura through the help of Sekai Saionji— a female classmate of Makoto's, who unknown to him, is secretly in love with him.

You would think upon first glance, this would be the typical best-friend-in-love-with-friend-who-is-in-love-with-another-girl love triangle. Makoto does fall for Sekai as well, but this is not in the bitter sweet confusion of love. Even before Makoto's and Kotonoha's relationship could even deepen into a real relationship. Makoto's feelings begin to slip as he starts to complain of how tiring it is to be with Katsura and not as fun as he thought it would be to have a girlfriend. His attention turns to Saionji, whose offer of 'practice' with her turns carnal. Instead of escorting Katsura home from a group date at a indoor swimming park, Makoto leaves Katsura at the station and goes to Saionji's place. Makoto sleeps with Saionji.

Now in a relationship with Makoto, Sekai guilt-ridden cause of her betrayal of trust with Katsura, tries to convince Makoto that they should tell Kotonoha of their relationship. But Makoto unwilling to face Kotonoha, tells Sekai that they should wait for a better time to do so. Which only worsens the situation, Sekai's friends— Setsuna Kiyoura, Hikari Kuroda, and Nanami— convinced of their relationship, begin to despise Katsura; seeing her as desperate woman trying to steal away their bestfriend's boyfriend. Katsura gets further abuse in her own classroom, as Otome Kato— a former schoolmate of Makoto in middle school who is secrelty in love with him— and her gang bully Kotonoha into doing additional work for the school's cultural festival.

A far dry from the usual genre of romantic comedy animes based a dating sim game or H-game. Wherein one guy is surrounded by a multitude of doleful-eyed, sweet, and kawaii girls and can’t make up his mind who is the girl of his dreams. “School Days” instead tackles the darker aspects of high school life such as bullying, date rape, and pregnancy. Highly sensitive topics considered taboo in mainstream anime.

Makoto from the sweet, sincere yet hesitant guy, who you would think at first glance appreciate the deeper sentiments of love, turns the complete opposite. Like the average teenage guy those idea of having a relationship with a girl is having his way with her; in-experience with the deeper aspects of having a relationship. You would get irritated by Makoto’s naïve and ignorant idea of a relationship. But as you go on watching the anime, this irritation slowly turns into loathing and disgust, as Makoto ignorant and impatient with the current pace of his relationship with Katsura, turns his attention to Saionji, those offer of ‘practice’ leads him away from Kotonoha.Trading the deep, sincere, and sweet love of Katsura for Saionji’s blind willingness to have his way with her.

What makes the anime repulsive is not because Makoto is the sly, ultra-bishonen playboy typically type-casted in any anime. On the contrary, he is the complete opposite, friendly, shy, helpful, hesitant, you would never expect him to turn into a manipulative sex fiend. Naïve about love and all the feelings attached to it, Makoto, like the typical dolt of a guy, thinks more with his hormones than his heart. Dealing with the darker pathos of love and its flaws, “School Days” presents us a dark nightmare wherein ignorance, lust, and blind desperation to attain one’s heart desire can lead to fatal ends.

In someway, you will both hate and pity Sekai, in her blind love for Makoto have his way with her, because she loves him. Kotonoha, on the other hand, aware of Makoto’s infidelities, turns a blind eye, keeping faith in him despite of it all. Beautiful, kind, sincere, and loving, you can only feel sorrow for her as she sinks into madness.

Dark as the anime may be, I can’t help but give praise the producers of “:School Days”— both Overflow(for the game) and Studio TNK(for the anime)—, while most anime deal with sweet yet hilarious die of love with all the mishaps and misunderstandings. “School Days” shows us a bitter yet dark truth about high school life. Even Love in all its purity can turn bitter and cruel when we mistake lust for love, and blind willingness as a sign of selfless love. Dark, tragic, and grim as it is, I highly recommend it to any guy who happen to think that getting into a relationship is getting into a girl’s skirt— and to any girl bfore she makes that mistake that loving a guy is just letting him have it all.

Of Lost Souls and Struggling People in “The Ivory and the Horn”

2007-10-03T03:09:00.001-07:00

Charles de Lint,
338 pages,
TOR Books Fantasy

Oddly as it is at this time and age that we think ‘What would it be like to have magic back in the world’. A second after we express that thought, the left side of our brain would react and state ‘That is impossible to happen’ and we’d often dismiss the former for the latter. Of course in this day and century we had already plotted the world and know every distinct area once thought impossible to see. Have map the areas of the human anatomy and explained how it works, from the heart that pumps the blood to every region of the human body down to a single neuron and its function in the transmission of nerve signals from the brain to its receptacle organ. And seen the universe and what’s it like through the aid of satellites sent into deep space and powerful telescopes. So we know already what is there to know about us, the universe, and the environment. Or so we’d like to think.

But what if the world isn’t that define as we think it is. What if there is another world mirroring our own? No this isn’t the Twilight Zone if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m talking of a world that may had existed before or running its course along ours, but hidden within every angled shadow at a certain time of the day. A world where fairies, dryads, and mermaids do exist but not as we pictured them in storybooks and scary movies. A chance encounter at the local drugstore with an overly perky individual, which turns out to be a sprite that got into the wrong store. Or a very beautiful girl you’d been admiring while on the train home. Then as she passes you by as she gets off at the next destination, you’d suddenly smell salt water as if you were at the beach. And in a dream you are surprise to find out that Jason, Freddie Kruegger, and Dracula or what looks like them, had been long time pals of yours in your dream travels.

This is the sort of world you’d see, once you read “The Ivory and The Horn” by Charles de Lint, a Tor Book Fantasy. A fantasy book roughly housing eight short stories, two novelettes, three chapbooks, and two novellas. “The Ivory and The Horn” presents a surreal fantasy world of ghost, satyrs, and spirits existing in between the spaces of the real world.

Set in the landscape of Newford City, a pseudo-American city that seems to be a chop-chop version of New York, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn. Skyscraper buildings, residential suburbs, and cosmopolitan architecture clashing with an urban jungle of rundown apartments, littered streets, and abandoned warehouses (or factories). A mini-America in between the wetness of the sea and the harshness of the Nevada desert.

The stories in this collection are a variety of hope, lost, renewal, sorrow, and mysticism. Each story having its own tale to tell. A caseworker for social services who’s about to give up, when a stranger appears in his life to renew his faith. The ghost of an old street lady comes back to help a young woman in need. One night a man meets a mysterious woman while throwing out the trash who teaches him to dream.

Each story can range from the simply bizarre; a fat nimble woman goes out collecting bones, to make dog-like figures in “The Bone Woman”. To the terrifying, a lady reporter is haunted by voices from a wishing well in an abandon motel in “The Wishing Well”. And the childish, a female artist bumps into a young girl at the market who accuses her of evicting a business establishment in a supposed imaginary world in “Mr. Truepenny’s Book Emporium and Gallery”.

But the stories themselves are not simple tales of fantasy (or urban fairy tales), as we’d like to think of them. Hidden behind the deceptive mask of a fantasy book are stories and tales of ordinary individuals who are down on their luck. Or of men and women those past had left behind scars so visible they carry them with them. A lesbian who has lost her lover to leukemia, a former kid from the streets who’s struggling hard to maintain a job and keep to her studies, a reporter who even with her good looks and chic style of dressing, is inside carrying the psychological scars of a broken family.

The characters in the stories range from artist and poets moonlighting as waitress at a café, struggling musicians, American Indians in the city, street people, social workers, and their non-human counterparts; a very irritating yet charming coyote spirit, a mysterious dark woman hanging out at a local jazz club, the ghost of an artist who seems to be in need of therapy and other phantasmal beings.

Most of the supernatural elements in “The Ivory and the Horn” seem to be a combination of Native American folklore, fairy tales, urban myths & legends, superstitions, and other myths & legends. Ghost in stories come out and talk in riddles (a thing rarely presented in movies and mainstream books) and animal spirits are depicted as women with features of the animal they’re suppose to represent, portions of which stick out at odd ends here and there. Some murderers take away a bit of paraphernalia from the people they kill, least they be hunted by their spirit. And a group of downtrodden native Americans living in the city rediscover the songs of their race. Incorporated in a manner that seems to dispel our now often trivialized conception of the faerie world (or spirit realm if you prefer) and to remind us that the world of the spirits is something we can’t confine to our own terms.

Going on a more technical note, each tale seems to favor an epigraph for an intro, which kind of acts as a contrivance to the underlying theme, essence, or situation in the story. In most of the short stories and other tales in the collection, narration is told by the narrator and the main character or by the character himself (or herself). While some are told by an anonymous character or in conjunct with the narrator.

A number of characters reoccur in most of short stories and the much longer pieces. While some of short stories have characters inherent to their own, e.g. “Saxophone Joe and the Woman in Black”, “The Forever Trees”, “Coyote Stories”.

The language is straightforward, honest, and intimate as we listen to the characters relate the day they’ve been through, their life, their emotions and feelings. Description is kept to a bare minimal, no large quantity of heavy description, as focus is primary on the story itself. Simple yet stark realism told by the narrator or the main character as the bitter yet often unseen truths of a city are presented to us free of any superflurousness, arousing both sympathy and compassion in the reader.

Heart pounding, at the same time heart wrenching, the stories in this collection reminds us of how it is to be lost, cynical, and often disbelieving in the strength of the spirit and the faith it requires to believe. Because all too often we have become too jaded and complex ourselves (and even a bit too grown up I might add) to believe in anything at all. A mixture of rapture, pain, sorrow, and lost, and oddly a feeling of relief after reading the tales in this collection. To know you are alone but at the same time not alone in the world.

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Charles de Lint is a musician, writer, and folklore scholar who has written over twenty novels, seven novellas, chapbooks, novelettes, and countless short stories. H e resides in Ontario, Canada with his wife, Mary Ann.

For more info you could check him out at his website: http://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/

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Weib Kreuz for Dummies

2007-09-17T03:37:00.000-07:00

"Silent faces... girls that say so much"

2007-09-02T01:30:00.002-07:00

*This a Fan article I did some years back when I first learn to love Anime. I did this as a contribution for my former otaku group, OAV. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did when I wrote it*

Jads carries along with him in his wallet a picture of a girl named Rei. He knows almost everything about her, from the type of books she reads to her close friendship with Shinji and the people she feels friendly with. But unlike other girls of her age who shop, like to eat cake, and discuss which boy in class they have a crush on. Rei Ayanami, instead pilots and fights in huge bio-engineered mecha known as Evangelion units.

Rei Ayanami is actually an anime character in Neon Genesis Evangelion, produced by GAINAX (the one that also created Fushigi no Umi no Nadia, translated “Nadia in the Seas of Wonder”) and directed by Anno Hideaki. The 26-episode anime series which was broadcast in Japan, 1995, presented a story of human survival in the aftermath of a major catastrophe. To give a rundown of the story; in 2015 A.D., the survivors of the world’s population are still recovering from the cataclysmic disaster known as “Second Impact” which melted the Antarctic Polar Ice caps and flooded the world. The UN in order to prevent a similar event from occurring again creates a special defense agency, NERV. Under the command of Ikari Gendou, NERV is tasked to defend humanity against the threat of ‘Angels’. And a fourteen-year-old boy, Shinji, is suddenly thrown in the fray to pilot the Multi-Purpose Humanoid Fighting Machine‘Evangelion’. The show marked a phenomenal success in Japan, which also followed in the U.S., and also here in the Philippines.

Anime otakus watched the series on tapes borrowed from friends, collected novelty items from model kits, vinyl statues, and CDs to small items as buttons, stationary, and picture cards of their favorite characters.Going back, Rei is a fourteen-year-old girl with pale blue boyish-cut hair and golden yellow eyes. In the series she rare speaks, muttering a few words, and shows so little interest in other people. Silent, mysterious, and almost questioning her existence in the world and her emotions. This ghostly like character has won many anime fans with her almost mute performance.

Another anime heroine, Ruri Hoshino from Mobile Battleship Nades mysterious character. ‘Ruri-ruri’ to her shipmates and anime fans of the show. Ruri-ruri is an eleven-year-old, sky blue haired, golden-eyed girl who acts as the ship’s computer operator. Unlike her predecessor, Ruri-ruri has a little more spunk and likes to say ‘baka’ (meaning ‘idiot’) whenever she can’t comprehend her elders’ actions. Many other animes had its own share of ‘silent heroines’. Key: The Metal Idol from Viz Video tells the story of Tokiko Mima or ‘Key’, aico is yet another fourteen-year-old girl who acts and speaks as if she is a robot. But actually Key is the prototype for the PPOR series; a line of humanoid robots originally meant for military assaults in extreme combat situations. But Key rather wants to become human and must befriend 30,000 people and win their love to do so. Another one, D or Di (both of which many otakus aren’t sure is the right one) is a character from Dual: Misadventures in a Parallel World is a green-colored hair, teenage fighter pilot. Lain from Serial Experiments: Lain, is an elementary school girl who finds out another ‘Lain’ is spreading vicious rumors in the ‘wired’.

In recent animes before Evangelion and Nadesico, we seen ‘Duh’ anime girls like Usagi Tsukino (‘Sailormoon’ series), Momiji Fujimiya (Blue Seed), and Yohko Mano (Devil Hunter Yohko). Heroines who act clumsy, boy-hungry, and a bit stupid (no offense to the Sailormoon Fans). Who are trying to save the world from devastation (okay, somebody whack me on the head before I start mimicking Team Rocket) while looking for a boyfriend and dreaming to get married.

Also there appeared ‘The Diabetically Sweet Girl’ Category, mostly found originally in Japanese date simulation games; these too came into the anime spectrum. Appearing as junior high school students with innocent looking faces and doeful eyes as if they were as fragile as glass. Many young men (in Japan and throughout the world) have been lured into their spell. Most well known is Shiori (Tokimeki Memorial); another is, Akari Kamigishi who like Shiori sport red hair; These are the type of girls that ‘boys’ in their H.S. days dream/dreamt to be their girlfriends.

Other types includes, “The Bitchy Ones”, Sohryuu Aska Langley (Evangelion), Princess Ayaka (Tenchi Muyo), and Akane Tendo (Ranma ½, although personally I think she’s misunderstood by everyone). Who are a bit violent, oh no! They aren’t that violent; they just hit you with a mallet that seems to come out of no where. A little tomboyish and shouts a few really ouchy lines that makes you feel like a snail. But don’t worry they don’t bite… I think. And let’s not forget the types that make you wonder whether we’re man enough for them. The ‘Loud-mouth Babes’ like Ryoko (Tenchi Muyo), Lina Inverse (The Slayers), and B-ko (Project A-ko). Women, who can eat like men, drink saké… jars that is, and are the ones hounding them down.

But with the animes we seen (which are mostly Sci-fi), are presenting a different array of heroines who won both devotion and sympathy from their fans. Their cute, blank faces, deep soulful eyes, and childish appearance are just the sugar coating for why many anime fans adore them so much. Eleven to fourteen-year-olds who are task with so much responsibility on hands, while trying to understand the actions of their elders’ who seem to move illogically, and dealing with their own emotions.Knowing the amount of pressure Japanese children go through to meet exceptional grades; these characters may be parodies of that reality. Set extreme sci-fi worlds with Jovian lizards or PPOR droids or ‘Angels’ out to get them.

But also anime fans here in the Philippines and abroad, love them because like I said, they somewhat represent us. The inability at an age to thoroughly express what we feel. Never wanting to grow up because adults seem to be too complicated and why do we want to be like them. The blank faces that seem to hold so much and say so little. Those deep,’dead eyes’ that seem to reflect nothing back but questions. And sometimes the introspective insights the thought and feelings of these characters. Seems to hold our fascination and understanding for them. A vacant face with just a frown or a smile that lures us into a sense of bewilderment.

[I like to thank John Allen Delos Santos for the info he shared and the devoted websites I went to… although I forgot the names, the comments they had help me in this, as well as the pics I used in this article, and watching a lot of Anime.Domo!]

“A Look into the Fast Lane: An Initial D-First Stage / Review”

2007-08-24T01:40:00.000-07:00

If you’re tired of seeing the drone of five handsome guys or not in the mood for mecha, or any cutesy anime with absolutely sugary characters that can give you a serious case of the diabetes. And want to return to something mundane and real that gets your adrenaline coursing through your veins as if you can feel that wheel skidding on the pavement and managing to get through that corner, then this anime’s definitely for you.

Base on the Manga by Shigeno Shuichi, published by Kodansha under the YANMA GA KC titles. Initial D is a ‘car’ anime that centers on the sometimes silly sometimes serious ‘duels’ that Takumi (The lead anime character) faces as he tries to finish his senior high school year and on the side, work at a local gas station. Which isn’t his fault at all, if his dump of a Hachi-Roku (AE86) can beat the gas off any highly-tune engine car that his opponents possess.

The Anime takes a perspective look into the life of a street racer (although I would rather call them downhill racers, where more likely their forte lie). The anime doesn’t contain the high tech customizations as in Maha Go Go (Street Racer). Where you see such gadgets as balloon tires or jet engines or any other sort of technological trickery. The customization you can see is much as ordinary as in daily life, a highly tuned 16-valve engine, front-wheel drive suspension, slick tires, fog lights; the usual refinements you see in a car— a car that is meant to drift through dangerous mountain corners that is.

The Character designs have a comic-strip sort of style with a variety of looks from funny-looking big-lip sort of people to average looking ones and not to mention some bishonen types and your typical street punks. The anime is rich in a variety of characters each with own persona. And does not follow the formulated bishonen and bishoujo formulas of today, which gives the anime a down-to-earth appeal which audiences can readily sympathize to.

The computer graphics that were utilize for the ‘duels’ in the series were quite superb. You can admire the detail they put in to make the cars as realistic as possible from the glint of the car’s body to the light emitted from the headlights, even up to the reflection on therearview mirror and side view mirror. Also the way they use shifting camera angles to show the race as it goes. Especially on the cornering as the cars go through those mountain passes and 'drift’ their way out of it. Not cutting it from one position to another, but showing good close-ups on the cars as they go through the corners.

Another plus factor for this anime is its sound track which is way cool; from its crisp techno-rap opening song “Around the World” to its equally hip and pop end song “Rage your Dream”. If that’s not enough for you, then the BGM songs during its duels are definitely something, something to add to your j-pop collection. Upbeat and fast tempoed pop songs with a dash of techno and a disco sort of feel, a worth listening to soundtrack.

A highly recommended anime not only for those car-crazy loving otakus out there, or out on a highway, but also for all anime otakus. Good action, Hip music, hilariously funny scenes, and some very solemn ones as well, plus a bunch of characters you’ll love, Initial D is definitely an anime to watch.

Initial D: First Stage contains 26-episodes, followed by a 13-episode Second Stage, there’s also an OAV, and a Movie.

Pics courtesy of: D-Initial World – www.geocities.com/dickerson08/index.html

Info on Creator from: around the world – www.atw2.cjb.net/