Summary:
The town never knew what hit it. One minute it was just another town…and the next, it was home to Kobato, the most enthusiastically clueless girl to ever walk the earth. She has so little concept of even the basics of life and simple common sense that she may as well have just dropped out of the sky – which, in fact, she has. Her mission: with no memory of what came before, or how or why she came to strike her bargain, she must heal enough hearts to fill a special bottle with the conpeitto like fragments it collects each time she succeeds. If she can do this, her wish will be granted, and she will be able to go…somewhere. Somewhere she wants very badly to be. For a girl who – at least at first – can’t even distinguish between people in need and bored kids looking for a playmate, it might well be impossible, even with the help of Loryogi, the bad tempered blue stuffed dog who is actually her fire-breathing guardian. And yet, the almost inhuman sincerity Kobato possesses has a power all its own…a power that just may be able to heal.

Studio:
Madhouse Studios

Cast:
Hanazawa Kana as Kobato Hanato
Inada Tetsu as Loryogi
Maeno Tomoaki as Fujimoto Kiyokazu
Kuwashima Houko as Mihara Chitose
Orikasa Fumiko as Okiura Sayaka

Genre:
Drama, Romance, Comedy, Supernatural

Episodes:
Twenty Four

DVD Availability:
No.

Review:
When I first watched Naruto, the thing that impressed me the most was its capacity for what I dubbed the emotional sucker punch. Again and again, I watched this show pull incredible emotional power out of situations like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You’d be sitting through a straight up comedy or action sequence, and – wham! – emotional sucker punch. Kobato, needless to say, has very little in common with Naruto. However, like Naruto, Kobato hides a powerful emotional punch that the premise would never have led you to suspect. I came in expecting a series of one and two, maybe three episode sequences of nice, touching stories with a light sweet conclusion. And for quite a while, that’s exactly what I got, plus some truly rib-busting comedy as a bonus. Quality varied, of course, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself all the same. It wasn’t until thirteen or fourteen that I began to suspect something much stronger was lying in wait. As it turned out, it was much stronger in comparison to my expectations of something stronger. Kobato is a series that starts out three and a half, maybe four if I gave more credit for comedy, and then somehow builds itself into something that can go toe to toe with the likes of Kanon, and delivers an epic romance that I can only compare to Kanon. I cannot give the series a five, since the series as a whole was not on this level. But I can and do give it a four point five for an ending that exceeded my wildest expectations. Even the makers of Naruto would be impressed.

As always, characters first. Because I think about them a lot – I’m character focused. First, of course, is Kobato. The usual clumsy and helpless, but sweet and enthusiastic type is given a whole new level of hysterical cluelessness by the fact that part of how her manifestation – for lack of a better word – works is that all the basic common sense that comes of living has been erased from her: it’s almost like a fifteen year old was created out of nowhere with none of the experience of getting there. As such, her innocence surpasses innocence – she’s more or less a baby with the mobility, body, and comprehension (sort of) of a teenager. This does slowly moderate over the course of the story as passing time replaces this lost experience (the story takes place over the course of a year). Which is a good thing, because even really good handling could only stretch the lead character acting the way she does in the earlier episodes so far. While it lasts, however, her antics are to die for, as are Loryogi’s responses. As mentioned, he at least appears to be a blue stuffed dog with a spiked collar. When others are looking, he plays ‘dead’. When they aren’t, his expression goes cranky, his mouth opens and gains some impressive teeth, and he talks in a deep, growling voice that seems distinctly too big for him. Of course, he isn’t really a stuffed animal, and didn’t always look that way, so most likely it fit his original size. Why he is the way he is and why he was chosen for the job actually forms an effective sub-plot: while not intense, it is quietly intriguing and satisfying. The usual ‘grumpy guy softened by cheerful innocent’ is given subtle new nuance by his past, as any quality piece of storytelling will manage to do. In the meantime, Kobato rarely fails to get several furious outbursts out of him per episode, even after she improves. They make a great comedy duo. Next most significant would be Fujimoto, a tall thin college goer with long brown hair in a ponytail. While not in the least ‘street’, he does possess a certain lank ‘tough’ air about him, and is quite strong. Wearing an eternally angry face, he actually resembles Loryogi in some ways. Yes, he’s an ‘acts mean but has a heart of gold type’, but really, he’s handled very well: the realism and subtlety with which these conflicting traits of his are portrayed have nothing of cliché in them. His interactions with Kobato are also amusing, for similar reasons to Loryogi, even though he never breathes fire at her. One big part of his story is his devotion to Sayaka, his adoptive older sister who runs Yomogi Nursery, an old daycare with a dedicated clientele of people who attended it themselves before they grew up and acquired children of their own to send. Pretty, black haired, and bearing glasses, the children are no less devoted to her than Fujimoto is. Kobato ends up working there as well via the typical series of clumsy coincidence that often conspire to keep her sort alive, probably for our entertainment (actually, in the anime world, we know it’s for our entertainment). There are several other characters that make regular appearances but I don’t think they require exposition here.

Kobato’s premise, as I said in the intro, suggests a long series of warm hearted one and two episode shots, similar to, say, the Aria shows, except with a goal and conclusion. And at first, that is essentially what we get – with a hearty helping of spanking good comedy. Kobato’s initial innocence-fueled blunders simply can’t be compared to other shows. And that same innocence manages to fuel some very sweet moments as she racks up her first few conpeitto. It takes quite some time to realize something rather larger is building up. As time goes on and Kobato regains enough sense to become a more serious character – relatively – we also learn more and more about the people around her, some of whom have problems she just can’t heal. The nature of her guardian and the reason he’s there is smoothly developed on the side until his personal investment in Kobato’s future is a warm and touching thing indeed. The daycare center is in real trouble, and many people are devoted to it. But it isn’t something Kobato can heal, and the pain it is causing to her and the people around her slowly but surely gains strength and momentum. We see her becoming closely tied to those people, becoming personally invested and enmeshed in their lives as someone who plans to go soon really shouldn’t be doing – except Kobato isn’t someone who can live like that. By the time we reach about episode sixteen, we have a well established permanent cast of surprising size for a show whose storyline seemed nearly episodic at first, all with personalities and roles established. And then…with the startling smoothness of well planned but subtle storytelling we find ourselves in a true, heart wrenching drama that is anything but a short shot. In fact, suddenly, we realize we have a fully fledged emotional web with multiple sub-plots just like any story so driven from the beginning. And one by one, those sub-plots are resolved in an admirable fashion worthy of the best. The resolutions are even surprisingly realistic, ultimately happy but mixed with losses, rather than the simple happily ever after the first episodes would also have led you to expect. And then the primary plot line, Kobato herself, takes center stage, and it is epic. Slowly, carefully, and exquisitely executed, the last four episodes of Kobato are not easily forgotten, and are one of the few examples of any entertainment medium I have wanted to re-watch or read as soon as I’d finished. Normally I am distinctly not a re-watch person. It takes a while after I’ve finished something, no matter how good it was, before I’ll look at it again. The exceptions are few and far between. The last two episodes of Kobato are the first examples I have encountered in anime. Believe in love conquers all? Even if most attempts at this idea bother you, I think you’re going to like this. And if most attempts don’t…you will dearly regret missing this.

Kobato started good in its own way, and ended with amazing power in epic fashion. In a way it deserves higher than a four point five. But then, it’s those little things that make fives such a statement. Don’t miss this anime.

Final Rating: 4.5/5

This review was brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Information such as cast and airtime are taken from the ANN encyclopedia. Everything else is and always will be the creation of the author.

Summary:
Takasu Ryuji is an unnaturally domestic guy with unnaturally intimidating eyes, courtesy of his father, who really was a street man and probably liked it. Ryuji, on the other hand, could have done without everyone who first meets him assuming he’s after their wallet. On the first day of high school, two things go right, and one thing goes…weird. The two things that go right is that his best friend and his long standing though as yet un-confessed-to crush are in his class. The thing that goes weird is that, somehow, he becomes inextricably entangled in the affairs of one Aisaka Taiga, otherwise known as the Palmtop Tiger for being roughly four foot five and fierce enough for eight. She’s got a crush on said best friend, which he accidentally finds out about, which ordinarily would mean death. A ceasefire is achieved via compromise: he will help her to get his friends attention and affection, and she will help him with his crush, who happens to be her best friend. At first this is a relationship founded on mutual benefit, no more. In time, concern for each other’s welfare becomes more personal. And then things really get complicated…

Studio:
J.C. Staff

Cast:
Majima Jimji as Takasu Ryuji
Kugimiya Rie as Aisaka Taiga
Kitamura Eri as Kawashima Ami
Nojima Hirofumi as Kitamura Yusaku
Horie Yui as Kushieda Minori

Genre:
School, Drama, Romance, Comedy

Episodes:
Twenty Six.

DVD Availability:
Yes.

Review:
Once upon a time, a family was on a trip to a city. The city was in the middle of some rather dangerous wilderness, but like any real city in the twenty first century it had a perfectly serviceable road leading straight to it, so this really didn’t matter unless you liked hardcore camping. This family, driving along in their family sized car, reached the place where the wilderness began around the road – and then proceeded to drive straight off the road and initiate a harrowing trial of survival, adventure, and solidarity to reach the city. They survived, emerging intact and even, impossibly, with the car. And of course they had all kinds of incredible stories to tell but sooner or later, everyone who listened had the same question: why didn’t you just stay on the road? And the family had no answer. And after that, everything that had happened to them just seemed…stupid. End of parable.

This, I am sorry to say, more or less captures the essence of the drama in Toradora. The ingredients are excellent: characters, interactions, needs, and some scenes that are simply indescribable…but when it was climax time? The characters would just hare off down the road of difficulty and tragic sacrifice without ever explaining why they couldn’t have simply, to make further use of my analogy, stayed on the road. Oh, they did try to justify it occasionally, but the explanations made no sense (the class president’s speech about why she ‘can’t become an idiot’ was so much teary babble, literally nonsense). In the end, Toradora’s high points in plot are about people taking the hard road apparently for the hell of it. And there is just nothing sympathetic about that. Because Toradora contains scenes so potent no fan of romance should miss them, and there are large tracts of airtime that are simply fun, I give it a three instead of a two. It does manage to justify the time spent. But the plot, unfortunately, lacks those critical ‘road out ahead’ signs that would have given it validity.

First, the characters. Like always. We start with Ryuji, the most genuinely likeable male lead for this genre I’ve seen since Kanon. The characters were never the problem in Toradora, let me tell you. He’s utterly domesticated, but he’s not meek. He’s kind in an extremely natural way I approved of deeply, rather than that artificial ‘I’m too much of a wuss to be mean’ style the romance, harem, and high school genres are so cursed with (don’t even get me started on the syrupy bishounen style kindness, that’s even worse). He’s the sort that finds the most satisfaction in simple accomplishment and being needed, in a real, solid, everyday way – and boy does that adorable basketcase of nerves and violence named Taiga need the balance. She never gets any taller throughout the series: her head doesn’t get far past Ryuji’s waist. And if you step wrong, she’ll go straight for said waist – above the belt, not below, a fact worth noting. She also gets rapidly less violent with people she’s actually friendly with. The combination goes a long way towards removing her from her lesser counterparts. Tiny, strong, and easily flustered, she’s the tsundere poster child, but she is pulled off with great verve and freshness and is an on screen delight whether she’s being comical or serious. Next would be Minorin, I suppose. With short red hair and limitless energy, she’s the Miss Bonzai who is always screaming, cheering, or running. Like Taiga, she’s a stereotype done right: it is used not as the bio entire, but the base from which various quirks and an eventual true individual is grown. The way we are shown her strange hyperactivity covering or expressing various very personal emotions sets her worlds away from her counterparts, and her randomness is genuinely amusing. She’s also the one Ryuji likes and Taiga is friends with. Moving along, we get to Yusaku, the friend of Ryuji and crush of Taiga, who at first glance appears to be the ‘high school nice guy’ that Ryuji isn’t, complete with high popularity. With girls. Is it a cultural thing that in Japan, nice smart guys like that are popular, but in America, it’s all about who’s on the football team or something? Well in any case, if he were really that flat he wouldn’t be in Toradora: he’s got a wacky sense of humor and drama that lets him periodically rap right along with Minorin, and the very genuine drive that makes him an ideal Class President and school council member is also all his own. I’ve saved the most difficult for last: ‘Ami-chan’, the model. I’m not sure just how to handle this…the fact of the matter is that I quickly developed a deeply rooted hatred of Ami that never died throughout the series. Since this is neither the intended impression nor the popular one, I think it would be best that I do not attempt to describe her at all. Of the main supporting characters, she is the least prominent anyway. Thank G-d.

Plot time. Toradora is composed of three major arcs, if you count the first set that introduces and goes through various shorter scenarios an arc, in that it is a section geared towards one ‘stage’ of the set-up. In the first episode, the premise and characters are established. Taiga accidentally puts her love letter to Kitamura Yusaku in Ryuji’s bag. She visits him in the night with a wooden katana to shut him up – yes, it’s just as over the top as it sounds. Over the course of the visit their shared love tangle is revealed, and they agree to work together on this. Of course, as a tsundere, Taiga insists on more servile terms for him at first. After that we have about three or so one shots, during which we become familiar with the nature and dynamics of the characters, where they are, and a decent amount of backstory and less visible layers are brought out. We also have more clean-hearted untainted fun than we ever do again. Ami-chan’s entrance provoked a bit of an upset, and a new set of two or three episodes are required to settle her in. The final episodes of this stage of the storytelling take place in Ami-chan’s vacation home on a beach. She just wanted Ryuji there, but Taiga isn’t easy to get rid of, and then the rest of the gang sort of snuck in via the resulting loopholes. Throughout these times, the details and immediacy of Taiga and Ryuji’s feelings for their crushes are nicely fleshed out. However, even now, the signs of the series eventual Achilles Heel – unregulated drama – show, as several scenes get carried away and get well ahead of themselves in ways that really made me wonder at the time. But it’s nothing that will slow you down much yet. After that, interestingly enough, our focus is Ryuji’s friend, Yusaku, as he goes through an emotional crisis. It was all very good and enjoyable until we started learning details, and it slowly dawns on you that he is seriously over-reacting, and that the whole thing could have been solved quite simply, and that everyone is either making mountains out of molehills or making mountain out of sheer perversity. You can explain why it would make sense for them to do what they do as the other shoe drops all you like (though to be frank, I’d love to hear you try), but if to the watcher it’s still obvious they are just driving off a good road, it still doesn’t work. It really isn’t possible to really explain without spoilers. Let’s just say that even though it is supposed to be a tragedy, to me it stank strongly of farce. In any case, this arc is concluded with much ado, mostly incomprehensible but all very intense and tearful, and now we’re into the final arc. Like the previous one, this started well, and began to deteriorate as it tried to get to the meat of it. We start being regaled with introspection that seems made up on the spot, intense character reactions that seem entirely out of left field, and basically everyone gets more and more irrational, all the while clearly being very serious, albeit for no reason the watcher can comprehend. There’s a little bit in the middle that was good, mostly because it bore no direct connection to events before or after. The rest of the time, you’re basically twiddling your thumbs waiting for everyone to come back to their senses and take the perfectly normal and happy route that was right there the whole time. Except they still don’t, and every fact we know from earlier in the series that has a bearing on the situation suggests there is no good reason for this whatsoever. And so we end, handed a lot of tragic wailing for no reason and a ‘do your best’ resolution when there was nothing to fight against or do your best about in the first place, and you’re still not sure why they’re bothering. The only good part was the last thirty seconds or so, which alleviated some of the fabricated bittersweet flavor, but really didn’t make up for any of it.

And there we have it. Toradora: a bundle of potential train-wrecked by incomprehensible plot twists. By rights this should be a two, or even a one…and yet…I just can’t do it. There are so many fun bits, quite a few good serious moments despite all, and one scene that was simply indescribable. In end, I just can’t give this series a failing grade. Lower than three means it wasn’t worth the time taken to watch, and there are parts of this series I can’t regret getting to. So, a three it is. But make your call carefully.

Final Rating: 3/5

This review was brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Information such as cast and airtime are taken from the ANN encyclopedia. Everything else is and always will be the creation of the author.

Summary:
Shirahama Kenichi is popular with the big shots – as a punching bag. Nicknamed ‘weak legs’ (a pun on his name in Japanese), he’s pretty much bottom of the barrel. And now he is entering high school – which from some perspectives more closely resembles a school of piranhas. Attempts to change his image in the school’s Karate Club are a disastrous failure…and then a new friend tells him a secret. There is a special dojo in town called Ryouzanpaku, and if he is willing to do what they say, he cannot fail to become stronger. The catch? ‘I can’t guarantee you’ll survive it.’ And thus begins a lesson in human nature – and the dividing line between talent and determination. Kenichi’s body may be weak, but he has depths of willpower that few would expect. And the dojo knows just what to do with it. They are history’s strongest masters. And if he lets them, they will make him history’s strongest disciple.

Studio:
TMS Entertainment

Cast:
Seki Tomokazu as Shirahama Kenichi
Kawakami Tomoko as Furinji Miu
Ishimaru Hiroya as Apachai Hophachai
Futamata Issei as Ma Kensei
Kosugi Juurouta as Koetsuji Akisame
Noto Mamiko as Kosaka Shigure
Ishizuka Unshou as Sakaki Shio
Arikawa Hiroshi as Furinji Hayato (The Elder)
Yamazaki Takumi as Haruo Niijima

Genre:
Action, Comedy, Romance.

Episodes:
Fifty. There is a strong possibility of a sequel when the manga is completed.

Review:
Ah, the fighting shounen series. Young boys will discover unsuspected extraordinary powers within themselves, be trained by the equally unsuspected neighbor, and go on to vanquish a sequence of opponents with unlikely signature moves more reminiscent of x-men powers. Well…not here. Firstly, Kenichi does not have superb untapped talent. He’s just stubborn. Secondly, he’s never heard of the guys who train him before, and would have run like the dickens if he had: there’s no mistaking these fellas for harmless garden hobbyists. And most of all, there are no ‘powers’ here. The level of strength does begin to stretch the definition of human, but not the type. This, combined with a few other things, such as a buxom lead female whose screen shots focus on the head, and comedic moments that manage not to undermine the characters serious sides, make this series a four, and I am very strongly hoping for that sequel.

Kenichi actually doesn’t fit any cookie cutter type. He’s kind and protective, and he isn’t inherently strong or fast. But he really isn’t anti-macho either. He’s someone who at first is inclined to run away – but suddenly finds that he can’t stand that anymore. He wants to be able to protect, and he wants to respect himself. In short, he wants to change, and Ryouzanpaku gives him a way – the hard way. Though it takes a while, he becomes someone you can really respect, as his training and experience change and mature him. The transformation is suitably satisfying. Miu is similar, in that she isn’t a type – she’s Furinji Miu, both one of the nicest, kindest, friendliest females you could hope to find, and one of the best martial artists you could have misfortune to encounter. As expected of the girl whose grandfather is both the founder and undisputed master of the Ryouzanpaku dojo. Her character as a desirable female is in wonderful good taste, something hard enough to find in and of itself. In lots of little way, using little things, the kind of things most series forget altogether, this anime quickly puts her above your average shonen action love interest, showing her as a kind and loyal friend, someone really worth knowing – and possibly loving. She’s also endearing and occasionally silly. Gotta love that girl, though for me it was more fondness than fawning. Third of the original trio: Nijima, who cannot seem to decide whether he is an alien or a demon but is either way definitely evil, and the world’s worst best friend. Originally one of Kenichi’s bullies, he quickly catches on to the change and attaches himself for the benefits his cunning, manipulative intellect can extract. The masters at the dojo make an interesting group. There are five masters, each with their own chosen field of specialty. There’s Apachai, the Muay Thai master. A simplistic giant who loves children, talks to birds, and doesn’t understand the meaning of the words ‘take it easy on him’. Shigure, the weapons master. A dark haired woman with a tendency to hang from the rafters and speak syllable by syllable, she hangs out quite a bit with Apachai. There’s a certain quaintness to the couple I liked, though ‘quaint’ might seem the wrong word when one can fell trees by kicking them and one could give you a shave and a haircut with a katana. Shio is the karate master. One of those big, gruff guys that seem a lot meaner than they actually are – though he’s good at fooling you sometimes. He actually isn’t interested in training anyone at first, but he can’t seem to resist hanging around while the other masters are teaching him. Hmmm. Ma Kensai, the Chinese martial artist, master of all it’s forms. Also know around the dojo as the master of H-type picture taking – though since all the females in Ryouzanpaku are martial artists, this could also be thought of as a kind of training. His skills are undeniable however, and he is actually one of the more patient and dependable of the masters. Finally, Akisame, the philosophical Judo master. His official teacher and primary instructor, though he also seems to have a suspicious affinity for sculpture and almost everything else culture. Oh, and he’s a doctor. Lucky for Kenichi. For villains, we have the local power gang: Ragnarok, whose strongest fighters are known as the Fists and, with a few exceptions, take their names from the Norse gods, whose mythos contains the origin of Ragnarok. We go through quite a sequence with them, as Kenichi works his way from the local thugs to the Fists and then through them, but suffice to say they are all as individual and interesting as their screen time demands, encompassing an interesting range of individual fighting styles, once again without ever slipping into ‘powers’ or, g-d help us, Abilities.

Plot is mostly guided by Kenichi’s progress. We are introduced to him and given a sense of his life and present status while he meets Miu. He’s introduced to the dojo and begins to train, at first with only one fight in mind…only to discover that the strong seek the strong, and now that he has ‘come out’, he can only continue to do so. His growth from pathetic weakling to formidable disciple is conveniently paced by the progressively stronger, higher ranked Ragnarok members that come after him. All of this is, in essence, typical, but it’s execution is not. I have never seen anime so reliably turn staple anime situations that normally make me wince into something worth seeing. All the usual types of scenes and behaviors are here – but they cannot be compared to other examples. They consistently change their approach just enough to make them enjoyable, or more honest, or just better. Every time I thought I was going to groan, they suddenly pulled some shift and proved me wrong. It was an enjoyable and refreshing experience. It takes a while for the comedy to really become second to the plot, but at least the comedy is funny and, most of all, does not undermine the characters in serious mode. You know how anime often seem to have this thing that if it happened while the animation went blocky then it doesn’t count? Not this one. There are limits, of course, but all in all I felt the comedy managed both to amuse and to be true to character. Kenichi’s growth in strength is also more real than many examples I could think of, by showing what he goes through to get it. To get faster results, you do more brutal training, and after seeing what his masters have him do, his power-ups make perfect sense. And that kind of training takes guts. Sure, he screams a lot at first – and at intervals throughout – but in the end, he never really quits, and he could have if he’d really wanted. Miu was even more refreshing than the plot handling. Somewhere in the making of this some director made an unprecedented and rejuvenating decision. Okay, he said, we’ve made a character with incredibly large ‘attributes’ and a cute face, so now we can just leave it to the audience to notice them by themselves, without tasteless close ups, boing boing scenes, pointed ogling, or panty flashes. Hormones will do it without our help. Thank you, whoever you are, you have made my watching experience. He was right of course; guys don’t need the help and I personally enjoyed her much more for the tactful handling. In fact, it may be the first time I have enjoyed watching an over endowed character. The only time the screen focuses on ‘them’ is through the eyes of girls ‘sizing up’ the competition. Even the training itself, when we are shown lessons, are real. They work; they can be done, if you practiced you could actually learn the lessons they teach him. Through and through, this anime manages to be both extreme and grounded in reality, if you’ll excuse what sounds like patent self-contradiction.

This particular anime, as far as strength of story went, took time to build. At first it was more funny than anything else, though you could see potential coming. I decided to continue watching because something about the delivery of the first few made me think that when they got serious, they’d do a damn good job, and I was right. It takes a while, but the strength of the anime could definitely be said to be a constant uphill slope. By twenty, I was really enjoying it (the serious parts, not the anime as a whole – you’re always entertained). By thirty, I was amazed, and the series had actually managed to pull a tear or two from me. I’m not that hard to make cry – I don’t have this macho thing against it – but I’m no fountain either. It has to be good. The ending is an ideal of the genre. Once again, they took something many anime of its type do and did it best. You see, Kenichi, like many other anime, was based on part of an ongoing manga. Timed right, this works well for the companies. If it doesn’t sell, well that’s always a risk anyway and they only invested in half. If it does though, then they can count on a turnout producing the rest of it eventually. But of course they need to end it right: it must both satisfy and entice. Once again I say, Kenichi pulled this perfectly, giving you closure with a strong taste of what could come, if more were to be made. I walked away satisfied…and remain fully prepared to walk eagerly back if and when they animate the rest. The anime covered about one hundred thirty chapters of the manga; it is now up to the hundred eighties or so. In other words, if they were going to make a sequel, it wouldn’t be yet. So, I hold out hope – but there’s no call to push seeing this part off. It really is perfectly gauged.

Kenichi rates a four for simply being an enjoyable, tasteful, and refreshing watch in a genre often none of the three. Hope you feel the same.

Final Rating: 4/5

This review was brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Info such as cast and airtime are courtesy of ANN’s encyclopedia listing. All else is and always will be the origination of the author

Summary:
Tomoya is a delinquent. His class attendance is lackadaisical, and his approach to life in general is not much different; he gets most of his thrills from teasing everyone around him. However, he does have a kind side, and it turns out to be his lifeline, as he finds himself trying, ever more energetically, to encourage a lonely girl to make her dream of acting in the school drama club a reality before she graduates. One thing leads to another: whether he knows it or not, a new life has just begun.

Genre:
Drama, Romance, Supernatural, Comdey.

Episodes:
Clannad’s first season consisted of twenty-two episodes, plus two specials; a second season, Clannad After Story, has now partially aired (Dec 17, 2008).

Studio:
Kyoto Animation

Cast:
Nakahara Mai as Furukawa Nagisa
Nakamura Yuuichi as Okazaki Tomoya
Nonaka Ai as Ibuki Fuuko
Kuwashima Houko as Sakagami Tomoyo
Noto Mamiko as Ichinose Kotomi
Hirohashi Ryou as Kyoiu Fujibayashi
Kanda Akemi as Ryou Fujibayashi
Sakaguchi Daisuke as Youhei Sunohara

Review:
One man’s favorite novel is another man’s gag-fest…or something like that. I’ve been on the receiving end of a disapproving review of a favorite anime more than once. I’ve never forgotten what it felt like when I saw a seventy percent rating on Anime Library for Sola, my personal all time star…so I guess I feel just a little guilty about this one. Still, I can’t change my opinion-but I do know your pain, I really do. I am aware that Clannad is the darling of thousands of anime fans, all of whom were enthralled by it’s-well, truthfully, I have no notion what it is they found so enthralling. My overall reaction, as a watcher, is that it is an utterly-and sadly-unsuccessful attempt by the team that made Kanon 06 to ‘do it again’. Kanon was a masterpiece: this is not. Ranging from reasonably touching (the first arc) to absolute rock bottom (the second arc), Clannad rates, by my judgment, a one-barely. I will do my best to explain myself objectively, but no matter what, I can only judge an anime from one viewpoint, and that is my own. So if I am tearing apart an image that means a great deal to you, I am sorry…but only because I’ve been there. The series itself, I feel, does not deserve my pity.

As always, characters first – though in some cases, I could just refer to Kanon counterparts. Tomoya, the main character, is given many features directly opposite to his predecessor, Yuuichi, no doubt to prevent what happened anyway: he reminded me of Yuuichi. Despite all the technical differences, when watching him I just thought, ‘he reminds me of Yuuichi.’ And that only gets worse as time goes on and his kind side becomes more dominant. Nagisa, the female lead, does not have a close enough counterpart plot-wise to suffer the same fate. However, her design (appearance) is no more or less than a mature sized Ayu. Picture our uguu girl at the proper height for her age and properly developed all around, and you know what Nagisa looks like. She’s also easily the most bland of the cast, far and away outshined by just about everyone else, including her parents. Sweet, but flat, that’s her. Despite numerous attempts to make her something more like, well…Ayu? Tomoya’s best friend, Sunohara, is Kitagawa, Kaori’s best friend in Kanon. That’s it. Just a carbon copy with a couple situational differences. He even looks like him. Fuuko, a little girl who looks and acts elementary age but is actually high school age – another Kanon carryover – is actually a bright light in this litany: she is absolutely hysterical, and in a style utterly her own. Makes Ayu look like a lecture on agricultural statistics. Her arc is the only one of worth in this anime (more on that in it’s place), and I’d gladly have watched the full twenty-two episodes as focused on her just wandering about, and rated it high too. That doesn’t happen, of course, but if Clannad succeeded at anything it attempted, it was the comedy. I shall keep the first ten episodes for nothing more than the gut-busting fun, and begrudge not a megabyte of the space.  Then there’s Tomoyo, a long silver haired girl with a gentle manner and The Kick of Justice. Forget the long hand of the law – worry about her feet. She’s actually quite a good, interesting character, and my easy favorite. Unfortunately she doesn’t get nearly enough screen time, and her role for most of the series is to add bulk to the crowd of enamored girls who all want Tomoya (g-d knows why).  Actually, most of the girls serve this role more than anything else, because there are simply too many of them to give them proper arcs of their own. Even the ones that do get short ones, besides of course for Nagisa. There is something intrinsically wrong with the taste of any drama that tries to have more than three girls interested in a guy at one time. You just can’t give it proper weight, and the whole situation is incredulous, to say the least. Clannad gives him five. Right. Someone get me the name of his aftershave. Two more of the five are the twins, Kyou and Ryou Fujibayashi. Kyou is loud, long haired, and violent; Ryou is quiet, soft voiced, and short both in hair and self confidence. The usual Yin and Yang thing that producers seem to see as a shortcut to interesting. Not that it’s a tactic with no hope; Kyou is actually a lot of fun, and my second favorite character. Ryou fades out as your typical moe shoujo, but this is enlivened by the fact that anytime she is particularly overwhelmed, Kyou is sure to show up to give the perpetrator hell, something she excels at. These two never have their own arc but simply add their presence alongside all the others; truly purposeless but for flavor and to bring the number of ‘candidates’ to a gratuitous five. Last and possibly least, depending on the angle, is Ichinose Kotomi, the series’ monosyllabic, an introverted genius girl who somehow was once a friend of Tomoya’s and who he has now forgotten; all in all, she completes the list of characters who are factually nothing like Kanon characters, but remind me of them anyway. Kotomi-chan, while an excellent comedic character, reminded me of Mai somehow, and so does her arc, which is also quite short. In that she has one, she takes precedence to the twins; in how much her own affections are presented, she loses by such an extant I have no idea why they bothered at all. Amount of screen time in which her feelings (romantically speaking) are a factor? Total well under ten minutes, possibly even five. I thought she was just a friend till near the end. Or rather, hoped, since there were too many in that category already. I’ll end the character bashing here; disgust seems to have made me wordy(er).

Plot and delivery time. For the first eight or so episodes, Clannad actually did very well. I was honestly interested, and eight ended strongly. These plus nine made the first arc, Fuuko’s arc, minus the first two and a half or so which are general introduction, with the seeds of the arc to come dropped casually in the midst. The humor was great, the emotions of Fuuko’s dilemma were strong-and to be honest (aren’t I always?), that was the last time I thought favorably of the series. It is a little hard to describe what was wrong with the arc’s conclusion. Here’s my best attempt: while fan-service by default means ‘privileged angles’ (cough*panties*cough), it can actually refer to any element of an anime made for the watchers rather than for the story itself. Those who prowl fanfiction.net have probably seen more badly spelled examples of ‘fiction for fans’ (rather than by fans, a critical distinction) than they care to remember. This was by professionals, but it still felt like it was designed to fulfill the fantasies of the greatest number of watchers – just instead of hormonal fantasies, the ones they were fulfilling were plot based. It was made to tug the maximum number of heartstrings, not to best conclude the story they were telling, and this is always a turn for the worse. Though I didn’t have the words at the time, I knew that it had disappointed me. And it only went downhill from there. Kotomi’s arc starts out as a return to the top notch comedy (starfish FTW!), but after two or so episodes it starts to become serious; only, somehow, it failed entirely to get me serious. And then we got to the conclusion…okay, look. I have standards when I write. I believe strongly in making the story you tell as strong as possible. I also feel the truer the tale, the more it will touch. And I have never, ever, ever watched a worse conceived scene in all my experience in anime, and I pray never to again. It’s very hard to explain my absolute abhorrence without spoilers. I’ll try by saying that once again it tried to pull every single heartstring they could, pulling out revelation after revelation-except this time, not a single one had the slightest ounce of plausibility. I snorted in disgust at the first three, and then proceeded to skip my way through in hopes of some redeeming moment later on. That’s right, I skipped my way through most of the high point of the arc. And I never found that redeeming point either. I stopped watching cold for months. I have never stopped, without intention of continuing, so deep into an anime before (G Gundam was a fifty episode series, so it’s different). The only reason I kept it on my hard drive was because I have a friend who has trouble downloading, and he was interested in it. Eventually I decided that having gotten that far, I should finish, and review it. You may not be grateful, but too bad. I did.

There is a short arc on Tomoyo after that, which was nice but not nearly as in depth as I would have liked. She was an intriguing character, but after they were through she was not much more than part of the ‘Unrequited Lovers of Tomoya’ club. It takes three to form a club in their school; at five members, they honestly qualified. After that we go back to full time ‘revive the drama club’ mode, focusing on Nagisa and Tomoya. We have one or two fairly stupid ‘problems’, solved in equally stupid or implausible fashion, and then the kicker. The whole issue with his dad, instead of being dealt with (it deserved to be, it wasn’t bad at all as a premise), is used as a gimmick to put Tomoya in Nagisa’s house. That’s it. It’s the last time the series acknowledges it. It’s also rather hentai-esque, and I find it rather ironic that of the three, Clannad, Kanon, and Air, only Clannad was not adults only as a game, but only Clannad as an anime suggest hentai roots. There’s really not much more to say; this deep in, explaining things in detail is pretty much impossible, and none of it made much of an impression in any case. Right up till the much awaited confession. The series never managed to move me again. Flat, mundane failure. Some moments were enjoyable, but that was it.

I mentioned that the series seemed to suggest hentai roots, right? It’s a statement demanding a bit of explanation, I know. The scenes I’m referring to range from a questionable scene involving Tomoya locked in the gym storage shed with Kyou to various scene shots that emphasize girl’s ‘endowments’ a bit too deliberately to ignore. And one or two inbetween. Perhaps not, in itself, a flaw, but it is reminiscent of what is missing throughout Clannad: a lack of taste or sense of proportion. Even the traditional definition of fan-service makes some form of appearance.

What can I say? No matter what anyone else thought of it, only the comedy and the first eight episodes keep this at anything more than zero. I did warn you not to read this if you were already a fan. However, for the record, I’ve always been conscious of the lack of counter-opinions in the review selection here. I’m the only one for now, so it can’t be helped, but if you want to make a sort of ‘mini-review’ in response in the comments section below, that is more than fine: just make sure that it is detailed and specific. It should be able to help someone who is wondering whether they would agree with me or others more. Don’t say ‘I loved it’, say why. That’s all. But by my account, Clannad is a one.

Final Rating: 1/5

This review is brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Facts such as cast and airtime are courtesy of ANN’s encyclopedia entries. All else is and always will be the original creation of the author.

Summary:
In the Rune-Midgard Kingdom, Roan, a young swordsman, travels with Yuufa, a childhood friend and an Acolyte. Adventuring together after some tragedy befell their old party, they search about for adventures and monsters. Over the course of a few recent travels, they acquire a few new friends, and meet some old ones. And learn of disturbing things. The land is changing. Some shadow grows over it. Dead friends reappear, same in face, horribly changed in soul. And in time it becomes clear that there is a grand journey to be made, the adventure to trump all adventures to be had, the monster of all monsters to stop. Neither Roan nor Yuufa can be allowed to cling to their childishness anymore. Both must grow, and discover strength of the body and mind-and heart. The Dark Lord is pulling strings again, and any darkness, any weakness within, can become an enemy.

Studio:
G&G Entertainment

Cast:
Sakaguchi Daisuke as Roan
Mizuki Nana as Yuufa
Hisakawa Aya as Takius
Momoi Halko as Maya
Nakai Kazuya as Illuga
Arakawa Minako as Judia
Koyasu Takehito as Keough

Genre:
Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Romance, Drama

Airtime:
Ragnarok aired from April 06, 2004 till September 28, 2004

DVD Availability:
Yes.

Episodes:
Ragnarok has twenty-six episodes. A sequel is unlikely.

Review:
Everyone has their own opinions on what makes an anime good. Action, romance, fan-service, strong characters-there are as many opinions as there are people. I’ve always preferred to answer from a more general angle. I say nothing matters more than the story. Tell the right one, tell it well, and everything else-voice acting, color, animation, etc-will cease to be important. Tell it wrong, and a multi-billion dollar budget won’t change anything. I recently had two anime stage an allegory of this on my computer. One was Kaze no Stigma, a slick 2007 production from Gonzo. The other was Ragnarok, a low budget, antiquely animated, square screened blatant RPG rip-off. Ragnarok kicked Kaze no Stigma’s rear all the way to the end, falling only just short of that rarest of accolades, a five out of five. I take great pleasure in telling you why.

Lead male, Roan: a swordsman whose love for his childhood friend is still immature, just like he is. Good hearted, talented, protective, and yet slightly pathetic, he is the seed of a great warrior-but only a seed. For now. Lead female: Yuufa. Light hearted, cheerful, and even more childish than Roan, the only thing that seems to bring a true shadow to her face is the memory of her dead brother. Seemingly oblivious to Roan’s devotion, she blissfully follows behind eating bananas, when someone doesn’t need her healing abilities. It’s a luxury with a time limit. Sidekick one, Maya the Merchant. A manipulative little thing with a bouncy pink teardrop for a pet, at first she’s only along for the ride, and to collect profitable items she herself isn’t strong enough to reach. However, she isn’t as selfish as she might seem, and establishes herself as a dependable member of the party in time. Takius, the mage. A woman of power, her senses are sharp enough to allow her to navigate the world blindfolded, as she literally does, for reasons known only to her. She is dedicated to the ideal of truth and eradication of evil, as well as her teacher, Zephel-sensei. Later to join are Illuga and Judia. Illuga is an assassin, though he rarely seems it; he is tall, silent, and superbly skilled. Fighting with two blades worn over the backs of his hand, he was once part of a party that included Roan, Yuufa, and Yuufa’s older brother. Playing the part of the imperturbable, he is apparently impossible to affect or move unless he decides to care, a valuable trait when dealing with his partner, Judia. A Hunter(thanks BW) who fights with her falcon and a bow, she’s energetic, direct, has a healthy appetite, and lives largely and blissfully in the moment. She makes strong backup though. On the opposing side are three figures who are somehow connected to the dark force emerging. A demon who’s bitter hate of humankind knows no reason, a mage whose losses have driven him to a mad search of a truth that will save the world, which the dark lord has promised him. And finally, a man everyone in the party knows, but who no longer resembles him; his antipathy is his driving force, believing in hate and cleansing the world of humans, from whom all troubles come. Seemingly invincible, he comes and goes, leaving chaos in his wake, despite the best efforts of the heroes. Until all comes to a head…

Ragnarok’s strength takes a while to see. Until about episode seven or eight, there’s only sporadic hints of the story’s potential, as the group is assembled and some background provided. This is the sole reason for the four point five, instead of a five; I can’t really give a masterpiece mark to an anime who’s first seven or eight are so not, however strong it becomes. Besides for a glimpse of the tip of the plot, it’s mostly so so, and sometimes trying. Hints of the quality they might be capable of are a little more common. Then episode nine happens, then ten, then eleven, and by then, everything has turned around. Plot, whether involving the nemesis or the characters, kicks in like a rocket booster, and everything is level five from there on out. All the most frustrating aspects of the characters become demons to exorcise as the stakes expand and engulf them, leaving no room for immaturity, for weakness, for being coddled, for being selfish, for being blind. Every minute of the ‘trying’ moments I mentioned become fuel for the fire as those faults are faced, made real by all the time we spent wincing through them. Watching growth is most satisfying when you first learn to care about them as they used to be, and the old ‘trial by facing weaknesses in an inner world’ has rarely rung so true. One by one, every character is brought face to face with their mistakes, weaknesses, pasts, and cleansed in fire. Action settles in to stay, as characters learn greater strengths, only in time to match the increased efforts of the enemy. And when the climax comes, it is everything a character strong action climax should be, as everyone’s efforts converge on victory, and even one or two that you never expected to be significant somehow manage, by complete accident, to help save the world. The rising triumph, the screamed refusal to bow to the odds, the final efforts of everyone they’ve fought beside so long, all come together with all the impact you could wish for. One of the most powerful feelings a story like this can tap is the fierce pride in the indomitable spirit of humankind, and Ragnarok does: magnificently. And in the end, though there have been losses, the closing is definitely upbeat-the sun is out. Life continues. And the party moves on.

I was completely taken by surprise by this anime, I could have sworn that kind of power wasn’t there, but at some point it suddenly managed to grip me and never let go. This is the sort of anime where reviews are most useful: where without someone who finished it to tell you, you might not realize its worth. I’m glad to be here to tell you otherwise. Don’t judge this one until ten or eleven, or you could miss something fantastic. Don’t let the blatant RPG elements fool you(character power-ups come in the form of class changes, you don’t get any more obvious than that). Once you get used to them enough to ignore them, this thing is incredible. Remember, this was almost a five.

Final Rating: 4.5/5

This review is brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Info such as cast and info are taken from ANN’s encyclopedia listing. All else is and always will be the origination of the author.

Summary:
The Triad vanquished for the moment, Sakai Yuji and Shana go back to living from day to day, waiting for the next Tomogara to come. Yuji’s training proceeds, and unexpected results of the past encounter make that training far more serious, with far greater potential. However, nothing stays peaceful for a Flame Haze, and the same goes for the mistes of the Raiji Maigo. There will continue to be battles, continue to be strife, continue to be conflict. Yuji will continue to gain strength and learn about his new companions, and Shana will continue to rediscover the heart she once tried to throw away. And in time, of course, the Triad must be faced again. Because a being that lives for centuries does not stop pursuing it’s goal so easily. It will only truly end when they are dead-or he is.

Studio:
J.C. Staff

Cast:
Kugimiya Rie as Shana
Hino Satoshi as Sakai Yuuji
Kawasumi Ayako as Yoshida Kazumi
Nabatame Hitomi as Margery Doe
Ebara Masashi as Alastor
Iwata Mitsuo as Marchosias(marco)
Itou Shizuka as Wilhelmina Carmel
Kondou Takayuki as Tanaka Eita
Nojima Kenji as Sato Keisaku

Genre:
Fantasy, Action, Romance

Airtime:
Shakugan no Shana II aired from October 04, 2007 till March 27, 2008

Episodes:
Shakugan no Shana II has twenty-four episodes, and a third is very likely, though as yet unannounced.

Review:
Sequels are finicky things. We tend to have high expectations, but that just makes it more likely to disappoint. I enjoyed Shakugan no Shana, and was more than willing to see things taken at their pace. Unfortunately, the sequel is not nearly as good. Rehashed emotional runs that worked the first time but feel repetitive twice, lack of consistency, and general lack of satisfaction, compared to it’s predecessor, force me to give this anime a low ranking despite what I would like. If the third makes good enough use of the ground laid, I may change it, but for now, Shakugan no Shana II is a two point five.

I’ll assume you’ve either watched the first or read the review, and describe the characters according to their advancement and development in the sequel. Shana, who we all enjoyed watching come to terms with herself and confess before, gets cruelly cheated. Yuuji didn’t hear her, it turns out, and she and Yoshida end up largely re-enacting the same emotional lines of conflict that they did in the final third or so of Shakugan I. What held up fine in the spotlight once doesn’t necessarily have another twenty-four episodes of wear in it: in this case, it was largely repetitive, not to mention frustrating, and sometimes even boring. The one who should have been the focus was Yuuji, who despite it all seems unaware of the battle lines drawn about him, but instead he also plays largely the same role in the girls drama: being clueless . For himself, Yuuji’s biggest role is powering up, as he becomes more and more important in each battle. This should have been more entertaining than it was, but again, it got repetitive. We already know how good his senses and his tactics are, we expect him to excel there. His spell casting, however, is new, and as an established gifted person, what we get isn’t quite what we thought we would. He does go through a few character troubles, especially as Shana and Yoshida’s competition finally begins to break through his bubble, but frankly, those are even worse than the girls. Margery Doe also gets more focused treatment, with somewhat better results, but not that much better. Her two cohorts, as well as Ogata-chan, take a stronger role as well, and do better than all the others, as Tanaka at last faces the fact that he truly is not cut out for this world, and Sato reveals a deep running determination to remain in it, and affect it, somehow. Ogata-chan is a delight to get to know better, with a bouncy charm that, it’s true, I’ve seen before, but to me at least it never gets old. Her relationship with Tanaka is sweetly clumsy. I think that’s everything.

Plot, handling, flow, all that stuff…I really wish I could say otherwise, but it stunk. The structure that should have been fragmented in the first but somehow worked, did not come over whole; what magic ingredient was forgotten I cannot say, but it felt very inconsistent, like a broken vcr or lagging video where things speed up and slow down at random. Actual material, in concept, was fine by and large, but it just didn’t get delivered as well as the first. More accurately, unlike the first, which managed to deliver well, the sequel does not. Arcs and character stretches seem interspersed at random, and the lengths of each and where, if at all, they intermesh, all feel mad-dash and off balance. Again, I hate to say it, but as a viewer and a fan of the first, I was very disappointed.

The thing about sequels is, we’re twice as pleased when they work and twice as mad when they don’t. As a fan, I am definitely twice as mad that Shakugan no Shana II doesn’t measure up to number one. The one bright side is, while it may not have satisfied very well, all lot of ground was laid. A whole series of ground laying doesn’t make for fun watching-and would explain the feel of the anime-however, if there is a third, and the third does make good enough use of it, I might well forgive them for it. If it does work that way, I will edit this review accordingly, so if the third does air, check it when it finishes. For now, however, even giving it a two point five instead of a two is a concession. Let’s pray for a better finale.

Final Rating: 2.5/5

This review is brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Info such as cast and airtime are courtesy of ANN’s encyclopedia listing. All else is and always will be the origination of the author.

Plot Summary:
On an ordinary day, an ordinary boy, Sakai Yuji, discovers that he is not ordinary. Suddenly finding himself in a frozen slice of existence with a monster, he is saved by a flaming girl with a burning sword-the contractor of Alastor the Flame of Heaven, a Flame Haze. Discovering that such attacks happen regularly and that the girl’s purpose is to stop them comes with another discovery-he himself is dead. A mere temporary replacement, to ease the disruption to the worlds balance caused by his being devoured in some earlier attack. However, Yuji is something special-rather than going into shock, he accepts it, determining to make the most of his time. It is a more significant meeting than they think. Yuji is not any Torch, but a mistes, and the treasure he holds is something any King of Guze would kill for. Yuji is going to have to learn many things, strength and hardship and battle, from Shana. But Shana, who has devoted herself to her cause at the exclusion of all emotion for many years, may have something to learn as well. Humans were not meant to be empty or alone, and life is full of strange, painful, but wonderful surprises.

Studio:
J.C. Staff

Cast:
Kugimiya Rie as Shana
Hino Satoshi as Sakai Yuuji
Kawasumi Ayako as Yoshida Kazumi
Nabatame Hitomi as Margery Doe

Genre:
Fantasy, Action, Romance

Airtime:
Shakugan no Shana aired from October 05, 2005 till March 22, 2006

Episodes:
Shakugan no Shana runs twenty four episodes, with one completed sequel and a third to follow.

Review:
There are two ways to make a successful story: to invent something new, or to somehow enliven and enrich a know theme. Shakugan no Shana falls into the second category. With a big breasted character who never gets goggled, a female lead who goes through a very real and meaningful transformation of persona, and a powerless male lead who actually has real guts and manages to find a way to influence every battle, it’s a success that safely steers around all the potholes. Unfortunately, impact went down a bit in the second half, so a four I cannot call it, but I can call it a three point five, for standing out quality wise and giving us a satisfying ending even while building towards a sequel.

Characters are strongest in the lead roles. Side characters shine much less than in some, but at least that’s the right order of priority: I’ve known some where every other character was more interesting than the leads. Shana, the Flame Haze and the fighter, starts out a very cold fish. The fighting girl who’s out of touch with her feelings is an old one. However, it’s done to perfection here. You can see the mask made by duty, and you can see Yuji’s nature cracking it. The path from denial so absolute she’s forgotten what she’s denying, to full bloom, is both real seeming and touching, and achieves just what it’s supposed to. Sakai Yuji, the male lead, is, for the moment, powerless, and seems like he is going to be one of those ‘gentle, weak, but compassionate’ types that become the focus of increasingly complicated love geometry. While I’m all for getting away from the macho image(this has nothing to do with my not being macho, got that?), a soft hearted dishrag isn’t really a good substitute. However, Yuji does better than that: in addition to the fact that his compassionate view really is something Shana needs to be reminded of, his empathy does not equal weakness-his strength of mind is equal to Shana’s fighting strength. Someone who will not turn his back on the truth, he first embraces the nature of his existence, and then manages to consistently find ways to make real differences, both to the astonishment of Shana and Alastor. Lacking attack power, he discovers an incredible intuition and grasp of tactics, and no victory is won without his thumbprint. Though I happen to hate love geometry-operative word being geometry-there is also Yoshida Kazumi, an ordinary girl in the school with a crush on Yuji. Though the series would like you to take her more seriously, her feelings never seemed quite as authentic to me. Still, she’s sympathetic, and the manner in which she and Shana collide is in better taste then many. For further interest and a dash of madness, add Margery Doe to the mix. Also know as the Interpreter of Condolences, Flame Haze of the Fang of Devastation, Marcosius. A battle freak whose contracted Tomogara paints a glaring contrast to Alastor’s dignity, she is a drunk, a bimbo, and a powerful Flame Haze. She has her issues too, and occasionally becomes an advisor as well-once she and Shana settle things. Moving on to the villains, that’s a little complicated. The real ones don’t show up in person for introduction until too late in the series; it would come out as a spoiler if I described them here. The earlier stand-ins are interesting, and in the case of the Seeking Researcher, quite, quite weird, in an enjoyable way. However, none really warrant individual description. I’ll leave it that they are well done and not all of them are simply evil, always an important touch for more introspective style anime.

Plot flow, handling, type, choice-it’s a little haphazard, if you think about it, but in the end, it does flow well. The first two episodes are a bit confusing chronology wise, but they straighten out. The first villain’s arc, which plays from one through six, stretches to encompass Margery’s entrance and the early ground breaking between Shana and Yuji. Once resolved, some references dropped during the previous arc are unraveled into the next arc, which lays the ground for two episodes of character, which make the next arc more interesting as the antagonists test Shana’s new thoughts(mercifully, not by lecture, as all too many do-just by being themselves), which leads into more character, plus some detailed flashbacks…you see what I mean? It seems jumpy I know, but the seeds of each arc are laid in the previous, so despite all that, the flow feels natural. And in the end, both character and plot lines are resolved satisfactorily for the moment, even though you can tell a sequel’s coming to pick things back up.

Tells a good character story, has characters you like, and even sincerely respect, and doesn’t leave you hanging-I was very pleased with this one. I hate waiting for sequels-but that can’t be helped. The anime is based on an ongoing sequence of novels, so I’m assuming they’re timed to come out as the next book is released. Trilogies are common; the third will probably finish things this fall. In any case, any series that rates three point five should be followed on, so see the reviews of the sequels, when I make them.

Final Rating: 3.5/5

This review was brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Info such as cast and airtime are taken from ANN’s encyclopedia listing. All else is and always will be the origination of the author.

Plot Summary:
In the Treisting school for magic, the name of Louise Francoise is famous – for failure. Without one successful attempt at magic to her name, everyone eagerly awaits what spectacular unwanted results will come of her attempt to summon a familiar. And as far as everyone can tell, she lives up to her reputation: instead of a creature of some magical nature, she summons Saito, a Japanese boy of her own age. A human, and therefore not bound to her will as a proper familiar, he is every way the failure anticipated, and she takes it out on him unmercifully. But the marks on his hand aren’t normal either, and some of the staff think they know what it is. If so, there are a lot of surprises ahead for Louise, Saito, and everyone who thinks they know them. Especially Louise. Summoning a human familiar is bad enough, but falling in love with him is just ridiculous…right?

Studio:
J.C. Staff

Cast:
Kuyimiya Rie as Louise Francoise Valliere
Hino Satoshi as Hiraga Saito
Inoue Nanako as Kirche
Sakurai Takahiro as Guiche
Horie Yui as Siesta
Inokuchi as Tabitha
Kawasumi Ayako as Henrietta de Tristain

Genre:
Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure

Airtime:
Zero no Tsukaima aired from July 02, 2006 till September 24, 2006

Episodes:
Zero no Tsukaima has thirteen episodes, plus two sequels. The second, at the time of this review, is in the midst of airing.

Review:
Ah – unexpected love. It comes without our realizing it, softly changing our lives – not. Unexpected it may be(to the characters), but it is neither soft nor subtle, heralded by hissy fits and bouts of beatings with a riding crop and orders of extra laundry duty. Frankly, I found the representation to be kind of tasteless. However, if you find blatantly oversized female accessories a plus rather than a gag, the constant presence of perverts and half-assed sexual passes amusing rather than wince-worthy, and you are okay with a lead male character that not only allows a petite pink haired little tyrant to beat him with a horse crop, but cringes and runs around the room when she tries, you might like it better. Personally, however, this series rates a two.

Okay, characters first. Female Lead: Louise Francoise. Long haired, short tempered, and very proud, her attitude is actually pretty sympathetic when you consider that she has had to spend a year already as the ‘Zero Louise.’ Mocked by everyone, befriended by no one, her pride has been all she had to stand on for some time. Male Lead: Saito. Tousle haired, taller in height but shorter in personality force when compared to his temperamental taskmaster, his attitude, and what he is and isn’t willing to put up with, seem to change depending on whether the producers want to be comic or serious. He has a way of switching between being your typical spineless harem male and being a guy with few options but still conscious of his human pride. Kirche – enter the fan service. Flame haired, a flame familiar, and a flaming approach to dating, she fall into steaming infatuation with Saito the first time he does something right, and tags along ever since. When she’s not trying to seduce him – and she is equipped for the role as only an anime character can be – she can actually be quite useful, and she certainly isn’t always a shallow, shameless competitor to spur on Louise. Tabitha – extreme quiet girl, and for some reason, best friends with Kirche. Go figure. A very powerful mage, her silence helps conceal the fact that she is probably the strongest student attending. And finally, Siesta – the real competition. A maid, so no airs, and pretty (aren’t they always?), whose very honest liking and admiration of Saito is something that attracts him all the more for the fact that his default status with the aristocrats and his mistress is something like a dog that can understand English – er, Japanese – and carry laundry. The rest you can meet in the show, if you watch it.

Plot flow, and general handling…oy vei. It takes till episode eight for any hints of an overall plot to show itself, which is the point where it actually intrudes, since of course there isn’t much time left at that point. That’s supposed to be where the climax starts, not the emergence. To compensate, the emergence and climax almost blend together. That itself isn’t necessarily a problem. After all, the series precept leaves plenty of room for some nice character development, as Louise and Saito pitch basic human dignity against the utter disappointment and humiliation he represents to her. You could have easily made seven very nice episodes dealing with all that – but Zero no Tsukaima opts for filling them, by and large, with episodes that have all the substance of cotton candy. The first two episodes are actually the best. The entirety of the first episode is taken to cover up till the summoning, actually a good thing, since you get a clear snapshot of Louise’s life and standing. Thanks to that, you have the basis to understand why she treats Saito the way she does. The second episode does a good job of establishing both Saito’s situation and allowing Saito to establish his human dignity. You need to be able to respect your main characters, and episode two deals with this well. Unfortunately, the rest of the series took such a shallow approach that not only does this not do any good, but it could even be considered a waste of airtime. All that those two episodes took such pains to establish went to pieces when put against the repeated use of the horse whip. It crosses a line of human dignity that simply cannot be passed off as comic. Someone willing to use a riding crop on a human so constantly for such petty reasons is someone I cannot sympathize with, and someone who not only allows it but cringes like a puppy, I don’t want as the hero.

Eventually, the plot kicks in and puts an end to the horrifying fillers(three through five, seven), but depth of any sort never quite makes it to Zero no Tsukaima. The handling as a whole was blatantly geared towards a sequence of sequels, and characters relationships advanced to the dance routine ‘one step forward, one step back.’ That is, every ‘resolution’ was almost immediately taken back so nothing would change. We’ve all seen this before: I hate it. And I certainly have better things to do than watch two sequels rehash the only worthwhile part of the story concept until even it loses all flavor.

Fan service, blatant sexual humor just within acceptance for the targeted audiences age, comedy based on being bossed and tossed around by every pretty girl in the area – does this series miss a trick? I am aware there are people for whom this is the description of a dream anime. To them I say: have a ball. But the rating in this review is a two.

Final Rating: 2/5

This review was brought to you by Z.N. Singer

Credits:
Info such as cast and airtime were taken from ANN’s encyclopedia listing. All else is and always will be the origination of the author.

Plot Summary:
Shinozaki Mikoto is a student who’s life is really routine. Going to school, going home, going to school, going home…nothing changes….until the day the girl he likes talks to him and introduces him to bicycling. His life now has a new meaning, and a bright path has shown itself to Shinozaki. Experiencing both failure and success throughout his training, he works hard to become the best cyclist in the world.

Company:
Xebec

Cast:
Kaori Nazuka as Yuki Fukazawa
Kenji Nojima as Kouichi Terao
Kishô Taniyama as Takeshi Yamato

Genre:
Comedy, Romance, Sports

Air Time:
Overdrive aired from April 03, 2007 – September 25, 2007

Episodes:
Overdrive is a 26 episode long series with a possible second season.

Review:

When I started watching Overdrive I wasn’t really too sure what to expect. I figured it would be a the Intial D but on bikes, what I got however was completely different.

Overdrive is a pretty average looking anime. The character design for the main characters is solid and the core characters all have their own individual and unique looks. The other characters, are somewhat bland looking and can be confused. Where Overdrive shines are the “fighting” sequences during races. The art style and animation really portray a strong sense of action and emotion.

Overdrive’s plot is fairly simple but in my opinion quite charming (but maybe a bit corny.) The plot is a typical underdog story, but it does it well due to likeable characters. Overdrive hasn’t been fully subbed into english at the time of this episode (damn you Toki-Fansubs), but it looks promising. The anime is split essentially into two sections, Shinozaki learning to ride and Shinozaki’s first race. While the first half is fairly slow, the second half’s drama definitely makes up for it. The race has so many twists and exciting moments that waiting for the next episode is almost impossible.

The characters of Overdrive are probably the highlights. A lot of time is spent in Overdrive with flashbacks of the different characters which makes them all more likeable. The characters are probably the best part of Overdrive. Each character has their own unique qualities and give you a reason to cheer them on.

The music in Overdrive is above average. The Opening and Ending themes are both good, and help create the energy in Overdrive. The sounds in Overdrive are another highlight. Specifically during the race the sound of the crowds, the riders and the weather make the experience seem real. The voice actors are all good, although Kenji Nojima can be a little annoying at times.

I personally enjoyed Overdrive and found it fresh and fun. The fact that it’s based on bicycle road racing, which is a fairly unused idea for an anime, helps keep the anime interesting. Overdrive delivers a unique glorified view of biking and makes it seem so much more exciting. After watching the some of the race episodes I actually borrowed a bike and went out riding. Overdrive is definitely a hit and miss anime, but if you can get past the corny moments you’ll find an exhilarating experience and a reason to break out your bike and go ride somewhere.

Final Rating: 4/5

This review was brought to you by Ondema!

Credits:

• Anime News Network (ANN)
• Wikipedia