First Impressions: Katanagatari

I've been burned too many times by recent series about swords and samurai. That's why I didn't leap out of my seat when I saw Katanagatari on the Winter 2009/2010 line-up. Then I watched the first episode....EPISODE 01: Zettou Kanna
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OP: Meiya Kadenrou (Minami Kuribayashi)
ED: Tasogare no Getsuka (Yousei Teikoku)
20 years ago, Japan was torn by a civil war raging between the Shogunate loyalists and the rebels, led by Hida Takahito. To quell the rebellion, the Shogun sends his most powerful weapon yet -- the head of the Kyoutoryuu ("swordless") style school, Yasuri Mutsue -- to eliminate Hida once and for all. The mission was successful, but fearing a Yasuri-led revolt this time, the Shogun banished the entire Yasuri family to an uninhabited island. 20 years later, Togame, a self-proclaimed military strategist for the Shogun, steps foot on the island, looking for the Kyoutoryuu head, only to find Yasuri Shichika, Mutsue's son and the current head of the swordless school. Despite this minor setback, Togame orders Shichika to help her on a mission, under the Shogun's mandate, to collect and gather the last 12 swords created by a master sword smith. Shichika, who is not interested in swords, initially refuses but when Maniwa Koumori of the Maniwa ninja clan surprises them with an attack and kidnaps Togame, he finds himself facing his first ever opponent in a real battlefield. In so doing, he discovers Togame's real identity as the daughter of the rebel leader, Hida Takahito, the man his father killed. Realizing that Togame was willing to work with the son of her worst enemy to complete her mission, Shichika makes the decision to leave his island home and accompany her in her journey.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The first thing I noticed about this new series is the art style. It's definitely a stand-out. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before -- whimsical without being childish, colorful without going overboard and just pure, unadulterated eye-candy. Maybe not everyone will take to it but if you want something a little different in terms of style, Katanagatari deserves a second look.

The storyline is simple to follow. A journey to collect twelve precious swords. The format reminds me a little of a Chinese wuxia novel by Gu Long, called -- quite appropriately -- The Seven Swords. In the novel, each chapter is named after the name of the sword. The similarity is probably unintentional but this is the same format that Katanagatari uses.

Interestingly, Katanagatari (lit. "sword hunt") has historical bases with this series taking particular inspiration from the Sengoku Period sword hunt commanded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

This series is based on the light novel of the same by NisiOisin, the same guy responsible for 2009's unexpected hit anime, Bakemonogatari. While I expressed some interest in the latter, I never got around to watching even a single episode. From what I hear, Katanagatari is very different from Bakemonogatari but if things turn out well for this current series, who knows, I might go back and give its predecessor a look-through.

MORE INFO:

OFFICIAL (JPN)
Katanagatari @ ANN

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Armed Librarians 17: Volken is back, is gone again

...and he's back. He's gone. Wait, what?
EPISODE 17: A Return Home, An Encounter, and Fiery Green
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Enlike is spending a lot of time with fake Renas Fluru, who is trying to remember the past. Meanwhile, the armed librarians receive a most unexpected house guest -- Volken, the traitor. Hamyuts aggravates the situation further by making a great show of welcoming Volken back into their fold. Only Mattalast knows she's planning something else.

It's been decided that a trial is going to be held against the traitor but Volken is confident that his former comrades would understand the reason for his actions. He has it in mind to topple Hamyuts off from power by exposing her wicked ways to everyone. However, without any hard evidence to prove his claims, no one is willing to take up his cause. Even Mirepoch, his closest friend, has forgotten about him. Or has she?

Meanwhile, an encounter with the fake Renas Fluru reveals the whereabouts of Olivia Litlet and of Vend Ruga, whom Hamyuts already tried to kill once. This prompts Volken to escape from Bantorra once more, bringing Renas with him. But with his former teacher, Vizac, hot on his tails, will Volken make it out safely this time?

COMMENTS:

I have to admit I'm a bit surprised by the way this series manages to connect seemingly insignificant events from previous episodes and reveal them later on as essential plot points in the grand scheme of things. I'm not saying it's well done. It's a little too convenient to be thoroughly convincing. It might impress some people. I say I've seen series with better execution than this. But the fact that the series is still trying to pull up one surprise after another like this gives it appeal. It's compelling in a way a lackluster magician still manages to pull out that rabbit out of his hat each time.

As for this episode, PLOT HOLES, my god! Volken comes back and is supposed to be held for trial and yet is allowed to roam the island, unguarded. No wonder he escaped! What's more, he escaped on the plane that he used to get into the island. OMG! Like, aren't the armed librarians supposed to be this elite group of fighters? How good are they if they can't even take care of security in their own effin' headquarters? The least they could have done was put Volken's plane on lockdown. Jesus.

Anyhoo, the series has a new opening and ending. The opening features new characters, including the blond one we saw earlier and little Hamyuts playing with this other kid. The ending features the Volken x Mirepoc and Noloty x Enlike pairings as well as Hamyuts in moe mode. I'm not extremely interested in this series now. All I'm interested about is how they're going to end this: Will they kill Hamyuts? Or Volken? I don't care either way.

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Durarara! 03: Don't get on their bad side

I'm not sure if I can keep on blogging Durarara!. Slice of life is one thing. But slice of life plus this many random characters is just too difficult. On the other hand, I think the first few episodes of this series is designed to introduce much of the main cast as possible, hence, the seeming lack of a cohesive storyline. We can probably expect that things are going to start make sense by the fifth episode so I'll wait until then before making the final decision whether or not to blog this series through or to drop it.EPISODE 03: Rampant Evildoers
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The series begins with Simon hawking his boss' sushi bar. A couple of Russian tourists stop to ask him for directions and he obliges them.

Meanwhile, Mikado and Masaomi are in class listening to their teacher discuss the class elections. The girl with glasses, Anri Shinohara, volunteers for the position of class representative for the girls. After some hesitation, Mikado volunteers to be her counterpart. Later, Masaomi teases him about it, much to Mikado's embarrassment. Masaomi then decides that he's going to meet girls and drags Mikado along with him. Mikado has to watch as Masaomi comically tries to ingratiate himself with random girls and gets rejected every time. Then one of these girls start talking about the Dollars and Mikado perks up. He wants to know more about this dangerous gang and asks Masaomi about it. While they are still talking, they bump into Walker, Erika and Shingen but as usual, the three are too preoccupied or talk too much in code for Mikado to understand.

Somewhere nearby, Anri catches up to a girl whom she thought she knew. But the girl turns out to be the one with the scar that Mikado and Masaomi met earlier. Realizing that she made a mistake, Anri apologizes and backs off. However, in doing so, she bumps into a gang of ko-gals who all seem to recognize her. They start bullying her but at that moment, Mikado and Masaomi happen to pass by and witness the scene. Mikado wants to rescue Anri but hesitates to take action, until Izaya comes out of nowhere and pushes him into the fray. Mikado's sudden appearance surprises the ko-gals enough for them to stop their bullying and for Izaya to make his own entrance. Izaya declares that his hobby is breaking other people's cellphones and proceeds to snatch one of the ko-gals phones and maniacally stamp on it with his foot over and over. After a while, he finally stops, nonchalantly saying that he's bored with this hobby. The outraged ko-gals call on their guyfriend, who claims to be a Dollars member, for help but Izaya makes short work of him, shaving him with a switchblade without his even noticing.

After the bullies leave, Mikado finally finds out who Izaya is -- one of the people that Masaomi warns him not to offend. At that moment, a guy dressed up like a bartender arrives and proceeds to antagonize Izaya. Mikado finds out that the new guy is Shizuo -- the other person that Masaomi had warned him about. Izaya and Shizuo seem to know and hate each other very much. However, before their barbed banter could erupt into a fullblown fight, the ko-gals' guyfriend returns and this time he brought company with him. They want to teach Izaya a lesson, but when they realize who Izaya is with, they hesitate, recognizing Shizuo to be the most dangerous man in Ikebukuro.

Nevertheless, one of their cronies start to panic and hit Shizuo in the back of the head, earning his ire and prompting a bloody fight between him and the ragtag gang members. Izaya uses this opportunity to make a clean break but not before Shizuo lifts up a vending machine and throws it in his direction. But then someone leaps from the top of the building and catches the vending machine before it could Izaya. Everyone looks in shock at Simon, who is apparently in the neighborhood delivering sushi to a regular customer. He and Shizuo exchange angry words before deciding to settle their differences with their fists. While these two fight it out, Mikado notices that Anri is really scared. So grabbing her hand, the two of them make a run for it, stopping only when they've put a considerable distance between them and the mayhem they left behind. Looking into Anri's face, Mikado wonders if his adventure in this new city is about to begin but his boy imaginings come to a crashing halt when Anri only thanks him before leaving.

Later that afternoon, a classmate of Mikado's finds the girl with the slash scar on her neck, Izaya has a chat with the headless rider, and Simon continues hawking sushi for his boss

COMMENTS:

I don't really have anything to say. This was an entertaining episode but I can't extrapolate anything from it.

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Kimi ni Todoke 15: Sunglasses

Kurumi ♥ ~ I think I like her better like this.
EPISODE 15: Rival
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Kurumi and Sawako are still in the same spot, alternately crying and arguing and talking about Kazehaya. Sawako wonders if it would have been possible for her to be friends with Kurumi had they liked different people, but quickly thinks that if that were so, then she wouldn't have understood her feelings for Kazehaya at all because there would be no Kurumi to help her. Kurumi asks Sawako if she and Kazehaya are now going out. Ever the naive one, Sawako doesn't even think that Kurumi knows Kazehaya likes her (Sawako). Their crying bit now over, Kurumi leaves but not without Sawako telling her to tell Kazehaya about the misunderstanding with Pin.

Later, Kurumi remembers how in middle school she thought she had many friends only to find out that they had only been using her popularity with the boys in order to get close to the ones they like. So when one of these boys confessed to Kurumi, they all grew cold towards her. Only Kazehaya seemed to notice that she's hurting and because of this she promised never to tell anyone that she likes him until after she confesses to him.

Much later, Kurumi runs into Kazehaya and, despite herself, finally confesses that it's him she likes, not Pin. Kazehaya apologizes and adds that he likes someone else. Even so, he admits to being happy that Kurumi likes him.

Meanwhile, Sawako finally tells her two bestfriends that she likes Kazehaya. Yoshida is genuinely surprised while Yano pretends not to already know, but both say that they're happy for her.

The next day, Kurumi shows up in school wearing sunglasses and a new personality (her real personality). Pin interrogates her about the accessory but upon closer look, realizes who she is. He then wonders if it's because she had been crying her eyes out the night before after he's rejection. A furious but resigned Kurumi let's him think whatever he wants until Pin eventually does say something of interest: he says that high school boys, whether they like her or not, will think about a girl all the time after confessing to him.

Kurumi meets Sawako later and declares that even if Sawako and Kazehaya start going out, she will never give them her blessings. Then she adds that she will hate any girl whom Kazehaya likes. Sawako asks if they would never be friends and Kurumi says that rather than friends, they are rivals.

The sports festival ends and Sawako's class unfortunately ends up only at 6th place, much to Yoshida and Pin's dismay. Even so, the after-party planned by the class is still on and Kazehaya tells everyone to be there. On her way to the after-party, Sawako looks up 'rival' in the dictionary and discovers that it means "a good enemy." Not surprisingly, she is thrilled at having her first rival.

During the party, Yano and Yoshida ask Sawako all sorts of questions about Kazehaya until the girl finally can't stand it and has to step out. Kazehaya soon follows and finds her sleeping on the stairs. Kazehaya sits beside her, then whispers her name. A half-asleep Sawako says 'hai' then moves to rest her head against his shoulder.

COMMENTS:

This was a funny and cute episode. Not much I can say about it other than that. Also, I've decided to start calling her Sawako, now. It's not right to call her 'Sadako' anymore when the girl has gone through so much and came out of it with her original true personality still intact.

I also like Kurumi now. Well, I've always liked her scheming, manipulative ways. But now that she's out, it's become much more interesting.

Now, can we please have some Ryuu x Yoshida moments? XD

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Armed Librarians 16: So about Mince

...

Where was I? Sorry. I can't think with these boobs in my face.
EPISODE 16: A Banned Book, A Coward, and the Sacred Eyes
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Mattalast is in a room alone, standing in front of a large tree. He muses about how 'it' might not like the book he's offering. The book disintegrates into specks of light which are then absorbed into the tree. He turns to leave and as he does, he reaches for his gun, but something stops him. Then he smiles and mutters that he must be exhausted. Meanwhile, Hamyuts sends Mince out on a mission to find out who is responsible for selling snuff books and asks two unlikely people to accompany him. Turns out the mission hits much closer to home for Mince as the man they are hunting for may well be an old friend of his.

COMMENTS:

Sorry. Still can't think. Too much fan service makes my brain stop. What was this episode about? All I can remember about it is that there was this girl in lingerie, a completely insignificant shower shot, and jokes that tell you, not for the first time, how many levels of male chauvinism can be explored in a 30-minute episode.

Also, something about a tree.

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First Impressions: Dance in the Vampire Bund 1-3, Durarara! 1-2, Ookami Kakushi 1-2, SoRaNoWoTo 1-3

As promised.

The Winter 2009/2010 anime season doesn't have a lot of interesting offers. For me, at least. On first look, the only title that really jumped out was Durarara! But I decided to check out other titles for their visual impact, and found myself pleasantly surprised by some. :)

Dance in the Vampire Bund (1-3)
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OFFICIAL (JPN) | Wikipedia | ANN

Vampire princess, Mina Tepes wants to make peace with the humans. But first, she has to reveal her kind. She does this through a television show that -- incidentally -- picks up the subject of vampires for a hot topic. But with people firmly believing vampires to be the stuff of legends, she has her work cut out for her. Good thing one of the TV show's esteemed guests turns out to be the unsavory sort. Mina, along with her servants, has carefully constructed an elaborate trap to capture the rogue vampire and at the same time reveal the existence of her kind to the world. Along the way, she also accidentally discovers the whereabouts of Akira, a boy whose past is intimately entwined with hers. But Akira doesn't remember her, or does he? His memories are sketchy for the most part but something about the blond girl seems to stir something primitive inside him. Akira soon discovers what that 'something' is when Mina comes to the brink of danger and he finds himself transforming into a werewolf and comes rushing to her defense. The next day, Mina causes a stir when she enrolls herself in the same high school as Akira. But things get even uglier when the student council refuses to accept a vampire as a fellow student and brings the issue up to the chairman. Unfortunately for the council, the school's heretofore elusive chairman turns out to be no other than Mina Tepes, the vampire princess and recently enrolled student of their school. Mina makes a deal with the council president: if they could capture Akira and contain him, she would give in to their request. While the student body is busy playing catch with Akira, Mina meets with Japan's leaders to discuss her acquisition of an island, the 'Bund,' in return for her paying off the national debts of the government. The deal is a success while Akira manages to elude his pursuers. But all is not well as that same evening the student council president is attacked in their school. Does Mina have anything to do with it?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

Loli + vampire = really not my cup of tea. I have no idea what made me pick up the first episode in the first place. Maybe it was the art style, or the fact that I had nothing better to do. But I have to admit though that the first episode was really quite clever. A TV show! Oh, Shaft, you are brilliant. But what's this 'Around 40 Go Home?' Good lord, are you mocking my Amami Yuki? I'm not sure I like it but it got my interest for sure. Then episode 2 came around and there was lotion and a half-naked loli and...it was just disturbing. I didn't want to see episode 3 after that. In fact, if it wasn't for my three-episode rule, I would have stopped right then. Still, episode 3 didn't do a thing for me. This anime is for fanboys. Akira is a bish but not even he can keep me glued to this series.

VERDICT: dropped

Durarara! (1-2)
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Durarara! Trailer [Mediafire]
OFFICIAL (JPN) | Wikipedia | ANN

At the invitation of his bestfriend, Ryugamine Mikado, a homebody by nature, recently moves to Ikebukuro in search of adventure. Instead, he finds himself getting acquainted with a quirky group of characters, including a gigantic black dude who works for a sushi bar, enterprising otakus, a man who throws vending machines in fits of violence, a dangerous gang known as the 'Dollar,' and a mysterious black rider with no head. What in the world is he getting into?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

I have a feeling that like it's predecessor, Baccano!, Durarara! is one of those series that has maximum impact when watched (and blogged) on a marathon. Right now, the story doesn't make a lot of sense so I can't really say that it is any good. But as I am watching this series now, I guess I'll just have to do my best and stick with it. One thing is for sure: I am intrigued. Visually, Durarara! very good although there's nothing that particularly stands out. I just like the character designs and the animation isn't bad either. I like that there is a huge cast of characters with sufficiently disparate personalities. It's what I liked about Baccano!, too, and what also got me interested in the ultimately disappointing, CANAAN. I'm hoping that Durarara! takes after the former. Also, the music by fictionjunction is rad.

VERDICT: watching

Ookami Kakushi (1-2)
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Ookami Kakushi PV [Mediafire]
OFFICIAL (JPN) | Wikipedia | ANN

Hiroshi Kuzumi and his family (wheelchair-bound sister Mana and their occult writer Dad) moves into the town of Jyougamachi, a small town separated into the new and the old and where mysterious local cultures are rampant. On his first day, he immediately makes friends with his neighbor and self-proclaimed love interest, Isuzu, as well as most of his classmates. In fact, he seems to get along with everybody. That is, except for the cool and aloof Kushinada Nemuru. What Kuzumi doesn't know is that at night, the town's dark secrets manifest themselves in the form of a scythe-wielding wolf deity and her bat servants.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

Out of all, this was the most disappointing. This is no more than eye-candy, which I should have known from the very beginning, considering that this is a visual novel. Never had any good experience with visual novels turned anime. I picked this series up for a glimpse because I thought the title was a bit intriguing. Ookami Kakushi means 'hidden god.' Pretty cool, eh? Unfortunately, that's all the series has to offer for me and nothing else. I guess people will take to this show. Not me.

VERDICT: dropped

SoRaNoWoTo (1-3)
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OFFICIAL (JPN) | Wikipedia | ANN

Sorami Kanata is an orphan who one day meets a mysterious bugler and is inspired as a result. When she is big enough, she signs up to the army to become a bugler and is assigned to the town of Seize. She arrives at her destination just as the whole town is celebrating the water festival. After getting lost for a while, she is finally found by Kazumiya Rio, a trumpeter-sergeant and Kanata's bulger instructor, who then introduces her to the rest of the staff: the lax captain Felicia, tsundere Kureha and the very sleepy staff mechanic Noel. With this for comrades, Kanata looks all set. Now, on to the next step: learning how to play the bugle.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

A light-hearted comedy to be sure. I don't expect a lot from it but it's not a tough watch. I like the characters. They're all cute. But I think my favorite is Rio, simply because I like the long-haired bossy types. It doesn't look like the story is going to be any deeper than that but the anime is set in a wartime era so I guess we can expect a little drama.

VERDICT: watching

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Kimi ni Todoke 14: Left Out Kurumi

Kurumi's feelings....EPISODE 14: Kurumi
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With her secret now out, Kurumi finds herself in a tight spot. More so when she inadvertently admits to spreading some of the bad rumors about Yano, Yoshida and Sadako. However, instead of becoming angry, Sadako can only cry as she realizes that Kurumi just pretended to be her friend. Yoshida can't stand it so she gives Kurumi a piece of her mind, impressing Yano somewhat. But Kurumi remains remorseless, saying that there's nothing wrong with her using people because other people do it to her all the time, asking her for favors and then forgetting about her afterwards. Because of Kurumi's adamant attitude, Yano threatens to tell on her to Kazehaya but Kurumi calls her bluff and later Sadako herself begs Yano not to do it because she knows that Kurumi would not want the person she likes to see her in a bad light. So Yano and Yoshida decide to let it go with Yano apologizing to Sadako for making it too personal. Later, Sadako watches the volleyball game from the sidelines but finds herself thinking about Kurumi the whole time. Their class lose the game but Yoshida plans to make up for it in soccer. On their way to the field, they overhear some of Kurumi's classmates discussing her absence and saying that it was just as well because otherwise they would have lost the game. This makes Sadako realize that Kurumi was at least telling the truth when she said that people just forget about her when they don't need her to do them favors. So after the soccer game is over, which their class won thanks to Yoshida's energetic playing, she goes to look for Kurumi. Kazehaya arrives a little later, saying that he couldn't watch the game because Pin kept pestering him. Pin then reveals that he has "broken" Kurumi's heart and warns Yano and Yoshida not fall for him because he doesn't go for kids. The two react with disgust while other students who heard Pin's declaration could only wonder at Kurumi's taste. Meanwhile, Sadako finds Kurumi where they left her, sitting under a tree by herself. Kurumi wonders why she came back and Sadako tells her that she's in love with Kazehaya, adding that she wants to tell Kurumi of all people because she knows Kurumi understands. Rather than understand, Kurumi tells her she hates Sadako because Kazehaya likes her without any effort on her part. As she says this she starts to cry and Sadako realizes just how much Kurumi loves Kazehaya, too.

COMMENTS:

Kurumi is cute. Especially when she's crying. And there's no sarcasm there. She's really become quite sympathetic this episode. But if this episode made me see Kurumi in a better light, it's Sadako who deserves my admiration. What a smart, intuitive girl.

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Armed Librarians 15: Fighting Girls

There are so much, much more interesting series in the Winter Line-up than Armed Librarians that I'm seriously considering dropping it in favor of whatever flavor-of-the-season I end up with. But I suppose I'll apply the 3-episode rule again.EPISODE 14: The Setting Sun, A Storyteller and a Collection of Fables
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After her hair-raising close encounter with Alme in the previous episode, Milepoch figures out that the former may possess the same sensory powers as Hamyuts. Despite this, Milepoch stays with her mission. Meanwhile, Alme is doing her own search for Parney's book in order to find some clue as to Rascal Othello's whereabouts. She eventually finds the book and discovers Parney's murderers. Milepoch on the other hand makes her own discovery as the boy she has been looking for, Ruly Strait, turns up and tells her that his father is Rascal Othello. Believing that Ruly has been deceived, Milepoch nevertheless finds herself standing face to face with said Rascal Othello, who then kills Ruly right in front of her eyes. Rascal warns her that he will come after Alme next, then Milepoch and Mattalast. At that moment, Alme is waiting for Rascal to show up. The old man does not disappoint but before the two could begin, Milepoch crashes in and attacks Alme. While the two girls fight, Rascal withdraws to the background, waiting for the opportune moment. However, he miscalculates, never realizing that Milepoch and Alme would actually work together. Just as Rascal prepares to stab Alme in the back, Milepoch shoots him, the bullet hitting his heart. The reason for their temporary truce now over, the two girls pick up where they left off. Knowing that she can't defeat Alme with just her sword skills alone, Milepoch distracts the other girl with her telepathy, thereby allowing Matt to sneak behind Alme and put a bullet through her back. Alme dies. After Milepoch and Matt are gone, a young girl, carrying the Stone Sword of Spent Time, Yor, comes to take Alme's book, thus, revealing herself to be the real Rascal Othello. The next day, Milepoch finally leaves Fulbeck City without Matt, who at that moment, is meeting with the last member of the Shideki Church. It is revealed then that the Armed Librarians and the Shideki Church share one goal: to protect the secrets of Rascal Othello and Heaven.

COMMENTS:

Wow, I totally did not expect that one: the old guy was fake and the real Rascal Othello is a loli! Forgive me if I fall down in stitches but this is just hilarious. Just when I thought this show was getting more and more uninteresting, they went and pulled this trick out of their hats. How clever!

Plus, I was right! Well, partly. I thought that Hamyuts was working with the Shideki Church for some higher goal yet to be revealed. Turns out, it's the whole Armed Librarians outfit that's working with the Shideki Church, except that it's all so top secret that only those occupying the highest echelons of both organizations actually know.

Anyway, now that that's finally revealed, I can't imagine how the series can top that. Next episode appears to be about Mince. Not particularly fond of that character but we'll see. I guess they're saving Volken dying for the finale. lolz

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Final Thoughts: Aoi Bungaku

So sorry for this post being late. I had to do some real world stuff. Anyhoo, this is it for Aoi Bungaku. I'll be replacing this slot with whatever interesting series I'll be watching this season. Next week will be my first impressions of some of the recent series I've watched so far.Spider's Thread
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Kandata, a criminal who does not think twice about murder, commits the greatest crime of all by disturbing the country-wide celebration held in honor of the king. In his wrath, the king orders his men to bring Kandata to him for his well-deserved punishment. At first, ruthless Kandata has no trouble eluding his pursuers. However, danger comes to him from the most unlikely of persons: a kid whose mother he once thoughtlessly killed for a bite of food. Now a wounded Kandata takes shelter under the eaves of a house and finds -- of all things -- a spider, and for the first time, he does not harm a creature simply because he could, saying instead that no matter how small a life, it was still worth living. The next day, Kandata is seized by the king's troops and the king lays down upon him the death penalty. Up to the end, Kandata does not display remorse for his sins. He wakes up in a strange place where people are constantly trying to kill him, but when he fights back, it is always himself that he ends up murdering. This happens over and over until Kandata can take no more and cries out for help. He sees then a strange light coming from above and a faint, shiny string flowing down. It's a spider's thread! Kandata tests its strength, then starts climbing. When he is almost the top, he realizes that others are trying to climb the thread as well. Fearing the thread would break, Kandata kicks at them, screaming that the spider's thread belongs to him. Then all of a sudden, the thread gives way as the spider waiting for him above abandons Kandata to the bottom pits of hell.


Hell's Screen
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Yoshihide, royal painter, has just finished his latest masterpiece: a protrait of the king. The king is very pleased and celebrates this accomplishment by hosting a boat party. An accident occurs but instead of helping the survivors, the king orders his guards to kill the upstarts who dare to interrupt his party. Yoshihide and his daughter, Mitsuki, see this with their own eyes and are horrified. Then, as though nothing has happened, the king turns to Yoshihide and says that he wants him to paint another great masterpiece. That evening, Yoshihide reveals to Mitsuki his misgivings about painting the king's idea of beauty when he does not understand it himself. The next day, the king summons Yoshihide and shows him the inside of a mausoleum, which is intended to be his final resting place. He wants Yoshihide to paint his country and his people on the inner walls so that even in death he may continue to rule the country. Yoshihide accepts the commission without protest. One night, the whole city is in chaos due to a plague affecting many people. The king's army, armed with torches, is dispatched, not to help the suffering people but to burn them alive. Yoshihide witnesses the event and is unable to stop himself from drawing what he sees. These drawings become the study for his painting on the king's tomb. When the king sees the final work, he is naturally angry. Instead of beauty, Yoshihide has painted a hell's screen. But Yoshihide is not finished. In the middle of the tomb, he wants to paint a person screaming in pain as his body is engulfed in flames. So he asks the king to show it to him so that he may be able to paint it. The king, still angry over Yoshihide's "insult," gives Yoshihide what he wants, adding his own sadistic touch: he burns Mitsuki at the stake. Yoshihide realizes the king's trick and can only watch as Mitsuki is engulfed in flames, just like in his vision for his painting. However, the king miscalculates as the flames spread, catching his clothes and burning him as well, while Yoshihide just watches, having resigned himself to paint what he sees. The tomb is finally finished and among the principal figures that Yoshihide painted is that of the king burning in hell alongside the criminal Kandata. And at the center of it all is Mitsuki's face amid flames and lying next to it is the dead body of Yoshihide.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

What an appropriate end to a dark, mangly series. I'm not sure if I like the story of these last two episodes compared to the others but they are quite interesting, being more of straightforward fantasy tales than anything else. They also take the moralizing tone of Run, Melos! to a different level -- kid-level, in fact. Apparently, Spider's Thread is a kid's story. No small wonder there. Although a story with that much blood and violence involved is something only Japan can consider as "child-friendly." fufufufufu ~

By contrast, Hell's Screen is clearly for adults. But again, the author takes such a clear-cut approach to the storyline that it might as well be considered "for kids" as well. According to the episode introductions, Hell's Screen is the author's attempt at writing in the style of his contemporaries -- that is, writing in the first person point of view and basing the story on his own personal experiences. When it first came out, it wasn't received very well and the author committed suicide later on. Oh, Japan -_-

These two stories being very clear, as I said, I don't think I need to elaborate on the whole thing any further. The hidden meanings aren't hidden and the lessons are stuff you've probably learned (or should've learned) a long time ago.

That said, yes, Aoi Bungaku has been a good series. Most of the story arcs are interesting and I can't find fault with the art and animation at all. Madhouse does it again. But I think I will best remember Aoi Bungaku for opening my eyes to Japan's literature gems, something which I think has been the goal all along.

Now to look for English translation copies of these books. ^_^




Don't forget: next week, on the same timeslot, first impressions for Sora no Woto, Dance in the Vampire Bund, Durarara! and Ookami Kakushi.

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Kimi ni Todoke 11-13: Sadako faces up to feelings

Kurumi finally shows her true personality to Sadako but Sadako is so clueless she misunderstands all the clues. Meanwhile, at the sports festival, Sanada saves Sadako from a lethal curveball, making Kazehaya jealous. Kurumi decides to use this chance to put a rift in Kazehaya and Sadako's friendship.EPISODE 11: "Special?"
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After revealing her feelings for Kazehaya to Sadako, Kurumi asks for her help. Sadako, however, realizes that Kazehaya is "special" for her as well and so she cannot wholeheartedly support Kurumi's feelings for him. This draws Kurumi's ire as she points out that she (Sadako) only feels that way because Kazehaya has been kind to her. She adds that even if it isn't Kazehaya, Sadako would think a person who's been kind to her as "special." At the soccer game, the guys comment that Sadako is blending in more with the rest of the students. Sadako's team wins, thanks to Sadako's saving kick and Yoshida's athletic prowess. Next is the boys' softball game and volleyball for girls where both Yano and Yoshida play. Yano, who picks up Sadako x Kazehaya, tells Sadako to watch the boys' game in their place and gives her a parting advice not to lose, referring to Kurumi, but Sadako (and Yoshida), of course, has no clue. She ends up asking Kurumi to watch the game with her. While waiting for the game to start, Sadako tries to explain her own feelings for Kazehaya to the other girl. She has convinced herself that Kazehaya is the only boy she's talked with so if she talked with other boys then she would know if her feelings really are "special." This whole time, the softball teams are warming up. One of the boys throws a curveball which the other fails to catch and the ball ends up heading straight for Sadako's face. Thankfully, Ryuu is close by and catches it in the nick of time. Kazehaya sees this and gets eaten by jealousy. Realizing that this is her chance, Kurumi tells Sadako to privately thank Ryuu for saving her life and to talk to him more.

EPISODE 12: Feelings of Love
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The softball game begins and Sadako finds herself unable to take her eyes off Kazehaya. How can her feelings not be special? After the game, in which Kazehaya's team wins of course, Kurumi reminds Sadako of her statement to talk with other boys, starting with Ryuu. Meanwhile, Kazehaya draws Ryuu aside to talk to him about the incident of the latter saving Sadako. But before he can even get a word out, Ryuu tells him that he only did it because he was the one standing the closest. Still, Kazehaya thinks to himself that it felt like he should have been the one to do it. Later, Yano encounters Kurumi by the lockers and all but accuses her of spreading the rumors about her and Yoshida in school. But Kurumi says that she can't do anything about it without any proof. Yano knows this so lets it go for now. Much later, Ryuu finds a note purporting to be from Sadako in his locker, asking him to meet her at the back of the equipment room. The note is actually written by Kurumi who also tells Sadako to meet Ryuu at the same place. Clueless Sadako really wants to thank Ryuu for saving her and so the two of them end up hanging out for a while. Being naturally quiet people, there is little conversation between them until Sadako initiates one on the subject of romantic love, prompting Ryuu to admit that he loves Chizu. But when Sadako asks why, he can't tell the reason and adds philosophically that there isn't a need for one. At that moment, Kazehaya, at Kurumi's instigation, arrives and witnesses the seemingly intimate scene for himself.

EPISODE 13: Love
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Kurumi's plan of turning Kazehaya away from Sadako backfires as Kazehaya grabs Sadako and takes her away from Ryuu. He only stops once they are out of sight from the rest of the school and there he asks her if she likes Ryuu. Sadako is so surprised she can't speak at first; she says she likes Ryuu but not in that way, at the same time making the wonderful discovery that she loves Kazehaya. Kazehaya is so relieved to hear this he has to sit down for a while, then asks Sadako if she wants to go out with him as his girlfriend. This, however, is a little too much for Sadako, saying over and over that it's so "mature" and that she has to ask for Yano's advice. Kazehaya smiles after a moment and decides to leave their relationship at that. Meanwhile, Yano is telling Yoshida all about Kurumi's bad actions. At that moment, Ryuu appears and shows them the note from Kurumi pretending to be Sadako. With this as evidence, Yano plots to get back at Kurumi. Back to the equipment room, Pin finds Kurumi still standing there and comes to the absurd conclusion that the latter likes him. He rejects her just as Kazehaya comes by and hears everything to Kurumi's complete horror. Much later, Yano and Yoshida finally find Kurumi by herself and confront her with all their proof against the latter. Kurumi holds her ground well but at that moment, Sadako also arrives and Yano tells her that it was Kurumi who spread those rumors about them.

COMMENTS:

Looks like I.G. decided to extend the series. Good thing they did because Episode 13 makes for an unsatisfactory, albeit understandable, ending. Well, at least, the Sadako and Kazehaya pair is pretty much established even if Kazehaya, the dolt, still hasn't said anything about how he feels. Sigh. Guys will be guys. They expect us to read their minds or something.

On the other hand, Ryuu likes Chizu! Yay! Although why I'm so happy about that is beyond me. It's clear Chizu has no clue.

I actually feel a little sorry for Kurumi. That was really mean of Yano and Yoshida to gang up on her, even if it was Kurumi's fault in the first place. Personally, I don't like people who gang up on anyone no matter the reason.

So I guess I'll continue blogging this series to its conclusion. 11 more episodes. That's a lot, considering this series' slice of life approach. I'll just persevere. Anyway, I won't be blogging a lot of series for the Winter 2009 season.

By the way, I am perfectly aware that it's not in fact 'Sadako' but Sawako. I just like to refer to her as Sadako because that's what most of the characters call her and I guess the nickname stuck for me too.

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Armed Librarians 12-13: Murder she wrote

The men take a back seat. And no, I won't be recapping the recap episode because that would be silly.EPISODE 12: The Past, Irrationality, and a Pipe's Smoke
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One foggy morning, Mattalast Balory (Matt) comes home and finds Hamyuts there, helping herself to some breakfast. Their subsequent conversation draws Matt to a flashback of the time when he first met Hamyuts. It was at a bar during a police raid. Matt, a born flirt, thought he was about to score on a certain well-endowed, glasses-wearing chick when said chick tries to kill him. Matt's ability to see two seconds into the future saves him and allows him to win the battle, but just barely, and two of them engage in an affair. Later, Matt gets Hamyuts to join the armed librarians and she quickly rises up in the ranks. Fearing her bloodthirsty nature, the armed librarians' then Acting Director orders Matt to kill Hamyuts after they accomplish their mission to terminate the traitor, Hiza. In a twist, irrational even to himself, Matt fails to pull the trigger against Hamyuts.

EPISODE 13: A Day Off, A Picture Book, and Rusty Hair
More Screencaps from Armed Librarians: The Book of Bantorra 13
Mirepoc journeys to Fulbeck City ostensibly to investigate an actress Parney's murder but actually to find out anything she could about Rascal Othello. Hamyuts sends Matt along to keep a close eye on her. Despite knowing that Matt is Hamyuts' spy on this mission, Mirepoc continues to investigate but as she draws closer to the truth, she attracts the unwanted attention of a sword-wielding mock-woman with a vendetta. Mirepoc eventually comes face to face with her and barely gets out alive. Matt, however, arrives just in time to save her, but the enemy gets away. Far away, the remaining true men of the Shideki Church watch it all from a pedestal.

COMMENTS:

WTF? That is quickly becoming my constant reaction to this series. And I don't necessarily mean that in a good way.

Just when I thought I had Hamyuts down, Episode 12 came and mixed it all up. The episode is out of context, completely unnecessary and, to my mind, self-indulgent. Yes, yes, I am a Matt x Hamyuts shipper. Haven't I made that obvious before? And I have to admit I was pretty excited about this episode. But enjoying a fandom ship and watching a story that actually makes sense are two different things. Episode 12 does not make sense and I don't understand how it can be important to the upcoming episodes. Sure, it revealed to us that Hamyuts is even crazier than originally thought (you can add "masochistic" to her list of attributes) but did we need to know that? I don't think so. The only connection I can make to this primarily flashback episode with the rest of the series is the mention of Rascal Othello but it's very brief and honestly, if the purpose of this plot device was to advance that angle in the story, it could have been done better. This is self-indulgent nonsense.

On the other hand, taking into account the fact that this series seems to take each episode as individual standalone tales, Episode 12 doesn't even stand out as a love story between Matt and Hamyuts. There was no mention of feelings. Even in their quiet moments, all they talked about was killing each other, which is character-revealing but pretty much pointless. We already know Hamyuts is obsessed with murder. Come on! I wanted to know about Matt! All I got was the same crap I've been fed with since the series began: he's a womanizer. So? So? They could have at least explained clearly why Matt couldn't kill Hamyuts instead of cowering behind the philosophy of an irrational world. Aargh! It's so frustrating. >:O

Now for Episode 13, this was much better. I didn't like that they had to make Mirepoc the subject of fanservice but I suppose I can understand the attraction there. The rusty-haired chick is ridiculously characterized but interesting because she seems to have the same Sperm Power Radar (TM) that Hamyuts has. The burning question now is: Who is Rascal Othello? And what is it about his legend that even Hamyuts and the Shideki Church are compelled to work with each other (to a point) to protect the truth from getting out?

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Aoi Bungaku 9-10: Of greeks and yaoi

Sorry this took a long time. I intended to post this last year but the episodes couldn't be out any faster and by the time they went out, I had to be away. But anyhoo, here's the third to the last story arc in the consistently brilliant Aoi Bungaku.
Run, Melos!
Chapter 1
More Screencaps from Aoi Bungaku 09
Takada is a struggling writer commissioned to write a play adapted from a popular Greek legend about Melos who, about to be executed, begs the King to allow him to attend his sister's wedding; the King agrees but only if Selinuntius, Melos' bestfriend, takes his place and be executed if Melos fails to appear before sunset on the third day. Takada accepts the job but later has second thoughts as he realizes that the original story strikes too close to home. He recalls an incident in high school when he and his best friend, Joushima, decided to leave for Tokyo. Takada waited for him at the station but Joushima never showed up. As Takada leaves on board the train, he throws the pocketwatch that Joushima gave him out the window. At that same moment, he sees Joushima standing on the platform but by then it is already too late as the train gains speed. Takada lives on with the bitter knowledge of his bestfriend's betrayal.

Run, Melos!
Chapter 2
More Screencaps from Aoi Bungaku 10
Despite his earlier misgivings, Takada continues to write the play, struggling with his own inner demons and merciless recollections along the way. Melos is finally on his way back to the King but has to go through many obstacles, including a broken bridge and bandits. As Melos falls at the hands of the bandits, Takada loses courage to continue. Then he gets a vision of Joushima, who urges him to finish the story. Takada lets out all his anger but the vision only says that he's waiting. After that, Takada receives a telegram from Joushima's wife, telling him that Joushima is dying from heart disease and has requested to see Takada one last time. Without thinking, Takada rushes out of his house and heads for the station. In the play, Melos wakes up, battered and bruised, and uses the last ounce of his strength to run back to the King. Takada arrives at Joushima's deathbed and to him he pours out all his feelings of being betrayed. When he is finished, Joushima asks him to tell him how the play ended: Sunset. Selinuntius is about to be executed when Melos arrives, smiling in happiness even in the face of certain death. At this, Joushima finally cries, and the two friends are reconciled.

COMMENTS:

Run, Melos! is an adaptation of Damon and Pythias, two legendary Greeks whose unwavering friendship withstands the test of the knife and a cruel tyrant. Apparently, Osamu Dazai (author) got the inspiration for the story when one day he, along with a friend of his, went to a hot springs resort where they soon went over budget. Dazai promises to pay back the extra by writing a quick short story and selling it, while his friend waits. However, Dazai never wrote the story and indeed never showed his face to his friend for a long time. When they finally saw each other, his friend confronted him, prompting Dazai to pose this rhetoric question:

Who has it harder: the one who waits, or the one who makes others wait?

And so Run, Melos! was born.

This is again a liberal take by Madhouse. Instead of just telling the short story straight, the studio opted to intersperse the author's own experience with the play, drawing parallels between the two, so that we end up not with one but two tales in one. Brilliant! Even so, it is still a very simple story that focuses on friendship with a surprisingly happy ending, and in that, it wholly differs from all the other story arcs so far shown in this series. It's kind of hard to reconcile this work with the depressing piece that No Longer Human is. There is some explanation given: Run, Melos! is an earlier work by Dazai, supposedly at a time when he was...happier. At any rate, it's a welcome change of pace.

Nakamura Ryosuke directs and storyboards this arc. He's the guy responsible for Mouryou no Hako and has had a hand in many other outstanding series the likes of Monster, Gunslinger Girl, NANA, and Death Note. But I think in Run, Melos!, he surpasses even himself. In fact, I'd go on to say, that in terms of directorial style, Run, Melos! is a stand-out in the Aoi Bungaku-verse. I can't really put it into words; you'll have to see the series for yourself.

Character designs are also good. Konomi Takeshi of Prince of Tennis fame came up with the original designs for the characters of Run, Melos! I have to say, the design is one of the best-looking in the series, next only to Kubo Tite's more eclectic rendering in episodes 5-6.

This is the third to the last story arc in the Aoi Bungaku series. I can't believe it's drawing to a close. This series is particularly close to my heart because it opened my eyes to many literature gems in Japanese culture. Quick! Where can I find English translations of these books?

^.^

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