Showing posts with label kemono no souja erin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kemono no souja erin. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

2009 Year-Ender Anime Rankings

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This is my last post for 2009. I'm spending the holidays with family in the province and don't expect to log on to the Internet for the period. I'll come back next year and hopefully pick up where I left off. Before that, let me offer you my list of the best anime (IMHO) that 2009 has to offer. (NOTE: included are titles from the Winter 2008/2009 Season)

Most Highly Anticipated Series
Eve no Jikan
(Zoku Natsume Yuujin-chou, CANAAN, Eden of the East, Phantom ~ Requiem for the Phantom)
Only six episodes with one-month interval between each. As if that wasn't bad enough, after episode 4 Studio Rikka and Yoshiura decided to release the last two installments of Eve no Jikan only after two months. The anticipation almost killed me. XD But when it finally came out, it was so good I forgot how much I hated those two months. As wonderful as the last two episodes (and indeed, the entire series) turned out, I say take your time, Studio Rikka.

Naked guy in the middle of a busy street? Check. Cute token girl character with likeable personality? Check. But those aren't the only reason why the first episode of Eden of the East is a winner. It had everything going for it: mystery, likeable main characters, a possible romance, the evil shadow of an unseen villain, the list could go on. I can't say the same for the middle and final episodes but at the onset the series showed so much potential.

I cried shamelessly when Masaki made up with Tex. But it wasn't just the dramatic moment; it was everything about the final episode of Eve no Jikan. It was able to tie all the important loose ends together to create a tightly-packed vignette about a not-so distant future and the more presently-felt human condition.

I was only made aware of Eve no Jikan through one of my favorite blogs, Mono no Aware. The blogger wrote such a raving review about the series and I trust him enough to give the series a look-see. Let's just say I wasn't disappointed.

For a series that I only randomly picked up, Eve no Jikan turned out to be a big favorite of mine. In fact, it is one of my top 5 all-time favorite anime titles.

Favorite Female CharacterGod/Dorm Manager (Maria+Holic)
I liked Nakiami for her taciturn but thoughtful personality but God.is.made of Awesome, hands-down.
RUNNERS-UP:
  • Nakiami (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - I was completely taken the moment she appeared on screen. she was so cool and her beat kayak was so cool and her facial tattoos were so cool. anyway, she's just a really cool character
  • Alphard Alshaya (CANAAN) - she's a frickin' terrorist, dude!
  • Michiko Malandro (Michiko to Hatchin) - I chiefly like her character design. as for her personality, well, she's a bit of an idiot so...uhh yeah
  • Erin (Kemono no Souja Erin) - her development from carefree girl to a thoughtful young woman was brilliant to see

Favorite Male CharacterMihai (DOGS: Bullets & Carnage)
An assassin! And he's got a scar and a Russian-sounding name! Guy is absolutely kick-ass!
RUNNERS-UP:

Funniest CharacterMiyamae Kanako (Maria+Holic)
My favorite lesbian. XD Even though I dropped Maria+Holic, Kanako remains one of the most memorable and funniest characters from the 2009 line-up, if not because she's a flaming closet lesbian then because of her helplessness in the face of so much female pheromones. Excessive nose-bleeding and a certain blond cross-dressing boy making her life hell also helped.
RUNNERS-UP:

Favorite VillainAlphard Alshaya (CANAAN)
Alphard-sama! CANAAN wasn't the best series to come out in 2009, although I had high expectations of it. But Alphard made it worthwhile, especially in the last few episodes. I can totally understand why Liang Qi is obsessed with the woman. Why is she better than all the ass-kicking female superheroes out there? The answer is simple: She's a terrorist and very, very bad. If she had real balls and no boobs, I'd make her my waifu. ^.^
RUNNERS-UP:

Favorite CoupleCasshern and Lyuze (Casshern Sins)
I was rooting for them right from the start although I had no idea at the time where Casshern Sins was going to take their relationship. So when it did happen, Madhouse rendered it so artistically I was wowed beyond words. Currently, the two are a top contender in my OTP list of all time.
RUNNERS-UP:
  • Koji and Rina (Eve no Jikan) - sure it's two androids pretending to be human but it's still love
  • Kuronuma Sawako and Kazehaya Shouta (Kimi ni Todoke) - they are so cute
  • Benikawa Ishuu and Tsunomata Raigyo (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - my crack couple that went canon. for about five seconds before they went and blew up Raigyo

Favorite CrackNakiami and Yango (Xam'd: Lost Memories)
It's not pedophilia. 0.o Yango eventually gew up in the final episode of Xam'd: Lost Memories. Too bad Nakiami turned into stone. Still, with the phenomena called fanfiction, one can still find ways of getting them together.
RUNNERS-UP:
  • Rikou and Sammy (Eve no Jikan) - I have a thing for an android x human couples
  • Ein and Zwei (Phantom ~ Requiem for the Phantom) - well, Zwei at least had a thing for Ein but I don't know about the latter; when the feelings of one-half of the couple are ambiguous, that makes their pairing crack
  • Hamyuts Meseta and Mattalast (Armed Librarians: The Book of Bantorra) - I just like looking at the two of them together so imagine my surprise when they turn out to have a past together

Favorite Slash CoupleEdward and Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Elricest WOOH! That's all. Honestly, Youko and Sei should have occupied this spot but since they only appeared for like two episodes in Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season, it hardly seems fair to make them win the top slash couple just because I have a sick obsession with yuri crack.
RUNNERS-UP:

No doubt about it. Aoi Bungaku is only into its fifth episode but I've already made up my mind that this definitely tops the dark series genre. It has everything I require from the darker side of anime: a brooding character, lots of psychobabble, stylized animation, suicide and insanity.

Toradora! won last time so I think it's time to name another title and what is better than Maria+Holic? I dropped this series before I could finish it but I am planning to pick it up again. Trap isn't my type of humor as I am more into deadpan or witty repartees but Maria+Holic proved to be a mixture of all sorts of comedic moments from slapstick to black to zingers and at the center of it all is, of course, Kanako, whom I've named the funniest character this season.


Best Drama Series
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
(Casshern Sins, Aoi Bungaku)
Actually, this anime surprised me. I was expecting it to be good and have awesome animation (it's by Production I.G.) but I honestly did not expect the show to take this direction. It's a disaster anime that focuses on the human aspect of it, particularly a couple of two kids (one of them irrepressibly optimistic, another a bitter thirteen-year-old going through the awkward teen years) and a female delivery bike driver all trying to go home and get back to their loved ones. It's just undiluted human drama that's surprisingly touching and deep.


Best Production Value

Casshern Sins came very close but it proved to be a non-contender against Eve no Jikan. I think the latter had the advantage of shorter length and longer gap between releases. Because of that, the studio and creator were able to really give each episode everything they've got.


Best Opening Theme"Falling Down" by Oasis (Eden of the East)
RUNNERS-UP:
"Shut Up and Explode" by Boom Boom Satellites (Xam'd: Lost Memories)
"Paraiso" by SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS (Michiko to Hatchin)
"Marigold" by orange pekoe (Ristorante Paradiso)

Best Ending Theme"Ai Shiteru" by Kourin (Zoku Natsume Yuujin-chou)
RUNNERS-UP:
"Hikari to Kage" by Kuno Shinji (Casshern Sins)
"Vacancy" by Kylee (Xam'd: Lost Memories)
"After the Rain" by cossami (Kemono no Souja Erin)

I actually have the OST and the Special Best Album. That's how much I love the music of Casshern Sins. The tracks helped create the fantastic mood of the anime but standalone they are surprisingly easy listening.

The anime that first got me interested in seiyuus. Of course, Maria-sama ga Miteru was going to win this spot.

It was more than the retro hair that gave Casshern Sins its unique look. It was the whole old school feel to it -- the handrawn figures, Casshern's sleek body despite its mechanical deadliness, the graceful figures of the rest of the characters, the steampunk-inspired rogue robots and the colors...oh, the colors! For an anime that shows a lot of deserts, it's a pretty colorful production.

It's by BONES so yes, I can understand why Xam'd: Lost Memories has flawless animation. It's not just the fight scenes (although they are always beautiful in this series); it's Benikawa smoking her pipe, Nakiami riding her beat kayak or Akiyuki trying to suppress the hiruko in his arm -- the ordinary things so to speak.

Kemono no Souja Erin has a very child-friendly character design but the backgrounds are another thing. Far from realistic, they are akin to watercolor paintings in all their washed up, textured glory.

Casshern Sins has one of the sexiest character designs, this despite the fact that most of the characters are robots.

Eve no Jikan is probably best described as a series of six vignettes with one overarching plot. Each episode is a complete story in itself. A classic story within a story and the greatest thing about it is that it was able to deliver without leaving any loose ends.

Production I.G. was all mysterious about what Eden of the East is. There was only that interesting-looking, politically-flavored poster. Then the synopsis revealed that it's about this girl who went to see the White House only to meet a strange Japanese guy who is wandering around the streets stark-naked with only a gun and a cellphone loaded in 12 Billion Yen. WTF? But it got me hooked.

Of course, was there any other choice? Eve no Jikan has won nearly all the important categories in the list. Xam'd: Lost Memories was a very enjoyable series, but it faltered a little bit in the last few episodes and some of the plot points did not add up. On the other hand, Casshern Sins was almost perfect but the pace was too slow for my taste. So that means Eve no Jikan.


Movie of the Year
Summer Wars
The movie you simply cannot miss about a tradition-bound family in rural Japan coming face to face with a state-of-the-art A.I. seemingly intent on destroying the world and their family along with it. It's the geeks vs. the machine, humanity vs. virtual reality, Denno Coil for the whole family! and much, much more...




And that ends 2009's year-ender report. Happy Holidays and a bountiful New Year to all! See you again in 2010!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

cossami - After the Rain (Kemono no Souja Erin ED Single)

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RELEASED: 02.25.2009
LABEL: BMG
TRACKLIST:
1. After the Rain
2. Aoi Hoshi
3. Lalalila Lalila
4. After the Rain (original karaoke)
5. Aoi Hoshi (original karaoke)
6. Lalalila Lalila (original karaoke)


After the Rain is the ending single for the anime, Kemono no Souja Erin. The series is an adaptation of a fantasy light novel series by Uehashi Nahoko who also authored the popular fantasy-adventure series, Seirei no Moribito. Kemono no Souja Erin is about a girl, Erin, who has the unique ability of being able to control beasts like musical instruments. The anime is produced by Production I.G., who is also responsible for Seirei no Moribito and other popular series like Blood +.
BUY:

cossami - After the Rain @ Play-Asia
cossami - After the Rain @ Yes Asia
Other tracks in the single are Aoi Hoshi and Lalalila Lalila, both of which are used as insert songs in the anime. The rest are original karaoke versions.
MORE INFO:

cossami OFFICIAL (JPN)
Kemono no Souja Erin OFFICIAL (NHK) (JPN)
Kemono no Souja Erin @ ANN

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Mini Updates and Droppage

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Another mini-update!

1. Toradora!Like I said before, Toradora! is the show I most look forward to every week. More so now that I think the series has moved past the slice-of-life treatment and is actually moving along a semblance of a plot. It's high time as well, considering how most of the characters have had their share of screentime enough to give us a general idea of what kind of persons they are. Of course, there's still the question of: WHAT IS UP WITH MINORI and AMI? I like them but don't understand them. These girls clearly have issues but they're so vague at this point that it's kind of frustrating trying to guess their interests and motives based on their actuations alone. But then putting that aside, I'm enjoying every episode so far. It has everything to do with the romantic development between Taiga and Ryuuji and the complications it's going to cause to the Ryuuji x Minori tandem. And now that Ryuuji knows about Taiga's feelings and Minori has resolved to do something about her own feelings, it's all going to become one delightful mess. The story has certainly branched out and that's what I like about it.


2. Kemono no Souja ErinYes, I am still watching this show. I think it's interesting. The world of Kemono no Souja Erin is distinctly Asian but it's like a completely different civilization and culture as well and it's fun learning stuff about the touda, the inter-relations between the people and these creatures, and even the politics, although I don't think it's going to be focused any time soon. Right now, it's all hints. That royal adviser dude looks sneaky as hell so he's probably going to end up playing an important role but before stuff like that starts blowing over, I figure Erin still has some growing up to do. You know what this story reminds me of? Avatar: The Last Airbender, without the magic, of course, and with the war between nations downplayed a whole lot.


3. Michiko to HatchinFinally caught up to this show. I must admit, I started watching Michiko to Hatchin well on its halfway point because I'm not too interested in travel series. I didn't know the series is by Manglobe and I didn't know that Watanabe Shinichiro is among the staff. Admittedly, he only directs the opening clip, but this is Watanabe-sensei we're talking about here and he.is.a.god. So what do I think about this show? It's hella entertaining, like most Bones shows, and the art/animation is superb. But, of course. My only problem about it is the usual problem I have with many Manglobe series. Think: Cowboy Bebop (actually by Sunrise but directed by Watanabe-sensei) and Samurai Champloo. Those two shows have one thing in common: the very palpable disconnect between the characters. Michiko to Hatchin is all about the titular Michiko, a self-proclaimed diva and escaped convict, and Hatchin, a 12-year old poster-child of parental abuse and abadonment. The two get into all sorts of adventure together as they travel through the clogged up streets of Brazil in search of the elusive Hiroshi, Michiko's one-time love and Hatchin's alleged father. Hiroshi is the only thing they have in common and they don't even like each other that much and yet somehow, for some strange reason that is never explained (just as it was never explained in Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo), they are stuck together. Disconnect. The entire series pretty much revolves around that theme. It works though, which is why I still enjoy the show.


4. RidebackRideback. Heh. I am in a state of suspended disbelief about this show. I said before that what draws me to this series is its weirdness. I mean, I don't even like mecha. But the combination of Madhouse (one of my favorite animation studios) and the infinitely odd juxtaposition of hand-drawn art against CGI got me. Add to that a very interesting main character who is as attractive and improbable as the premise of Rideback and I find myself unable to resist watching this show every time an episode is released. After Episode 07, the plot is beginning to shape up as important points finally start to connect and characters begin to get into their roles but it's still too early to call this series as anything more than eye-candy.


5. Samurai ChamplooI must admit that I kind of stopped watching this show for the moment, the reason being that for the past two months I've been swamped with school stuff. Samurai Champloo is one of those shows that retains its entertainment factor without being too absorbing. In other words, it's easy to put down. Like, if I had other stuff to do, I'd simply put the series on hold and I wouldn't feel like I missed anything because continuity isn't really a factor. Each episode can pretty much stand on its own. I think I can see this quality of the series as its main weakness. I use the word loosely, of course, because I know that there are some people who would consider it a strength. I'm actually at Episode 20 now and I still don't see any visible change in the characters' regard for each other. Maybe that's the whole point of the show: sometimes, for no reason at all, people will touch each other lives, without even meaning to. It's even more disconnected than, say, Michiko to Hatchin, where at least we get to see Hatchin begin to care a little for Michiko. Anyhoo, I'm planning to give myself a 3-day break from academic stuff so I'll try to finish the series within that time.


6. Maria+HolicAh, my favorite lesbian. XD Sadly though I just don't have the time to watch this show anymore. The show is still very funny. God, sometimes, I can't believe how honest Kanako is, for a closet lesbian that is and how she can pretty much get away with offhand comments that would otherwise cause warning signs to erupt all over the place. But maybe when I'm finished with Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th, I might backtrack to this show and try to discover again what made the first episode so awesome. But until then, the show is dropped or otherwise indefinitely on hold.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Kemono no Souja Erin 02

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Erin discovers a poisonous weed growing in their village and instigates a village-wide uprooting operation. Meanwhile, an extremely weak touda is brought to Akemura for treatment.
EPISODE 02: Soyon the Healer
More Screencaps from Kemono no Souja Erin 02

Erin is relaxing on the meadows when a goat suddenly comes around and startles her to the point that she falls rolling off the hill and lands unceremoniously on a pile of hay. Her friends, Shaju and Choku, come to her rescue and pull her out of there. A moment later, Erin notices some weeds growing on top of the hill. She later identifies them as yagigoroshi, which are poisonous to goats. With this discovery, Erin gets Choku to inform the villagers about the situation, and soon after, the women get to work pulling the weeds out.
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Meanwhile, visitors arrive in the village in the form of Tailan, a touda rider from Tobiru Village, and his very sick touda. It seems that for several days now, his touda has refused to eat and has grown weak as a result. He wants the help of Akemura's renowned vet. However, there is apparently a rule that disallows touda from one village to be housed and healed by a vet of another village. Even so, it seems Tailan has a special permission from the Grand Duke, which he shows to Hasun, Akemura's Village Chief. At this, Hasun orders Wadan, the other vet in town, to call for Soyon, much to Wadan's disgruntlement.
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Soyon arrives soon after and immediately gets to work examining the touda. Tailan, who is watching her, wonders the touda vet is a woman. Hasun then reveals that Soyon is originally from Kiri Village and, as she was supposed to become his daughter-in-law, he brought her to Akemura specifically because of her skills. At that moment, Soyon calls to them to say that she needs more time to observe the touda. Erin and Shuja later visit the touda and discover that it hasn't eaten a bite of the fresh goat meat given to it. Wadan then appears, carrying water from the trough. Upon seeing Erin, he makes a snide comment about their (Soyon and Erin) being Kiri Villagers and probably spies. Erin hotly defends her mother but before things could get worse, Shuja suggests that they leave. That evening, Erin comes upon her mother reading a book about vegetation, including poisonous plants. At this point, Erin again reveals how she wants to become a touda vet, prompting Soyon to talk to her about touda and how if she (Erin) is afraid of them, she won't be able to become a good vet.
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The next day, Erin, Shuja and Shuja's elder sister are pulling out more yagigoroshi from the meadows, when they notice Tailan going off alone with a spear in hand. Erin decides to follow him and Shuja tags along. In the stream, they see Tailan expertly spear lots of fish. The three of them later sit around a fire and while waiting for the fish to cook, Tailan and Erin get friendly with each other. Just then, Choku arrives to tell them that Tailan's touda suddenly went wild. Soyon's diagnosis is yagigoroshi poisoning but she doesn't know how this could have happened. Tailan, Erin and Shuja, who is still holding the roasted fish, soon arrive, only to see the touda act wild once more, this turning on Shuja, Erin and Wadan. Soyon stops the attack by blowing on her special whistle, causing the touda to faint.
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That evening, Soyon and Wadan report the incident to Hasun. Soyon takes all the blame, saying that the poisoning might be due to the special water she gave it. Apparently, weak toudas are unable to withstand strong dosages of the special water, but Soyon has failed to take this into account. Hasun warns her that should the touda die, he would have to punish her. Later, Soyon comes home to find Erin asleep on the hearth. As she is picking the girl up, she notices the book of plants nearby and realizes that Erin has been reading it. In the morning, Tailan finds Erin crawling under the bushes, looking for something. Later, she reveals her suspicion that the touda's poisoning might have been caused by yagigoroshi. Shuja and Choku then arrive and invite the two of them to go fishing. At this, Erin has an epiphany, realizing that the touda will eat fresh fish from the stream.
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Later, she is proven right, but not before giving Soyon a fresh scare when she attempts to let the touda eat from her hands. This solves the puzzle about the touda not eating goat meat but does not answer the question on the poisoning. Erin then wonders if Wadan hasn't made another mistake, prompting Soyon to admonish her and remind her that Wadan is also a vet who knows what to do and what not to do. Erin then remembers how Wadan brought water to the touda and suspects that it might be the water. Sure enough, when they check the water source, they find several yagigoroshi flowers at the bottom. Once the source of the problem has been eliminated, the touda starts to get better until finally Tailan is able to leave. On the day he makes his farewell, neither Soyon nor Erin see him off as both are busy taking care of Kiba. There, Soyon once more asks Erin if she is afraid of touda and this time Erin answers with conviction that she is not afraid of them. Pleased with this answer, Soyon then says that although touda are beasts, they are living beings first.
COMMENTS:

Two groups are currently subbing this series -- KyouNoSubs and SS. Between the two, I like SS better but KyouNoSubs releases faster so I'm following them also. So anyway, I like this series, even though it's long and slow-paced. I'll probably get bored with it before it starts to get interesting but so far I am enjoying it and I like the characters.

Strange thing about this story: we are seeing the events from Erin's point of view but through a third person narrator. I say, nothing like a reliable narrator to get the story along. So I guess this is going to be a straightforward plot.

An important revelation this episode: Hasun is actually Erin's grandfather. Unless, I made a mistake but yeah, I'm pretty sure that when Erin said "grandpa" she is referring to Hasun, not only because of the thread of the conversation but also because of Hasun's earlier revelation that Soyon should have been his daughter-in-law. Then, I wonder where is Erin's father? My guess is he died in the war.
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