Showing posts with label spice and wolf. Show all posts

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Summer 2009 Anime Short List

Posted by jute On 6/04/2009 08:13:00 AM

The Summer line up. Lots of really interesting titles and I'm genuinely interesting in following through most of them.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
OFFICIAL | ANN | Wikipedia

This is obviously a disaster drama, obviously about an earthquake in, surprise, surprise, Tokyo. According to Wikipedia, it will follow siblings Mirai and Yutaka, who were visiting a robot exhibition in Odaiba during the summer holidays when the earthquake occurs. In the aftermath of the disaster, the siblings will struggle to reach their mother in Setsagaya and along the way, they encounter a female motorcycle deliverer, Mari, who will help them.

COMMENTS:

I don't know if this is any good. The premise seems kind of meh but this animated by BONES so I don't know, it might be good. I'm not a huge fan of disaster movies actually but I loved Grave of the Fireflies (that one was more of a war movie than a disaster movie) and the fact that this series is about two siblings, a boy and a girl, kind of reminds me of the former. Maybe this is going to be good drama. Plus, I've seen the PV and the animation, as usual with BONES, looks superb.

Bakemonogatari
OFFICIAL | ANN | Wikipedia

This is an adaptation of NisiOisin's light novels of the same title. The two volumes of Bakemonogatari deal with a high school boy named Koyomi Araragi and strange students he encounters. ("Bakemonogatari" is a wordplay on the Japanese term bakemono for supernatural creatures and the term monogatari for stories.)

COMMENTS:

This seems like a comedy series. Again I'm not too sure with this one. It looks like this will be animated by SHAFT and directed by Shinbo, the same guy who's responsible for Maria+Holic and Natsu no Arashi! This might be a nice change of pace from the seriousness of other series.

Canaan
OFFICIAL | ANN | Wikipedia

Originally a visual novel, Canaan tells a present-day story about a detective, a young man, a virus researcher, a freelance writer, and a cat mascot character who are brought together by bizarre events with worldwide implications in the Tokyo neighborhood of Shibuya.

COMMENTS:

I have to say I got attracted to this because of the set of lead characters. The variety is interesting and I hope the character dynamics is going to play out well. This series, by the way, is developed by TYPE-MOON of Tsukihime and Kara no Kyoukai fame. Could be interesting, could be utterly confusing. I stopped watching the Kara no Kyoukai movies because the non-linear storyline did not work for me and it took me so long to see the other five movies that by the time I would have gotten to them, I would have needed to watch the previous other two. IMHO, too much work for a movie I'm only mildly interested in. But going back to the topic, I think this one is more interesting.

ElementHunters
OFFICIAL | NHK | ANN

I really have no idea what this is about but I found this site which posted an English translation of the official website, and anyway, this looks like another post-apocalyptic anime with a twist.

COMMENTS:

Like I said, post-apocalyptic anime. Did I mention that I like post-apocalyptic themes? And this one is specifically for NHK broadcast. Remember that long ago children's anime called Dennou Coil that caused such a ruckus in the anime world? This might be another one and good or not, I sure want to be among the first to jump in the bandwagon.

Spice and Wolf II
OFFICIAL | ANN | Wikipedia

This is the second installment for the unusual light novel adaptation of a traveling merchant and his spicy friend, who happens to be a wolf deity with an attitude.

COMMENTS:

Yay for ways to multiply your income. They wisely chose this time to air this series. Brains Base, responsible for Baccano! and Natsume Yuujin-chou, is animating the series.

Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai
OFFICIAL | ANN

The movie follows the legendary samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, who founded the Niten-ryu swordsmanship. His story is the stuff of legends, but this movie aims to look at the truth and the man behind the legend.

COMMENTS:

Production I.G. Mamoru Oshii. What more can I ask for? I loved The Sky Crawlers. It was a lot of atmospheric nonsense but that's precisely why it's a beautiful film. And this looks like an original concept by Mamoru Oshii. Or at least, he will take the traditional story of Musashi and give it a fresh twist. Perhaps more on internal monologues since this looks like a character-driven story and a lot of unspoken emotions. In short, all the stuff that I love about Mamoru Oshii works.

Summer Wars
OFFICIAL | ANN

The light-hearted "action entertainment" story revolves around a modern-day family on a midsummer adventure. Bizarre occurrences spring up around the world, due to the intersections between reality and another world named Oz. At the behest of their 90-year-old grandmother, the family members must work together to save mankind.

COMMENTS:

A movie by Madhouse, aptly titled too. But the best part about this is that it's directed by the same guy who brought us The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Now, I don't know if you've already seen that movie -- if you haven't, GO WATCH IT NOW -- but that one was a masterpiece. And now here comes another one. It isn't about time travel this time but more about another world disrupting reality, which is just perfect because I'm an escapist by heart and one can only dream about such things or watch animes about them.

2008 Year-Ender Anime Rankings

Posted by jute On 1/06/2009 07:00:00 AM

I forgot to mention that on the 7th of December, Animeshoon officially turned a year older! (cue: fireworks ~) But I'm not a sentimental person and stuff like a blog's birthday usually flies over my head, so that (aside from occasional bouts of amnesia) explains the silence. Still, to celebrate my coming back to life after the Christmas and New Year hiatus, I've decided to compile a year-ender report for 2008. Mind you, I'm not good at this so please excuse the suckage.

Before I begin though, I would like to say outright that my blogging list does not necessarily reflect my watchlist. Weird, huh? But that's me. That said, on to the list ~ ♥

Top 5 Highly Anticipated Series

Blade of the Immortal - I thoroughly enjoyed the manga series so I thought the anime might prove to be a great experience as well
Ghost Hound - the darkly psychological themes interested me but it was the art that got me first
Spice and Wolf - I was intrigued by the concept of fantasyslashtrade&economics
Kurozuka - I thought it was a love epic with vampires in it and the time-leaps piqued my interest
Shikabane-Hime - Aka - the promo said that the main character is an undead and I have a thing for the undead -- zombies specifically

Top 5 Series with the Best First Episode

Ga-Rei - Zero - because nothing beats killing all your characters in the first episode
Xam'd: Lost Memories - the series' best assets -- great OP and ED themes, excellent pacing, interesting cast of characters, and a simply brilliant storyline -- can be readily seen from the first episode
Ghost Hound - the focus on sound distortion and the dark, mangly themes gave me goosebumps; production value was tops as well
Blade of the Immortal - the series's first episode does a good job juggling character revelation and an ass-kicking, bloody fight scene
Kure-nai - the first episode implies a lot of heavy stuff and yet has just enough quirkiness to keep you coming back for more

Top 5 Series with the Best Finale

Ghost Hound - I seriously did not want the series to end
Kure-nai - yes, it was corny and ridiculous, but people got beat up and wise words were spoken, and overall it gave a satisfying feeling
Real Drive - after muddling a lot of the episodes, the neat and tidy ending is refreshing
Mnemosyne: Mnemosyne no Musumetachi - ohmygod, there was SECKS and then more SECKS and then lots of people die, it was just WOW
World Destruction - a spectacular ending to a rather bland show; it surprised me

Top 5 Random-picked Series that Turned Out Great

Natsume Yuujin-chou - something about the slice-of-life approach to a gentle storyline riddled with fantasy reminds me of Mushi-shi
Xam'd: Lost Memories - a mecha series that I actually enjoy because it's mecha
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~ Natsu no Sora - another slice-of-life series that surprised me with its subtle depth
Eve no Jikan - the two-month wait is so worth 15 minutes of pure genius
Kure-nai - I like it mainly for its quirkiness

Top 5 Favorite Titles

Eve no Jikan - yes, only three episodes are out but every single one of them has been nothing short of excellent, leaving me with no doubt that the next trio are going to be just as spectacular
Ghost Hound - a coming-of-age story that manages to delve deep into parapsychology, science and the supernatural at the same time
Xam'd: Lost Memories - the excellent pacing gives plenty of room for character development and boy what development!
Real Drive - a series that suffered from its slice-of-life approach but still managed to deliver in the end
Kurozuka - it knows it has nothing going for it other than pure, unadulterated violence in a simple plot that is unabashedly too straightforward for a mystery

Top 3 Favorite Female Characters

Yayoi (Kure-nai) - I like her mainly because she is the only serious (not to mention capable) character in a series that does not take itself, let alone its characters, seriously
Otono-Tachibana Makie (Blade of the Immortal) - Hyakurin will likely steal her place but until the series actually gets to that point in the manga, Makie remains on the top 3
Isayama Yomi (Ga-Rei - Zero) - because she's badass

Top 3 Favorite Male Characters

Manji (Blade of the Immortal) - he's tough, he's rude, he's freakin' immortal!
Takehara Akiyuki (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - a main character that I don't find annoying, what are the chances?
Kuro (Kurozuka) - strange how a one-dimensional, flat, stereotypical character managed to make it to this list but Kuro manages to be all that and still maintains a semblance of respectability (meaning: you can't laugh at the poor vampire boy - HE WILL CUT YOUR HEAD)

Top 3 Funniest Characters

Michael Kohaku (Ga-Rei - Zero) - his crazy outfit did it
Toppi (World Destruction) - who didn't like the bear?
Makoto / Mako-chan (Minami-ke Okawari) - cross-dressing boys is one thing, a cross-dressing boy who actually secretly likes to cross-dress is another

Top 3 Favorite Villains

Otono-Tachibana Makie (Blade of the Immortal) - the reluctant murderer, the hesitant prostitute, the very thing that makes her feel conflicted is what makes her character fascinating; Anotsu Kagehisa, however, is a close runner-up if the fan-subs were any faster
Isayama Yomi (Ga-Rei - Zero) - because she's badass
Furuichi (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - nothing like a psychotic villain to make my day; and his Xam'd form is fugly as hell

Top 3 Favorite Couples

Sora and Gouta (Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~ Natsu no Sora) - heart-warming, then heart-wrenching, then heart-warming
Aoi Souta and Holon (Real Drive) - seeing the two of them together makes me feel all giddy inside; I especially like that their little romance isn't shoved in front of your face but remains on the side the whole time
Takehara Ryuzo and Takehara Fusa (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - sure, Akiyuki and Haru are sweet but Ryuzo and Fusa are married, for god's sake! and they still manage to light up the sparks with their love-hate interactions

Favorite Crack Couple

Benikawa Ishuu and Tsunomata Raigyo (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - if only because they are both HAWT

(NOTE: Ryouko and Izumida (Ryouko's Case Files) shared lots of sexy passive-aggressive moments on-screen but surprisingly they're not as smoldering hot as Ishuu and Raigyo and the bath conversation)

Favorite Slash Couple

Asogi Rin and Laura (Mnemosyne: Mnemosyne no Musumetachi) - let's get one thing straight: they're not a couple, but wouldn't it be fun though? with Laura constantly trying to BLOW UP Rin and Rin constantly trying to kill the living daylights out of Laura, such romance will never be boring

(NOTE: Mikhail and Alto (Macross Frontier) almost made it to the top but I can't say the two shared a moment together on screen quite like Rin and Laura did)

Part 2, with my list of "best" 2008 animes is up next....

Spice and Wolf Final Thoughts

Posted by jute On 3/31/2008 07:02:00 AM

And it's finished. Or at least, the first half is finished. I'm thinking there's a second season coming just around the corner.

In the meantime...

Spice and Wolf was a bit of a bumpy ride for me. I think that I like the idea behind Spice and Wolf more than the actual show. The good thing about it is despite that, the show was not disappointing. I suppose, in a way, Spice and Wolf delivered -- in terms of storyline, characterization, and production values.

Meet the "Spicy Wolf" - Holo made a very memorable entrance: lying buck-naked under the moonlight on the back of a wagon. It was all very tastefully presented, of course.

First up, I've already said that Spice and Wolf has the advantage of having a somewhat unique concept. Instead of taking the more convenient road of feeding viewers with the usual fare from the fantasy genre -- e.g. swords, knights and ladies fair, magic, evil villains, etc. -- Spice and Wolf takes you to a most unusual route -- medieval trade.

The show tries to be logical in its approach, so I can appreciate that. In some respects, the makers were able to get their point across, but most of the time, the ideas are so thick you'd have to slice them with a scalpel first to even get the gist of it. Still, kudos for even trying.

To be frank, economics bore me. To make something as uninteresting as business seem like an object of fascination (even if it's only for a moment) is an accomplishment in itself. At the very least, I'm glad for the mental exercise it gave me. To go out on a limb, the business angle gives the very basic storyline of Spice and Wolf more dimension than it probably would have had the makers decided on swords and magic.

Pact with a wolf - Lawrence and Holo seal the deal with a typical handshake

So what's the story?

It's exactly what the teasers say: A traveling merchant meets a spicy (or should I say "saucy"?) wolf. Lawrence and Holo never got to the North though, which gives me all the more reason to believe that there is a second season coming up.

As for characterization, it's actually what I like best about this show. Lawrence and Holo are unlike most anime characters. For one, they are adults with adult concerns and adult sense of self. That means, a lot less drama and zero angst. The characters actually undergo little development. Instead, the story allows the viewers a glimpse of the different sides of each character without getting them to undergo some major catastrophe and character change as a result.

The almost kiss (?) scene - As usual, Holo takes charge

One of the highlights of each episode is the banter exchange between the two main characters. Probably, the wit and humor did not translate well into English, but I found the Lawrence-Holo interaction a bit tiresome in the later episodes. Even the ending did not evoke as much reaction from me. I thought it was bland and the humor seemed forced.

Another downside to the anime is the production value. I'm not familiar with many works by IMAGIN studio so I don't have anything to compare Spice and Wolf to. But let's just say that you don't want to plug this show for its awesome production, let alone animation style and technique.

However, one good thing about the visual impact of Spice and Wolf is the character designs and countryside backgrounds. They're not all consistently great but you can see their potential and it's good. The details of castles and medieval towns especially are very well done and you can see the amount of research done just to depict a somewhat realistic setting for the anime.

Wolf eyes - Holo's true form

All in all, I like Spice and Wolf for its concept. It's probably not a very memorable anime for me and I'd probably shelf it if I didn't think the studio is going for a second season. Out of a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as the highest, I give it a 6, just a point above average.

Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Tabi no Ongaku) OST

Posted by jute On 3/14/2008 10:36:00 PM

RELEASE DATE: 03.12.2008
LABEL: MediaWorks (?)
TRACKLIST:
1. Shounin to Ookami to, Tabi no Nibasha
2. Tabi no Tochuu
3. Tooi Yakusoku wa...
4. Shippo Dance
5. Yume no Manimani
6. Hashiru
7. Kagen no Tsuki
8. Tsukiyo no Tategami
9. Hitoribocchi no Yume
10. Hikaru Wadachi
11. Ikoku no Shirabe
12. Zawazawa Suru
13. Hajimete no Mura
14. Nagai Yoru, Hieta Tsuki
15. Hamu
16. Yureru Mugi
17. Michi Naru Mono
18. Yoake Mae
19. Kimi no Moto he
20. Chiisana Tameiki
21. Kenshi to Yopparai
22. Tsuyoi Kaze ga Fuite mo
23. Tadashiki Tenbin
24. Satoki Hito Tachi
25. Wasurenaide
26. Kurai Mori
27. Matsuri no Uta
28. Henka
29. Mada Minu Machi he
30. Ringo Biyori ~The Wolf Whistling Song TV SIZE
31. Tabi no Tochuu TV SIZE

Get ready for some bells, whistles and bagpipes!

Despite its tendency to get a bit tedious, the anime is quite entertaining with good voice acting and nice soundtrack. As can be expected from a show with a medieval setting, the OST, composed by Yoshino Yuuji, takes a lot of influence from medieval music, featuring instruments like the bagpipe, tin whistle, violin and bodhran. The soundtrack goes very well with the show, although I found some tracks difficult to listen to as standalone tracks.

BUY:
Spice and Wolf Original Soundtrack (Japan Version) @ Yes Asia
Spice and Wolf Original Soundtracks @ Play-Asia

Spice and Wolf 09

Posted by jute On 3/05/2008 03:35:00 PM

Wolf and Shepherd's Lamb
Screencaps from Spice and Wolf 09

The shepherd, Nora, and her sheep dog, Enick

The girl shepherd's name is Nora Allent and she is the ward of the Church -- that is, a local priest from the Church in the nearby town has been taking care of her. Nora offers to escort Lawrence and Holo to town. Despite Holo's reservations, Lawrence agrees to pay 40 Trie coins for her services.

During the two-day journey, Lawrence chats with Nora and discovers that she dreams of becoming a tailor some day. Their conversation soon turns to the topic of wolves, at which point Lawrence mentions that they are troublesome. The comment earns him a pinch from Holo while Nora innocently advises him to keep his voice down because a wolf could be listening.

The travelers rest for the day

As the day closes, the travelers camp out early. Nora, it seems, need to rest as soon as the sun sets because she has to stay awake all night to watch the sheep. While Nora sleeps, Lawrence and Holo take the time to attend to their needs. Holo combs her tail while Lawrence eats -- or at least, tries to eat before Holo steals the meat jerky right off his mouth.

Holo stealthily sneaks up on Lawrence to steal his food

Holo later makes a comment about Lawrence and Nora's friendly conversation, adding snidely that Nora did not particularly like talking to him. Lawrence acts nonchalant, attempting a debonair air when he says that it was only to be expected since people can't very well fall in love with each other right away. But instead of impressing Holo, this only makes her burst into laughter, to Lawrence's complete annoyance.

The next morning, Holo is in better spirits. Nora has escorted them safely to the walled town. Lawrence says that he's going to tell some of his merchant friends about Nora's escort services. He also expresses interest in pursuing a business relationship with her for her sheep's wool. After showing them the way through customs, the three of them parted ways, with Nora taking a separate entrance for livestock.

Bird's eye view of the Nora's castletown

At customs, Lawrence gets a few funny looks when he announces that he's brought armors from Polson. This prompts Holo to ask if selling armor from Polson is unusual. Lawrence answers that, on the contrary, Polson is known for its armor products. Meanwhile, Nora is seen walking around town but as she passes by some houses, the residents quickly shut their doors. Finally, she arrives outside the doors of the Church, where a priest is attending to his flock.

After customs and lodging arrangements, Lawrence and Holo head out to the tow square. Holo again indulges herself on beer, leading the bartender to comment that Lawrence got himself an expensive girl, at the same time acknowledging that she is beautiful.

Lawrence gets a hug from an old friend

Afterwards, Lawrence and Holo are making their way to the merchants' center. When they finally arrive at the place, Lawrence grows nostalgic for his own hometown, where the buildings all look like the one they are standing in front of. Lawrence steps in but leaves Holo outside. Once inside, he is met by an old friend who welcomes him with open arms.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, a rider enters a building and asks the person there if he's seen a merchant named "Lawrence." The person answers no and the rider suddenly laughs (for absolutely no reason).

COMMENTS:

Nothing much actually happens this episode aside from the fact that we finally get to meet the blond girl from the opening clip and that her name's Nora. But she doesn't strike me as an interesting character. Does her introduction add anything to the plot or character development of Holo and Lawrence? It's too early to tell.

But I think I ought to say at the onset that I don't buy the idea of Holo being jealous. Holo is too comfortable in her own skin to ever be jealous and Lawrence is much too infatuated with Holo to convince me otherwise.

Plus, it's utterly ridiculous to hire a shepherd as an escort to drive away wolves. I don't know about you but I think it doesn't follow.

The series is becoming boring. In fact, the only reason I actually blogged about this episode is because there are some really pretty landscape shots here, although I can't say the same thing for the entirety of the show. In my opinion, the production value went down as early as episode 2.