Shuffle! - Episodes 1+2 (exclamation mark ftw)

What is eternity doing tonight? has become Mega Megane Moé. For the latest posts, please change your links accordingly. Shuffle! (with exclamation mark) is one of the series I've meant to be getting around to - I just began watching it today, and it's a mixed bag so far.

From what I know of Shuffle!, it's another eroge/visual novel adaptation, and that shows so incredibly much in the character design:
- Sort of clueless, boring main character (gray hair = top sign of anime normalness) with girls falling over him? Check.
- Main character's perverted guy friend? Check.
- No parents for the 'main' characters (Kaede/Rin)? Check.
- Quiet and/or lolicon girl (Primula/Lyco/Whatever she calls herself)? Check
- Childhood friend? The counter's at THREE. And rising.

There doesn't appear to be much substance yet, as the first two episodes have been mostly lighthearted character introductions, in which we learn that everybody has fallen in love with Rin, even moreso than is the norm for a type of story like this.

Fanservice is more abundant than the other visual novel anime's I've watched - Air, Kanon, To Heart, although all of them were heavily sanitized I suppose - but it's not overwhelming, yet. I do consider it awkward - and I think of the point in Episode 2 where Military Guy got his head up Red's (Sai? Or the other one? Odd names in this show) skirt and wonder, if they are really the descendents of gods and demons, they shouldn't be wearing panties so much as having a black hole of whirling death down there to smite the perverts.

Which brings me to the next point - which is the nonexistant story so far. We've established that there are gods and demons in the world, and that nobody really seems to care. I'm hoping for some plot exposition in the coming episodes, which I suppose is coming one of these days; Kanon was, I suppose, equally empty in it's first few episodes.

Will have to keep watching this, but at this rate it's doubtful I'll make it to the end, perhaps also because of accidental spoilering I already know what's going to happen. (insert Kaede with box cutter picture) Which will make for an odd viewing...

-CCY