Behind the Curve: Shakugan no Shana (Manga 1 / Novel 1)

There are many reasons to adopt a new series. Perhaps it's a widely popular one, and you're curious to see what all the fuss is about. Maybe a favorite voice actor, artist, director, writer worked on this series as well. Maybe you read the manga, or played the visual novel, or just read about the series in a press blurb or something and was intrigued. A figurative dart thrown at a wall?

Sometimes, it's like that, where you walk into a bookstore, and the first thing that catches your eye is that one thing Mikoto keeps raving about.

And so I sat down with the English release of manga and light novel for an hour.

Yeah, English light novel. Is that a first? Not too familiar with even the Japanese scene for that, but I follow the Haruhi light novels religiously and are kind of jealous that another series gets their novels translated. Oh well, there's always Baka-Tsuki!

Impressions on Shana after the jump.

Well, it probably says something that I sat down and actually read both books cover-to-cover in one sitting, but to be honest the game completionist in me likes to finish what was started.

Shakugan no Shana, nevertheless, seems like a promising genre-mixer, putting together both elements of typical romance with more than a handful of supernatural fighting action. Perhaps it's bad to compare but a similar genre-mash would be, I believe, sola. Both series seem to straddle the sexes, with the action appeasing the guys and the romance aspects appealing to the girls. Of course, Shana feels bat-over-the-head enough with the romance to possible be aimed more towards guys, and ironically that part is the stuff I find more attractive than the action. That's probably just a natural fault of a viewing history of harem-types and magical girl shows, though.

Shana, to be honest, isn't all awesome and win. Many of the aspects have that "been there before" feeling to it. For example, the (to me) obvious nature of the romance between the blatantly tsundere (for lack of a different word) Shana and Yuuji, as well as the going-to-try-hard-and-be-damn-adorable...but going to lose appearance of Kazumi, feels very cut and dry. I haven't analyzed the fights too much yet but the villains are naturally cocky in that "I'll kill you later" way, not to mention Shana's power level of OVER MEME.

But, this is only one volume into both the light novel (apparently first), and the manga, which seems to follow a lot of aspects of the light novel. Plus, my criticism of the battles shouldn't be too trusted; they are an aspect that never really fascinated me enough to analyze closely, which probably causes the romantic aspect, standing alone by itself, to fold in like a house.

Together though, the two aren't half bad, as Shana's slow progress towards discovering what this school 'aspect' is quite typical (for the usual Supernatural Standout) but still funny as always. There were some heartwarming - if not in-your-face - moments between Yuuji and Shana, and a shy girl is always fine too. There have been a few twists of course still, such as Yuuji's hidden treasure thing which I've forgotten the name of, but sounds pretty nifty in that it keeps him from dying, or regenerates him, or something, as well as Shana's God-in-the-amulet thing.

As you can tell, my comprehension of this story so far is highly advanced; another volume of two, when it's released, hopefully will clear things up. It's an interesting concept at this point, although I don't know what really the Ultimate Goal is. Shana will definitely be an anime/manga/series I'll have to keep my eye on - it won't be an Instabuy at any rate ($150 for the anime is a bit out of reach) but if any more of the manga shows up, it'll merit a read.

-CCY

(Picture borrowed from http://wakaranai.animeblogger.net, because it was the first thing on Google. Yay credit!)

Doujin Work 02-03/Manga: Vague Semblances

Somewhere in the middle of it all there's plot. The story almost moves forward as Najimi creates and sells her first doujinshi to the tune of a bunch of comic misunderstandings and innuendos.

The latter part is of course what most of each 15-minute episode focuses on, as major gags manage to get stretched to nearly the whole length of the episode, especially in episode 3 (where it is misunderstood that Najimi created a baby instead of a doujin). And yet the jokes last instead of getting worn out.

Some may criticize Doujin Work for being too simplistic, or too predictable - too 'been there, done that', as naturally dirty jokes have been around since the beginning of mankind, and there have been doujinshi-making anime done before. (again, regrettably, which I haven't seen)

But there's a certain benefit that comes with the simple nature of the anime combined with it's short length. Like a lot of slice-of-life anime, it's a good relaxing anime, where you can just sort of watch and laugh, instead of staring at it in disbelief wondering why won't that guy wise up or why that guy's made of of paper or why that girl fell out of the tree. It's not complex, because it doesn't need to be. It's inventive enough to take a joke and run with it. And yet, there's still a little bit

If there's one complaint about Doujin Work that's valid, it's that it's not faithful enough to the manga. Although it's arguable which one in itself is better...

(remember kids, it's not over until you see the -CCY tag. ^^)

The manga is a bit different, 40 strips in, compared to the anime, 3 episodes in. In the manga Justice seems much less of a Tall Cool Guy and more of a pervert, constantly misconstruing things even moreso than in episode 3 of the anime. He seems far too eager to make love to either of the Najimi/Tsuyuri (yuri, lol, etc) pair, which is quite frankly very disturbing until you learn, at one point or another, that he goes to the same school that both of the girls go to.

Which doesn't explain why he dresses very proper and is seven feet tall, but it makes him seem like less of a lolipedofin.

The school part is also different in both, as they are in college, and thus, older in the anime version. Yet, the anime version is ironically cleaner for having less dirty jokes than it's manga counterpart, which stretches the 'sex, but not really' cliche surprising far, even at one point pulling a Moetan (duckkake, natch. Probably NSFW if people watching have a dirty mind.).

It's a shame, because a lot of the jokes in the manga are pretty good when they're not overdone, such as Justice overhearing Tsuyuri and Najimi playing an eroge over the phone (during a H-scene, rightfully), and joyously accepting the invitation to come over and 'join them'.

Still, Doujin Work (anime) does what it can quite well with it's roughly clean content, while still pulling off a shred of story in there. As opposed to other 4-koma adaptations such as...er...um...ah...Lucky Star, Doujin Work does have a slight air of mystery to it, as we try to figure out who the hell Justice really is (and what he's doing in the OP), what's the name of Najimi's stalker who's probably in love with her, what Sola is doing here when she shows up for 5 seconds an episode, and why Tsuyuri is so damn awesome.

The jokes in the anime are mildly predictable but still have slight twists, such as Tsuyuri playing along with the 'Najimi's having a baby' gag in order to mess with Justice's head (admittedly, I thought she bought it too), or the 'buy a doujin, get a hug' joke, that keep it fresh enough for a simple-minded blogger to enjoy.

Oh yeah, and for some reason Doujin Work likes to have that Paper Mario style to it, where characters flip as if they were 2D cutouts. (especially notable in Episode 3) Nobody knows why.

So if you enjoy light-hearted jokes and don't mind getting a little dirty, Doujin Work will probably be right up your alley. If you're daring (and don't mind getting a little dirtier), the manga (40 pages scanlated so far) is entertaining as well. Protip: The manga is made by Hiroyuki, doujin artist of "A cat is fine too" fame...

-CCY

School Days 02-03 - Walking the Line

I'm doing something wrong here. I must be missing something here.

Somehow, I'm lacking that bloody hatred for Makoto, everyone's "favorite harem lead that needs to die". Somehow, I'm feeling that he's salvageable.

Although, he is rather annoying. Perhaps it'd be better to break him up and sell him for scrap parts instead of refurbishing him, but he definitely doesn't need to be sent to the crusher, just yet. (Controversial statement! Hit jump! Mwahaha.)

What is annoying about Makoto, though, is the blatantly stupid (some might say suicidal) things he does with Kotonoha, and to a lesser degree Sekai. He does do, in my opinion, so much work towards improving himself, getting up to the standard of a Nice Guy harem lead, only to undo it in a few words. Or maybe a grope. Or a funny stare. Or that damned kissy face of his.

But, I think, somewhere down there, there are good intentions. He makes valid mistakes that I think a lot of guys would make in his situation. He does apologize when he's done something wrong, and seems to be on course to correct his ways. Yes, it's true that a lot of this is done at the prodding of Sekai, but still, it takes something to go out and do it on his own (in typical He and His Girl Are The Only Ones In The Entire Scene style).

Maybe this is the Sekai trap I'm falling into, into thinking Makoto is workable.

But, it's not like the two girls themselves are any less troubled than Makoto... School Days is actually filled with a bunch of vaguely real characters; there are no Sayuris here, as everyone seems to have very real issues...

Sekai is still acting rather strangely, pretending to others and maybe to herself that she absolutely completely no way uh-uh is completely head over heels for Makoto. Really, the latter is the only sensible way to explain why she's trying to hard to make Makoto x Kotonoha work. I could have understood if she set them up and then sort of backed off and let the love train crash and burn, but no, two episodes into their romance she's still guiding Makoto by the hand.

I mean, unless she thinks that Makoto doesn't have a shot in hell in staying with Kotonoha, long-term, Sekai's pretty off in the head. But then again, two girls blushing all over Makoto might be too much.

Sekai also has lots of fun by getting toyed with by Makoto, especially near the later part of episode 3. When her love interest (believe it or not, Sekai) calls and says he's getting bored with his current girlfriend, yeah, that's going to set off a chain reaction.

Kotonoha doesn't have it off easy either, actually being with Makoto as he fumbles his way (hard) through the first date, and thus subject to the Damned Kissy Face, among other date evils. I'm not sure how the relations between Sekai and Kotonoha are; they seem to be pretty good friends, but I'm not sure how things will work out once Makoto starts to get involved with Sekai (which is likely to happen). Kotonoha seems to be a little bit too shy for a Kaede-fest, but Sekai certainly could have a snapping point if Makoto gets too intimate with Kotonoha.

Not to mention the side characters playing a larger role in really stressing both of the harem girls. Kotonoha really seems to be almost shunned by the rest of the Student Council - note the scenes where they walk off to go chat in a corner while Kotonoha does all the work, while Sekai is constantly getting hammered with the "Hey, you actually do like Makoto, huh?" Of the two I think Kotonoha is in the harder situation, especially considering how submissive she is. She soaks up too much abuse, as opposed to Sekai, who I imagine would stand up for herself.

In the end the Kotonoha x Makoto train makes subtle progress as the two of them seem to be getting along better, but with Makoto's admission of boredom to Sekai, things are quickly heading for a derailing.

Especially since I've seen screencap of the episode 4 raws, and what the crap. Makoto certainly isn't using the second chance I'm giving him very wisely...

-CCY

sola revisited: An Open End

Going through a rewatch of sola, one of the more appealing animes of the spring 2007 season - at least to a Kanon-type-phile like me - and let me put this simply.

I don't get it anymore.

The events that happen in the final few episodes are great for shock value, but now I'm trying to dissect them, and, I'm just not seeing the connection. I have one particular thing in mind, which revolves around episode 12 - so obviously, if you haven't watched sola, stay far far away, and whatnot.

So, anyway. Episode 12. Huge epic fight scene between Aono and Matsuri. Lots of stabbing and papering ensues. Now, the fight scenes I can grasp. It's a bit ridiculous at times - two paper clones, Aono? - but sola has never held up very strong in the fight scenes. But those aren't expressly the main point of this.

It's not even the deux ex projector that stops everyone in their tracks. It's not quite that Matsuri, after trying to stab Aono for so long, turns the sword on herself. That's a great plot twist in itself. But the question lies in the first half of that sentence.

Why was Matsuri trying to kill Aono?

It doesn't really make sense if you look at it. Before, in the previous episode, Yorito was talking to Matsuri, about how they should "change Aono back to normal".

Now, how are we going to do that by stabbing her? It seems like the only viable plan is what ended up finally happening at the end of the episode and in 13; Matsuri stabbing herself, and then transferring her power through the sword into Aono. So what I really don't understand, is all the epic fighting that occurred in the first 20-odd minutes of 12.

Was Matsuri just breaking with Yorito's plan in the beginning; the whole "Give me Yorito" thing? But, if Matsuri killed Aono, Yorito would dissipate as well. I don't think that sword works on paper people as well.

Somehow it's just not adding up. All that fighting seemed to be just to work towards the strange plot twist of Matsuri suddenly turning the sword on herself; unless Matsuri was trying to tire Aono out so she wouldn't resist (which she ended up doing anyway). I mean, this way it makes for more of an epic final battle conflict thing...but not much sense.

But then again, that's not something sola is famous for making.

-CCY

The Kagetsu Tohya Initiative: Day 2

Again another raving post about the visual novel sequel-like-substance to Tsukihime, named Kagetsu Tohya. In case you completely missing the rabid fanboying yesterday KT is a sort of Groundhog-Day like game in which the protagonist Shiki Tohno repeats the same day...over...and...over. But unlike other visual novels where the only choice reads something like

"1) Have sex with her.
2) Have sex with her up the butt."

Kagetsu Tohya features a somewhat ridiculous amount of content for just 'one day', in that I've been through the day 20 times and found something new every time. The game's in-game help system also tells me that I'm about only a third of the way through.

Of course, this doesn't count the ten side stories.

I think it's spelled out quite well that, from the 'wake-up' choice of 2 paths, the second path leads to a choice of 8 choices for the morning, and if you pick the right one you get to pick from another 6 options. All this before lunch, where you are treated to another set of 6. It's freaking huge.

Today's post deals with some of the lighter side of Kagetsu Tohya. Since it does have so many paths to go down, a good deal of them are allowed to have more amusing content, whether it be funny, fanservicey, or just plain ridiculous. As such after the jump you will be treated to a selection of the "first third of the game's" most amusing scenes. Hopefully you will be intrigued to find out more afterwards.


"Ciel-senpai equates to curry, and curry equates to Ciel-senpai. No...no curry means no Senpai!"
Ciel plus curry has always been one of the most amusing and trademarkable things about Tsukihime, and as such Shiki is in for more curry-related shocks every time his poor master the user decides to force him down another Ciel-related option.

"Before that, Tohno-kun, I have a request."
"Ah? What is it?"
"Lend me some money. I didn't bring much today."
My bad feelings realized in an instant. But, well, if it can satisfy her, then it might be worth it.
"Mmm, okay, how much would you like?"
"Everything you have."
"Pfft!"
Ah, nose came out of my wat...no, water came out of my nose.
The above picture and quote is from a lunch date with Ciel at an Indian restaurant, which has to be up there on the list of stupidest (logically) things to do in Kagetsu Tohya, yet also one of the funnier options.

Making up much of the other suicidal options are random barges into the houses of other girls. Three times Shiki has barged into Akiha's room foolishly, and three times he has met a bad (yet strangely funny) end at the hands of Magical Amber, the strangely familiar-looking maid magical girl, as detailed...
"You look happy, Kohaku-san (look-alive)."
I sigh as I say it.

"Yes! This is my only role this time! I'm already sick of it!"
Kohaku-san puffs up her chest.
Really...her face isn't smiling radiantly, but radioactively.

"But please, don't be sad. I'm only a girl of the shadow. I'm happy I got treated like a heroine in the main storyline. So now I'm back to my roots to annoy you to your heart's content! I didn't even get in the top three at the popularity poll."

"---"
Uuuu...this is a tearful story.

Although, perhaps a scarier role than that is here:

I do think that is the first and last time in the history of mankind you will see a blushing and shocked Kohaku; or at least the first and last time you will see it and escape alive.

"Were you perhaps...watching?
"Yes! From the beginning to the end!"
She might as well have added a heart to the end of the sentence to fully reflect her energetic happiness.

A more normal (i.e. insane) Kohaku is on hand in many other sequences to provide great color commentary, usually on random moe^11 scenes with Hisui, but also in many other cases.

"I finally have a person in the mansion who condones my gaming! Shiki-kun GET!"

Even her 'counterpart' Magical Amber, who enlists Shiki in one of the most dangerous (and difficult) in-game quizzes this side of...that side, has a share in the fun:
The third question is a math question.

Shiki-san and Akira-chan went to Ahnenerbe. Shiki-san has 1000 yen and eats 3 cookies for 200 yen each, and Akira-chan has 10000 yen and buys 3 books for 700 yen each and 2 books for 1100 yen each and a 3000 yen book inside a display case.

Then, how many pieces of the pie did Shiki eat?

And one wonders why it took me about 20 tries before giving up and cheating through the quiz.

Shiki himself is also very quotable, if only for his wit and rehashes of the famous "This Chair" line:

"? Shiki, you look a little weird."
"That's your fault. Bare legs..."
"Bear legs? What's that? It's the first time I've heard of it."
Bare legs, you dolt!
Bare legs...
Bare legs...
BARELEGSBARELEGSBARELEGSBARELEGS!!!!

or...

One by one salmon-studden ham surround the black cat.
The black cat turns its back on the ham.
But, still, more ham!
Then I'll change my trajectory...and...HAM!
Ham, ham, ham, ham... HAMHAMHAMHAM!!!

"Ah...it...fainted..."

Or maybe his commentary on yet another epic battle between Ciel and Akiha...

Akiha grinds her teeth. Kugugugugu... The tremors reach a new level of intensity.

It would be a grand sight if there were a really big noise in the back ground and a picture of a tiger and a dragon would pop up.


And in a pinch, Hisui's always the go-to character for melting people into little gooey puddles of adorability:

"Shiki-sama, when that time comes, please take me with you. I can't do much, but I'll try my best to support you.

I'm sorry, I know you want to live by yourself, but whatever you say, I need you."

"..."

The knife in my hand slips.
How did this happen...
The comment before and this... Today, Hisui's so...
"...Hisui..."
I grab her hands, and we wordlessly look at each other.
So...what's going on...
She blushes...it's almost a crime to be that cute.
"Shiki...sama..."
Our breaths overlap.
We hold each other's hands and slowly...

-CCY
What, did you want me to keep going?

Kagetsu Tohya: Tsukihime Part Deux

Kagetsu Tohya is the essential sequel-ish thing to popular Type-Moon visual novel Tsukihime, and the English patch was just released for it recently. Here's a download link.

Well, that's all I need to write, as you have already stopped reading because 1) you don't care or 2) you have just dashed off at light speed to download that patch and get your Hisui moe fix on again.

But in all seriousness, if you're not familiar with the Tsukihime universe, the original visual novel was a doujin work that achieved quite a large fanbase. It dealt with a high school student named Shiki Tohno, who had a mysterious power which allows him to see the 'death lines/points' on things (forgive me for inaccuracies, it's been half a year), and his encounters with many strange personalities, such as the friendly vampire with a strange past, the unkillable contract killer, the twin maids that are twin maids and very moe (but also have very deep stories), and a tsundere sister (with a deep story).

Oh, and Satsuki, aka Isn't It Sad Sacchin. Wai for Sacchin~


Tsukihime is quite a novel grounded in fantasy, as there are large magical aspects to it, whether dealing with vampires, man/beast combinations, fantasy weapons, or, for those familiar with Fate/Stay Night, 'mana transfer'.

It's ero in nature, as most visual novels back then, but there's not a huge focus on it - the English patch has an included option to disable all ero scenes. Instead, Tsukihime can be related to Kanon-type stories, in that they have quite moe characters, and are, in the end, tearjerkers.

Tsukihime differs from Kanon, largely, though, because it is a bit gory, there are huge conflicts (there is technically a Big Bad), and the main character has quite some issues himself (not of the bad kind, to the audience). Still, if you like gripping stories and have a week to burn, give Tsukihime a shot. I don't think you'll regret it.

As for Kagetsu Tohya, more info about that after the jump. The explanation will assume you have a familiarity with Tsukihime.

I'm only very little in KT, but I believe I have enough of a grasp to talk about it, especially since I've read summaries of the plot before.

KT, which comes a year after Tsukihime, appears to follow something most similar to Arcueid's Good Ending, where all characters remain intact, but in visual novel fashion, there is no one girl that Shiki is ultimately committed too. Shiki is placed in a very Groundhog Day situation after - presumably - getting pwned by a truck. He repeats one day over and over, always trying to remember something he forgot - yesterday. To say any more would be spoilerish.

Even though the whole game does essentially consist of doing the same game over and over, this doesn't mean it's low on content. The day has seemingly endless possibility. One path for a day results in 8 choices for the 'morning' period and 6 in the 'afternoon' period. That's a lot. And even if presumably the end of the story is reached a few days of gameplay down the line, there are still 10 entertaining side stories to read, of which I know very little to be honest.

KT seems to be a bit more light-hearted than Tsukihime, at least in the early stages, although some of the comedy stems from the odd seriousness of the characters in some situations. Among other things in my 11 Game Days of gameplay, Shiki has:
- Witnessed an Epic Faceoff between Ciel and Akiha
- Witnessed an Epic Faceoff (II: Electric Boogaloo) between Ciel and Arcueid
- Gotten juiced injected to death by Magical Amber (yes, THAT Magical Amber). Twice.
- Run foolhardishly into fanservicey situations with Akiha and the maids at least twice.
- Experienced the epic moe-ness of Cooking With Hisui.
- Gamed with Kohaku!
- Invented the "this chair" meme, part deux.
- Gone on a panty raid in Ciel's apartment. (Hint: bad idea. BAD idea. But very quotable.)
- Gotten a CG event with Arihiko. Yeah, CG, with a guy. It's awesome like that.
- And in plot matters, fell into the hell-like End of the World, stabbed and/or got stabbed by "Shiki Nanaya", and saw Len a bunch of times.

The focus of KT appears to be on Ren, the loli-like quiet...thing...that played a bit role in Tsukihime by giving Shiki wet dreams. I think her focus may be a bit different this time around, but who am I to tell? KT looks to deliver in both amusement and plot, so if you liked Tsukihime, you'll probably love Kagetsu Tohya as well.

Only problem...doesn't appear to be any Satsuki?! (Which makes sense with the canon storyline, I suppose, but, c'mon...)

-CCY

Lucky Star Imitates Art, Part 15

Evil Miyuki not related, but highly interesting.

One of the most famous and/or infamous aspects of Lucky Star is the references. The constant allusions to past and present anime series either thrill or annoy fans. Somehow it almost seems like that like/hate ratio is similar to the percentage of people that can correctly identify the reference.

Part of the appeal is probably the game show factor, the "Aha! I know this" feeling when one can figure out some more of the obscure/hidden references, such as the Mayumi poster or any of the other massive piles of otaku mechandise in Konata's room.

But, is there a point where, like in-game advertising, it goes beyond being neat and adding to the realism, and just becomes tacky? Perhaps. After the jump, etc etc.


First off, let's look at what I consider a 'good' type of reference. This is the type of the reference, that, if you don't look closely, may not appear to be one, but then if you take your prior viewings into account, you just might end up with something:

Rich girl? Check. Dog? Check. Huge white dog? Mmhmm. (Sakaki? Yay!)

Nothing wrong with these references of course, since they're usually short (a line or two) and don't detract much. They're the type of reference particularly geeky people like I would make when conversing with friends - even those who have different passions like Star Trek, or particular sports, are probably familiar with adding references into daily conversation.


Type two is the 'amusing' reference, the ones that are so over the top they are highly awesome. Think of the Initial D parody in episode 6, and you'll have a good idea of the Da Capo parody in 15. (P.S. still only on episode 4 of DC) You'll like it either because 1) you get it or 2) it's so ridiculous. Maybe all of the above.


The 'gratuitous' references are the ones that come under the most among of fire. Predictably these are also known as the 'Haruhi' references. To be short Haruhi is everywhere in Lucky Star. Konata's ringtone is Hare Hare Yukai, they go to conventions and buy Haruhi doujinshi (and Nagato cards), random Haruhi posters/figurines are everywhere, and yes, Aya Hirano sings God Knows at a Haruhi concert. Overexposure? Of course. But sometimes I wonder if all the scorn is from the fact that it's either Haruhi (a popular target for anti-factions) or the same production studio - and as such, it appears a lot like advertising.


A similar vein is the Haruhi look-alikes. Some things are better left unknown, such as the fact that Haruhi's English VA is 50 or that this green haired quiet girl who happens to like books is voiced by the same woman who did Yuki Nagato. As such, it's incredibly hard to ignore the fact that this girl that looks, speaks, and kind of acts the same as Yuki...is not Yuki. KyoAni, you know that we love Yuki to death and back, but...come on, you're just mocking us now. No imposters allowed.

At least there's some inflection to her voice in Episode 15, as opposed to 14 which was straight Yuki.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of these references, even though I do enjoy all the other ones which should be just as blatant as these - maybe it's because the Haruhi references are the ones played the most straight, and as such, aren't as funny as Konata's dad randomly shouting "Henshin" or Konata going all shiny and galge.

What's your opinion on all the references? Like? Dislike? Kill with fire? Just remember - we're talking about an aspect of Lucky Star here. It's not whether you like the series or not as a whole. If you don't like Lucky Star then it's pretty obvious you won't like this part of it either.

And if you don't like Tsukasa, go burn. :P
-CCY

School Days 01 - Standing Corrected

Hate to say this but...suddenly, after watching the first episode of School Days I can't bring myself to the level of Burning Hatred for Makoto, or this series as a whole, that used to exist before.

Going into this series, I was hoping for something different. Given that this is based on the somewhat infamous eroge of the same nature, the 'something different' for me refers to the surprising and gruesome BAD ENDs to the main characters.

Because, honestly, I was a bit misinformed going into the show. All I knew of the eroge going into this was that it a basic love triangle (I suppose 'love V' is more accurate) between two girls and one guy. That was supposedly about all there was to it other than 1) bad ends and 2) sex.

Now strangely enough for a warm-blooded male I try to look for more than the latter when I play eroge or watch eroge anime, which is one reason why I was quite glad that Mirron Moon released Tsukihime, for example, with a non-ero patch. Because it does seem that there is a second category of visual novels becoming apparent, of those which have scoring with girls as a second thought, rather than the first.

There will of course always be a market for mindless sex but now there appears to be a market, at least among some of the bigger-name titles I've heard in the US, for making us cry like pansies. Most things from Key and or Type-Moon (at least in Tsukihime) are supposedly in the later.

And School Days, at first, fell into the former.

It may still be there, but it has hope of struggling out of it and becoming an interesting eroge adapatation after all. Without bad ends? Why? After the jump for details.

As much as most of us would like to see a Bad End in this anime, logistically it really doesn't make much sense. As much as you hate Makoto, as silly as you think Kotonoha and Sekai are for liking him, it really doesn't make sense to have a Bad Ending as...well...the ending. There's no real sense of conclusion to it. Some anime have had people dying before, of course, in the final episodes, but there was always a sense of bittersweetness to it, that the other characters could live on.

If you're familiar with the shock endings to School Days, none of those really offer that possibility.

Which really makes it hard for me to suggest that a Bad End is in the cards. I don't think that it would go over very well. But then again, I don't know how much the production studio hates you...

Makoto isn't as horrible as I expected...yet. Having seen and heard of his exploits in episode 2 (short version: ignoring the girl he has a crush on...while he's on a date with her) I was ready to go in and flame him to death...but in the first episode his personality is one that probably a lot of us have had during high school. He's the sort of reserved type who gets very (justifiably) nervous about a girl who he's fallen in love with yet he knows nothing about. It's innocent enough.

Granted, he's a bit cowardish and a bit dense, but I'm going to use the same defense I used in explaining Mina in the TokiMemo post yesterday and say that it's a very realistic, if not sort of silly, way to act.

In fact, realism seems like it could almost be one of the selling points of this anime - the characters are real, the hair colors are real (to the point where I can barely tell them apart), the uber drama of school is real...of course, I think we're about to take a turn for the less realistic and more ecchi genre, but at this point it's hard to tell.

The other redeeming aspect about School Days is that you really, REALLY don't know how it's going to end. There's no childhood friends here. No one character that sticks out more than the other. It's just a straight up dogfight between Kotonoha and Sekai. Each has their own advantages, both within and outside the fourth wall. For example, Kotonoha can easily pull First Girl Wins, but usually relationships that begin early end early as well. Equally, Sekai snagged the First Kiss, but usually when initiated by the girl it doesn't mean squat.

Makoto's flimsy enough (from what I've read ahead) that he'll probably end up swapping back and forth between the two at least once or twice, but there's really no sign as to which one he would in the end like more. Kotonoha was the one he obviously liked, and got with, but really, the train stalker relationship is screaming unfounded. Sekai's definitely got a shot, especially since she is Paying Attention To Him in blatant fashion, but really, nobody knows what Makoto's looking for, other than some action. So which girl offers more of that, eh? XD

Equally, it's hard to pick a fan favorite to root for as well. Sekai looks like she might be getting in line for some raw Nayuki appeal (except less sleepy), but Kotonoha seems like the shy, adorable type as well.

And what of the as-yet-nonexistant side characters? They could play a hand in this, especially since I'm completely unfamiliar with people outside the existing triangle.

In short, School Days has promise. Promise for what, we don't know? I just hope it doesn't devolve too hard into the fanservice that it shows danger of becoming - save some room for the plot...

-CCY
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Tokimeki Memorial 18-21 - For the Cycle

It was bound to happen, as Riku's harem falls into pieces as we come flying down the homestretch of Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~. That's what you get for putting that thing together so shoddily, Riku. Put some more work into it.

If you've missed out so far, TokiMemo is a relatively standard harem-genre romance show that deals with your typical transfer student, Riku, and three girls who of course have fallen completely over-the-top for him.


Target 1: Tsukasa Kasuga. The genki girl who early on proclaimed Riku to be her destined man. She has decent odds for being Already With The Main Character...but it doesn't feel like it'll last. It's a relationship built on less than nothing.


Target 2: Mina Yayoi. The undergirl, in both age and status. Typically shy as the underclassman is but exhibits more guts than the usual blush-and-stammer character, although she can show that talent off as well (pardon me for thinking it's cute). Defintely determined, if not a bit doubting of herself. A fan favorite, by my gauging.


Target 3: Sayuri Amamiya. The idol. Everybody and a half adores her at the school, which naturally sets her up for the typical twist, in that she believes everybody adores her except for the one guy she has her eye on - yeah, Riku. In fact the situation is quite different, as all signs point to Riku wanting Sayuri since the first episode and so it will be an epic struggle if Mina and Tsukasa want anything other than closure. Sayuri used to be the typically fake and always happy idol-type but naturally as she gets more desperate for attention from Riku her true, human, personality.

TokiMemo is relatively normal as there aren't any girls who can redefine the universe, create demons, or use magic. But the last thing TokiMemo does is take itself seriously, as the many insane personalities - from the obsessed science teacher (complete with choral music) to the wicked evil (yet always smiling) shop lady to the quite-out-of-place badass guy who's actually very emotional - really make it stand out from the crowd. Sort of.

It's really a shame that two of the three main harem girls seem to only be there for garnish as Sayuri has the field pretty much locked up, but Mina and Tsukasa definitely get their time in the spotlight as we head towards the inevitable conclusion of Tokimeki Memorial. Details on those episodes (18-21) after the jump.

In episodes 18 and 19 the 2nd year class takes their annual trip to Hokkaido. As such Mina gets left out of the loop, which doesn't seem to deter her spirits too much as she has a direct link to Riku through cell phones.

Of course, the problem with phones is that they are never charged when you want them to be, and so hundreds of text messages and two days later Mina is left completely wrecked, as Riku failed to respond to a single one.

Naturally the circumstances are innocent enough but to a somewhat paranoid, desparate high school girl like Mina the situation seems like she is being quite unfairly ignored.

Which is almost the truth, as Tsukasa has taken charge to lock up Riku once again, dragging him around Hokkaido at mach speed. She seems happy enough as always but the truth is she has come down with an epically debiliating illness which eventually causes her to pass out in Riku's lap.

When she comes to an episode or later she begins to be a bit more serious than usual, as people in the hospital usually are. She begins to talk about how 'she was sort of a burden to Riku', and seems to realize that just maybe Riku has eyes for someone else...?

Right, Tsukasa, and the sky is blue. Although, she probably is a bit happier that Riku was playing the guy in the hospital scene with the 'hold her hand until she wakes up' move. What was with that?

Meanwhile, Riku moves on to his main target, Sayuri, on day two. Predictably a pile of epic misunderstandings drag the two of them apart as class president Sakurai spends the day with Sayuri (for school matters, although I wouldn't doubt Sakurai having something for Sayuri as well), which lets Riku look depressed and have no face, saying things like "So Sayuri's going out with Sakurai."

And of course seeing Riku sad and avoiding her makes Sayuri sad as well. *Konata thumbs up* Good job, Riku!

But we ignore Sayuri (rightfully) for Episode 19, as we move away from Hokkaido (which the 2nd years are still at) and back to the empty school, home of sad Mina in swimming pool. She's fallen into a pretty deep depression, which, not even her pink-haired friend, the swimming club, or dolphins (which Mina seems to really like) can save her from.

She begins to question the sanity of being so obsessed with Riku, since he's an upperclassman, and as such will graduate a year earlier. She struggles with her emotions for a bit before realize just how dependant she is on Riku, which causes her to break out in crying (hello, heartstring tugging). In her confused, tearful state she ends up calling Riku (instead of just messaging him) and leaving a very, very desperate message on his phone, saying how she just wants to see him.

This, of all things, FINALLY gets Riku to sit up and pay attention, as he recharges his phone on the way out of Hokkaido and turns it on to the tune of a million new messages.

As cute as it may be, that combined with the pressure of two other girls finally gets to Riku in episode 20 as he takes his turn being emo and depressed. He wonders what he should do, and stumbles his way through a few face to faces with Mina, Tsukasa, and Sayuri, who are all left wondering why he looks so sad.

The side characters, if they can be called that, finally come to the rescue as Inukai the Badass essentially knocks some sense into Riku, telling him to get a hold of himself, and that nothing will come from sitting there being depressed so on so forth.


Now I'd sing my praises for Inukai for being a cool guy but he rejects Mina's friend hard in episode 21, which really hurts. Come on, there's a thing as being too cool.

Anyway, Riku wises up after his talk with Inukai, and Magically Resolves everything. He messages Tsukasa telling him that he will tell her "what he truly feels about her"...later. Presumably Mina gets the same message. And he walks home with Sayuri as well! Score.

The final episode of the group, 21, sets the Sayuri gears in motion, but as you would expect, not by Sayuri nor Riku, who are both a bit too incompetent at this point to approach each other.

Rather, it is by Ayame, Sayuri's friend, who asks Riku to the Christmas event (which naturally Sakurai set up for couples only). This is a proverbial atomic bomb being dropped on our REAL harem contenders, who wonder 1) who Ayame is, 2) where did she come from, and 3) why the hell does Riku like Ayame and not her.

Naturally the third statement is completely false but Sayuri, Mina, and Tsukasa get to spend a lot of time working themselves into their own patent forms of depression.

But not all is lost! Riku's friends, the standard hopeless perv/romantics, are in luck, as Mina and Tsukasa ask them out to the Christmas event in order to get closer to Riku. It's good to see some success for Blue Haired Guy Who Is Not Eriol...and, uh, Riku's other friend. Unfortunately, Tough Guy Doujima is forced to go with Piyoko the chick (literally. and in a wedding dress too). XD

Meanwhile, Sakurai continues his conspiracy by asking Sayuri to go with him. Y'know, for school matters. They end up hosting the event together, but Sayuri spends most of the time staring in Riku's direction, especially when he makes a lot of funny noises as Ayame starts to try to seduce Riku ("Sayuri who?"). I think she's enjoying this job far too much.


On the plus side, since the event is held fully costumed this allows for 1) Mina to look even more adorable than usual and 2) for Sayuri to hug-tackle Riku and yet let Riku not know that it's Sayuri (because he's pathetically dense). Incidentally, the latter is a result of another incident involving Very Awesome Shop Lady.

In the end Riku ends up receiving Sayuri's present in the gift swap, which makes Sayuri very happy when she walks home with Riku. Sayuri's just a complete blush-fest throughout this segment, especially when Riku hints he bought his gift with Sayuri in mind. Riku sounds like he'll be alone for New Year's in next episode, which is a blatant cue for Sayuri to house-crash him for some intimate time, but it remains to be seen whether Tsukasa, Mina, and perhaps even the rest of the crew will drop by as well. I wouldn't doubt it, as with an ending this obvious there's really no reason to wrap up the Sayuri x Riku storyline early.

Plus, y'know, the confession has to be under that freaking huge tree, not in Riku's house.
I found these 4 episodes of Tokimeki Memorial to be entertaining as always. Even parts were sort of predictable at times they were executed quite well - the side characters really helped in making the episode a bit different than what I expected. Maybe it's just that I like how the characters are changing a bit - you get to see the dark side of Mina, the quiet side of Tsukasa, and the not-completely-fake side of Sayuri.

Mina's episode especially hit pretty hard - even though the crying wasn't especially well-done or well-animated her situation felt quite realistic, and although some might complain she was acting a bit strange, those are probably the people that never had a ridiculous crush in high school. It happens to the best of us.

TokiMemo's brand of insanity is always good as well as it sometimes becomes hard to tell where they're being serious or not - any instance involving Riku talking to Piyoko the Chick comes to mind, or the ridiculousness of many of both the events and the characters (the sports clubs come to mind as well). It's a good light series to watch for both the laughs and the characters - even if you don't like Riku or Sayuri. My hope is only for Mina to get some closure in this series.

-CCY

Autopsy: Regarding Shuffle Memories 12

Report No.: 75
Date of Report: July 17, 2007
Time of Report: 11:22 AM

Subject: Shuffle! Memories the 12th
Age: 25 minutes
Sex: Unstated. Tests report "Yes, please"
Race: Japanese animation

Background: Known history of insanity in family, especially in earlier Shuffle! generations 1 through 12. Fanservice abuse often common through the years, leading to unhealthily low amounts of plotline and occurances of Type-II (a.k.a Hit or Miss) Humor. Suffered from Beach Episode Disease.

Cause of Death: Appears to be natural causes. Many suspicious suspects, better known as "main characters", are currently being investigated as possible contributing factors to death, to be explored in "after jump" segment.



Subject A: Rin Tsuchimi
Possible leader of crime group known as "The Harem", considered highly dangerous. Suffers from a affliction of the Tohno Gland (named after infamous criminal Shiki Tohno of Tsukihime) which causes him to exude pheremones at unstoppable rate, attracting many females of various background, but not their clothes. Prone to hideous facial contortions due to typical attack pattern of these "Haremettes" which involves many socially awkward but highly fanservicey situations.
Verdict: Possibly guilty, cleared due to proof of insanity


Subject B: Kaede Fuyou
Has exhibited close, perhaps obsessive ties with Subject A in the past, leading to suspicion by authorities. Suspicion confirmed with background check revealing many charges of aggravated assault with deadly weapon including but not limited to I) boxcutter, II) cleaver, and III) physical force. Charges have not yet been pressed due to said charges increasing subject's controlling power over defense force which protects her from authority. This factor is understood by scientists to be a result of "psycho moe."
Verdict: Guilty, cleared of all charges...for now


Subject C: Lisianthus
Extremely unstable personality exhibited, with obsessive and sometimes suicidal tendencies noted. Has a past of being schizophrenic, and as thus very dangerous to approach. Known to use force of the sexual manner to get her way. Has been previously arrested for assault with a pair of deadly weapons on one (1) Rin Tsuchimi, but was released on parole after the conclusion of a good arc. Now considered once again highly dangerous, and all citizens are advised to use extreme caution, especially if they are named Rin.
Verdict: At large


Subject D: Nerine (Not pictured)
Possible partner in crime with Subject C (Lisianthus). Subject appears innocent to the outlook but is currently under arrest for charges in drowning of Mayumi Thyme (pictured). Alibi of not being near victim at time of death checks out as plausible but is under suspicion of using magic powers of 'bouncy' type to drown victim from long range, in addition to causing massive damage to any male beings in a 5-mile radius.
Verdict: Restraining order issued for Nerine and her chest region.


Subject E: Primula
Scowling, purple-haired criminal arrested recently under many more charges than can be listed. Primary accusation is identity theft of one Yuki Nagato, with both eating and vocal habits being lifted directly from the victim. Also charged by lolicons for evasion of fanservice, made mandatory in compliance with the laws of Harem Anime, rule 95 part IIIa (page 496, Beach Episode Corollary).
Verdict: Currently under test tube arrest.


Subject F: Mayumi Thyme
Long-time reporter often infamous for lack of boundaries. Has been noted to suffer from many mental afflictions, including the Daidouji Camera Complex (note the digital camera grafted to Mayumi's hand) the Flat Chest Complex, and the Eroge Complex (part IV, Obsession with Genitals). Extreme care is advised when handling.
Verdict: At large, currently being sued by one Konata Izumi for violating trademark on Haruhi references.


Subject G: Itsuki Midoriba
Infamous pimp known to deal in both genders in order to fill his harem. Wanted for violation of anime guidelines which state, in part, "No male shall perform acts of fanservice (including but not limited to, jiggling, shaking, groping, squeaking, or skirt lifting) in any anime expressed declared to be of the harem variety."
Verdict: At large, possibly in the Middle East searching for his harem (see Shuffle! 24)


Subjects H and I: King of Gods and King of Demons
Shown to exhibit tentacle fetishes common of many people their age. As such, study was prematurely concluded before more info could be obtained
Verdict: Currently contesting charges of Being Useless Under (and Over) the Influence.


Subject J: Asa Shigure
The seeming odd character out of the group, showing strong signs of sanity, including logical reason, common sense, and a lack of a need to strip, kill, drink, copy Nagato, have a harem, be gar for Rin, or make funny faces.
Verdict: Innocent

---

...in the end, I'm not sure quite where this blog post was going. I was watching Shuf!Memo 12 and basically was contemplating just how insane every character was (due to their personalities getting dragged to the deep end), with the exception of Asa, and as such, an insanity check medical report blog post ensued. I can almost see where the Asa fanboys come by now - I used to not really like Asa too much but I seem to find that sanity just might be a good trait in people.

This episode actually was a pretty amusing one, though, once you get past all the fanservice. The plot was funny, it was hilarious to see all the characters be really insane (especially Kaede's segment. I was waiting for her to scream, "Heeeeeeere's Johnny!") as well.


...but what's with Mobius being in the god world? (Hint: play Sonic Boom.)

-CCY

Separated at Birth: The sky and the AIR

Another new miniseries here, dealing with something that seems to be far too common among the anime community, and that is comparisons. Why isn't Series X more like Y? Series Z is such a rip off of series S. Series W set the bar, and A, B, and C don't come close to matching the original. Feel free to fill in the blanks.

Now, the question here is: are those comparisons justified? Are the claims of copying fact or fiction? It's time to put that to the test.

First up to the line is a pair of series that at least to me seem rather similar, and maybe justifiably so - the story of sola was written by Naoki Hisaya, a man who worked on Kanon as well, so there certainly is reason for a lot of Key-sounding stuff to happen. But, AIR and Kanon are pretty dissimilar on their own, so that shouldn't be a reason for too many similarities.

But you never know. There are many things which sola and AIR have in common. You might be surprised. (By the way, huge ending spoilers and whatnot for sola and AIR after the jump)


The character list, to go with the objective first, reads out suprisingly the same. For essentially harem-esque shows (although they don't act like 95% of harem shows), the cast is suprisingly small. The harem consists of three core characters in each: AIR has Misuzu, Minagi, and Kano, while sola's consists of Matsuri, Aono, and Mana. I use the word harem very loosely in this sense, which I'll touch on later. The main character is also one of the few males in the series: Both Yukito (AIR) and Yorito (sola) lack the typical Harem Runner Up Guy (y'know, the pathetic one), not to mention a lack of male characters even in the background, really.

The side characters, though, are a bit different, as sola has a bonus loli (Koyori and Mayuko to AIR's Michiru) and a second guy in the story, Takeshi. AIR has adults (Kana's older sister and Misuzu's mother), which really barely exist at all in sola, which is sort of creepy.

So in the casting department there are striking similarities but overall enough differences to make the two quite separable.

And for being eroge/harem anime (the 'heavy harem' genre I discussed earlier) with romantic touches, there's a lack of lovey-dovey in the anime, with no real confessions in either of the two. (No, Mana's at the end of sola doesn't count) It's part of a trend, or so it seems, in a lot of these anime that romance is implied rather than explicitly stated - and I like this style a lot more. I don't mind missing the full body blushes, sparkles, flowers, and romantic violin music. sola, still, has the edge over AIR here, as the relationship between Mayuko and Takeshi, as well as Matsuri planting two kisses on Yorito, is a thousand times more than AIR ever had...I think, one moment, where Yukito notices he always just wanted to be with Misuzu.

The main girls in the story share some commonalities, as neither Misuzu nor Matsuri are anywhere close to normal. Both are in a sense 'cursed', and not allowed to build close relationships with people. Yet despite it all both have very friendly personalities, and almost a sense of naivety, since both lack experience in the world, since neither really can go out and explore on their own (whether it be Matsuri's weakness to sunlight or Misuzu's weakness in general).

Oh, and they both die, which kind of sucks.

The lead males are much like the lead females, in that there's some underlying similarities between the two. Their personalities feel very different - Yorito is portrayed more of a quitter (oh no, I'm made of paper, I'm going to go get myself stabbed by Matsuri now kthx) and not quite the ideal lead male in general, as opposed to Yukito, who is a sharp, self-sufficient guy, if not a bit of a loner. But what's interesting is that these two are different than most harem lead males, who usually are just outside observers to the sad tales of many girls. No, these two actually have a lot of weird stuff happen to them. Yorito happens to be a paper golem. Yukito turns into a crow. That's not what we call 'ordinary', and as such this makes these two quite distinctive, as neither of them are in human form at the end of the story (so far as we know).

The endings are of similar feel, to continue on that tangent. It's a bittersweet ending of sorts, the type to maybe make you cry, but at the end of it all the story really wants to end on a happy note despite all the sadness. In both the lead male and lead female are technically nonexistent (Misuzu, Yorito and Matsuri die, supposedly, while Yukito gets turned into a crow), but the side characters, if they can be called that, move on from their ties to the deceased and vow to live a happy, independent life. Both have a sense of 'reincarnation' or continuation to it, as Yukito's search for the 'girl in the sky' continues in crow form in AIR, while in sola Mana takes up the hobby that Yorito loved, and perhaps Aono as well. It shows that while the characters they cared for might not physically be the same anymore, their impact is still felt, and they certainly did have an existence in that world.

One might get a different taste in their mouth from each ending, as sola's ending has been criticized (rightfully) for being a bit abrupt, and AIR's is definitely more of a tearjerker (Misuzu's death walk...), but if one analyzes the endings a bit a lot of similarities can be discovered.

OK, so there are similarities between the two. So what? Some are deep similarities while others are less important. Everything has similarities. What about the differences?

Certainly sola has much, much more conflicts than AIR. With the presence of Takeshi, an Evil Type Guy unmatched in AIR, there is plenty of fighting between him and Matsuri, and later on between Matsuri and Aono. sola definitely does have a lot of action in it, as opposed to AIR, where any conflicts are against invisible forces - Misuzu's impending death, Kano's...trance...thing that makes her want to cut herself (or whatever it was - to be honest it's been a year since I watched AIR), Michiru's essential lack of existence. sola's conflicts are very real and very physical in comparison.

In a lighter sense, but perhaps more important to many, the moe content of both series is different. sola doesn't really deal moe in spades like most Key series do. Rather, most of sola is based on drama and action, with the moe scenes almost sprinkled in superfluously (Aono's dress up, Matsuri vs. the vending machine, Koyori head chop action). Technically, you could take it out and sola would still run. AIR is somewhat the same in that it can function without all the moe in it, but there definitely is more raw adorability (you'd be surprised what the odd shiny-look or gao~ can do for that), especially in some of the character-to-character interaction compared to sola. Kanna, Michiru, and Misuzu (plus her mother) all rank in high on that regard.

To be honest AIR is still pretty low on the overall 'so moe I'm gonna die' scale, especially compared to relatives like Kanon and other KyoAni works, but that's not entirely a bad thing, either. Too much of a good thing is, y'know, bad.

The presentation and pace of the two anime is a bit different, to me at least. While both are pretty slow through the first episodes and only kick in about halfway, sola feels a lot faster and feels a lot more breakneck with the plot twists. To use a bad analogy, AIR is like a luxury car while sola is like a sports car. Both can go fast but one's designed to keep you on the edge of your seat and give your whiplash. And that one's sola. sola hates you. It wants to shock you, end on cliffhangers and stuff, while AIR seems a bit nicer in that regard. To be honest, AIR did have that one moment where it kicked you back 1000 years at the end of the episode into the Summer arc, but other than that the major developments I believe were usually in the middle of the episode.

But to be honest, the one comparison that's really striking more than anything else is that of the theme of the story. Of course the idea is very much the same, what with 'sola' meaning 'sky' (among other things), but I think the underlying meaning is quite similar as well. Both main characters have a fascination with the sky, mainly because it represents something beautiful and appealing, yet something so untouchable. Misuzu isn't about to grow wings and fly high in the sky like she wants, and Matsuri isn't about to suddenly grow tolerance for sunlight. So both of their dreams to be either flying in or standing under a blue sky aren't about to happen. Both of the stories deal with hardships like this, the inevitability of things. One day Misuzu's going to die. One day Aono and Yorito are going to have to face the truth.

In both series, people become aware that time moves in one direction, forward, and they have to deal with getting over the past, and moving on to the future, becoming their own person through that discovery. It's not like other series, where everything magically works out. There are miracles, but they don't come cheap.

This sort of thing is what really draws me to compare the two series together, that makes certain events in sola give off a taste of AIR. And the two, despite their differences, really are quite similar, undoubtedly. But neither is directly a copy of the other in the sense that a casual viewer can look at the show and say, "This is just like X." It's more subtle, deep similarities in addition to the obvious ones. I think the way these two are related are in more of a "If you like X, then you'll like Y a lot as well" manner.

Which isn't all too bad in itself.

-CCY

Bookmaking: Doujin Work

Doujin Work is one of seemingly plenty anime now that are based on 4-panel comic strips. True to title, it's an anime that deals with the messy world of doujinshi - and this series doesn't shy away from the dirtier (yes, in that sense) aspects of it as well.

Defining aspects include:
- The awesomely named main heroine Osana Najimi (put it together and you have Japanese for 'childhood friend'), who like many people has a fixation on getting rich quick.
- More interestingly named side casts, like Justice and his...maid-loli-esque-thing Sola/Sora.
- A typical 4-panel animation style with background people being faceless blobs.
- Short, 15 minute episodes - supposedly because the other half of the episode is live-action stuff, similar to the first few episodes of Da Capo.
- Dirty jokes and doujin.

Thoughts and bets after the jump.

In case you're not familiar with doujinshi, it's basically the Japanese equivalent, I suppose, of fan comics. Doujins are material that Doujin Work is one of seemingly plenty anime now that are based on 4-panel comic strips. True to title, it's an anime that deals with the messy world of doujinshi - and this series doesn't shy away from the dirtier (yes, in that sense) aspects of it as well.

So of course, an official anime that deals with unofficial manga based on anime is quite interesting. Being a 4-panel it's pretty light and funny stuff, although the material may seem a bit awkward to some. But as long as you're not too offended by dirty stuff, then this isn't too bad. It's all implied anyway, and a good test of the purity of your mind.

The humor is also hilariously ironic in a sense as well, in that a high school girl (which I'm spotting the age of Tsuyuri, Osana's friend) is drawing hentai doujinshi about...schoolgirls. (The title's "Bloomers Mandatory")

Osana's also an amusing but probably ill-fated character who I can sympathize with in her need to get rich quick. Being a school student in search of a job in order to make anime fanboying ends meet, I can probably say that Osana will suffer the usual fate of being perhaps a little too desparate for money - while I haven't quite gone to the extreme of selling doujins, I can say that yeah, maybe not every job is worth taking. It will be interesting to see, as the second episode screencaps show, just how Osana gets...acquaintated with the material.

And from there there's not too much else to say about 4-panel anime, as they really have no sense of direction usually, focusing mainly on quick gags and episode-long (if that) stories.

Coherent Plot - 5:1 odds on 'Yes'
But I'd still bank towards this story having at least something stringing it together. Osana's quest for money through doujinshi looks to evolve over the course of the series, and her past ties with Justice look like something that could be explored upon, in addition to the discovery of just who the freaking heck is Sola. Of course the plot isn't going to get too serious or anything silly like that, but there probably will be a bit of direction to this anime.

Osana's Success - 4:1 odds on 'No way in hell'
As for the plot itself, Osana's adventure is shaped to be rather ill-fated, as would be for any person who charges foolishly into action. Maybe it's a bit too sitcom-ish but this is screaming "hey, let's learn life lessons" in a comical manner.

Relevancy of the OP - 3:1 odds on 'Appears in doujins'
Maybe it's just me but I'm interested in seeing some of the scenes from the intro expanded on, such as Giant Justice with Eyebeeeeemus. That would make for some entertaining episodes, if some of the doujins were shown in animated format. Or at the least, the still frame manga format shown at the end of episode 1.

Tsuyuri's State of Mind - 5:1 odds on 'Relatively sane'
It's just the eroge anime background of mine that wants to see Tsuyuri have some hidden background. Like, her perverted doujins are representative of a dirty past of hers (hello, Tsukihime) or a sexual outlet for her ("why can't I ever be raped by tentacle monsters in my P.E. outfit in the gym room while the class watches"). But as usual this ends up in a 'yeah...but no.' situation. Tsuyuri probably just has weird tastes, like white guys like me who really like watching shoujo stuff like Cardcaptor Sakura.

That Weird Animated Underwear - 4:1 odds on 'Never explained'
Seriously. Am I the only one that noticed that weird thing on Tsuyuri's beret thing and in the ED sequence? It's disturbing. But it's seems to be your usual 'random thing that's alive that shouldn't be that is just there to add cute value'...or something. Although, maybe I'm not the only one not into dancing pantsu.

Maybe, Tsuyuri's being mind controlled by Magical Pantsu. PLOT GET.

OP Sequence Music - 2:1 odds on 'Awesome guitar-ness'
Well, it is. The animation itself is a bit ordinary and plain, with a few neat sequences (Epic Pencil Grab, Giant Justice, etc) but I really think the music's not too bad. It's a bit disconnected, the vocals could be better but the guitar is pretty nifty, especially in the next episode preview thing.

Amusing Perverted Joke Count Over/Under - 9000, Over
lol I so funny. But really, I wouldn't mind if they keep up the gags like the Tsuyuri's conversation on the train (a bit predictable, but Osana's "YURI JA NAI!" at the end really clinched it) and the overall awkwardness of "What the hell are you drawing, Tsuyuri". I'd prefer it a bit on the subtle side (not like 'hay look sex jokes lol'), but the way it's going is good.

Halo Character - 3:1 odds on Tsuyuri
Tsuyuri really looks to carry the show, much like how many people think Konata does for Lucky Star. She looks strange doing what she does, but she's passionate in what she does (the shiny scenes border on amusing and adorable). Her field of study is also amusingly awkward for...well...a high-school girl (as noted above). And Tsuyuri tilts a bit toward the quiet girl side. Even if they talk quietly, I suppose it counts, because I like it. So my vote's on Tsuyuri for awesome. Justice has potential as well, though. (male meganekko? so be it...)

-CCY

Decompression: sola

As of about fifteen minutes ago sola has been completed, and it really was a ride.

sola is an interesting series. When I first watched it I found it was best described as 'Kanon Lite', which is close to the mark but not quite. It is very similar to another Key work, AIR, in both story and thematic elements, but there are many things that make it stand apart - in both good and bad ways.

sola starts off quite strong - for one, it was a series whose first episode I enjoyed (as opposed to say, Haruhi, Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, Shuffle!, and so forth) - but it is true that it does stumble a lot in the middle, but in the end the conclusion was fulfilling and it really could have been done a lot worse in the end.

There are flaws for sure in sola if you look closely - some of the characters are paper thin, there are continuity errors on occasion and more than a few uses of epic hax. sola definitely feels more of a work of fiction as such than a real, believable environment, but it still has merit as such.

In the end it's not so much a Kanon Lite as one would believe, and sola does do a decent job of standing on it's own. I give sola a recommendation to anyone who still does like the genre of mysterious, visual novel type things, with a request to not be too picky.

Preliminary other final thoughts and stuff after the jump.


I say the genre of visual novel type things because sola really feels like it sort of does evade classification at times. sola does have romance aspects in it, as Matsuri, Aono, and Mana all seem to like Yorito in some regard, but the whole confession thing is never really dealt with in depth, nor any other typical love aspects. And although Yorito technically has 3 girls pining after him - and the fact that there's NO OTHER GUY HIS AGE in the story at all - it's not really a harem type either. Indeed, most of the problems within the show deal with conflicts between the girls over their own issues (not directly Yorito) or Yorito's discovery of his true self.

I suppose I should label this type of stuff the 'heavy harem' genre, as most visual-novel-ish material of this type tend to have very serious stories with plenty of twists and tearjerking moments despite the fine array of cute girls.

What stands sola apart from a lot of other shows in this genre, as such, for one, is its amount of contempt for the viewer. While plot twists certainly are common, in a sense, to this genre, sola seem to do them with a malicious grin on its face. For example, shows like Kanon tend to draw out their plot twists, hint at them, and then, when they finally hit, resolve them in a quick manner (think Sayuri in episode 14). sola likes to throw plot twists at you and then cut to black.

Hey look, Matsuri got stabbed! Find out next week.
Hey look, Matsuri wants to know how to stab people! Find out next week.
Hey look, Matsuri's about to stab Aono! Find out next week.
Hey look, Matsuri stabbed herself! Find out next week.
I mean, seriously.

sola isn't really a detail-orientated anime like Kanon is either. While Kanon drops little cameos, hints, and plot-related foreshadowing into its scenes to make things very fluid and continuous, sola contains quite a few errors and just plain stupid actions. For example, Yorito jumping off his bike and beginning to run in the rain to chase after Matsuri. Yorito jumping in the way of Matsuri's (and Takeshi's) sword.

Many actions in sola seem as such, to form a dramatic and stunning reaction, but not always a believable one. Aono and Matsuri's conflicts start tame, and quickly grow ridiculous. How did Aono create 2 paper dolls when creating just Yorito drained her? What's with all the paper hax that she uses? What's the point of the two killing each other when they can just regenerate?

And, of course, the legendary 5-second tower-jump of Takeshi in his Epic Battle.

It really does look cool and keep the audience on the edge of its seat, but it's rather silly.

But, sola is not Kanon. Dot. Period. It's silly for me to keep saying "Well, Kanon does this" and "AIR does that". sola is its own show, and its choices may be awkward, but it also may be a shot at something fresh in the genre. And in the big scheme of things what makes the ridiculousness in sola any less ridiculous than any other ridiculousness that shall remain unspoiled? Maybe a bit of explaining, that's all. And in a 13-episode series, I suppose some things have to be taken for granted.

Anyway, enough ranting on what sola is and isn't, and more of an in depth view of sola itself. What's impressive about sola is that it has a wide range of interesting characters. The side characters, especially, are far more awesome than side characters should be.

The Ishizuki sisters, Koyori and Mana, play a large role in trying to right and figure out the Morimiyas (Yorito and Aono), and somehow these two come off as the most deep and appealing characters. Perhaps it's the fault of her being a Nayuki type, but Mana really does reach out and touch some heartstrings. She is always locked out of the loop and yet she solders on with a smile. Even in a fourth wall sense, Mana gets shafted. After her meeting with Yorito at sunset in episode 11, I was sure that wasn't the end for Mana and Yorito. In the end she didn't really even get a true confession off or anything, but I thought we got an excellent alternate ending for Mana with her carrying on (without knowing) Yorito's passion of watching the sky.

This also ties in with one of the themes of the show of existence. Matsuri grapples with it a lot - she knows she can't be with people too long. Yorito's not a real person at all, and often wonders, in his emo fashion, is he really important to the world - he exists physically, but does he leave a mark? The last episode goes a long way to fulfilling this theme, to show that although Matsuri and Yorito have left this world (presumably), both of theme still live on, in a sense. Whether it be the tomato shiruko cans on the bench, Mana's newfound passion for the sky, or Aono's running kick into the soda machine, the two definitely affected somebody on that earth. And isn't that what matters?

Right - side characters. Koyori is your typical goddamn adorable loli type, and she does a very excellent job in being cute and getting headchopped (wai for...Mana?). Her ability to affect Aono, and yet her devout attachment to Aono (again, Episode 11) is very interesting, and Koyori is very much a believable personality.

The almost comic relationship between Takeshi and Mayuko is interesting as well. It was nice to see that there really was no Big Bad Guy in sola, that they all had a story behind them instead of a flat personality.

And as for Sae, yeah, she's awesome. Amusingly slow speech, dim-witted, prone to Kareha-style dreaminess, and oh yes, the megane. Some may think she's annoying but I think she adds a lot to the lighter sequences of sola.

The main trio in sola is a bit more hit-or-miss. All of them tend to act extremely irrationally - throwing themselves into swords, throwing swords into other people, and whatnot. I'll look over that if only because things aren't always meant to be, well, rational and sense-making. However, the one thing that really annoys me about the three is that they are very much quick to change personalities. It feels like most of them have just a switch they flick, to go to, as I've heard them called for example, Yuki-Aono to Kaede-Aono.

Perhaps it's the fault of the 13 episode series but it seems that the three of them, Yorito, Aono, and Matsuri just cope with things too quickly. Sister's a Yaka? No problem. Made out of paper? Sure, why not. Everyone you know and/or loved has died to turn you back into a human? A-OK!

Seriously, I'm not sure what they could have done to rectify this in the time they had - as removing some of the lighter scenes early on would really destroy a large part of sola (it can't be all action all the time) - but even a few short scenes could help.

Aono could have used some more development, as well. She spends so much time playing Quiet Girl in the early episodes that her Tragic villain role later on is...a bit forced. I got by it mainly because of my addiction to 1) Quiet Girls and 2) Kaede-types but I think the sort of pity appeal that Aono was supposed to get across didn't work that well. All we had on her to go by before she went all possessive was Origami With Koyori (coming to a TV near you?) and that one date scene with Yorito. She came off as more of a villain than Takeshi in the end of it all - and it shows by all the contempt she recieved from blogs and forums (again, base mark: Animesuki).

Yorito has often been criticized as a paper-thin character, which is deliciously ironic given his true nature. It's true that he's not going to stand up there with pretty much any decent lead male; he's not much of anything to be honest. Most of the stuff happens around him, and the decisions he makes (going with Matsuri's plan to stab Aono or whatever) are often shown off-camera, so you don't see a lot of Yorito. Yorito doesn't have a lot of redeeming characteristics than meets the eye, and his obsession with the sky...kind of comes off like that. But on the converse, he's not a horrible lead by any case (hello, Makoto of School Days). Overall, I guess he's kind of forgettable.

Matsuri...well, I'm not sure. I don't have any large complaints at the moment, and yet I'm not ready to gush approval as well. She has memorable moments, at least, unlike Yorito - the little things like the numerous Matsuri Versus Machine battles, or one of the twenty times she tries to run away from Yorito - but in the end, even she doesn't really have, well, conclusion. Aono has conclusion. Koyori has conclusion. Mana has 'conclusion'. Yorito dies. Matsuri stabs herself, stabs Aono, sees the sunset, and fades out into the eyecatch. I wouldn't mind the traditional Sparkly Dissapear even. Maybe they just want to keep some hope that Matsuri still lives, somewhere. Although that's silly.

That's all the thoughts I can dig up on sola for now, another post on sola will follow in the next week or so.

-CCY