densuke

A "has anybody seen [i]x[/i]" thread has a pretty short lifespan around here, and with good reason... Anyway, Comipa has a lot of things going for it. To me this is hardly a new title - I've seen it twice, the first time in 2001 when it was fansubbed. Here are some handy facts: [b]Comic Party[/b] 13 Episode TV series Air Dates: 4/2/2001 to 6/25/2001 Production: Aquaplus/KSS Based on Leaf ero-game (1999), Dreamcast game The TV series is just now being released by Rightstuf. There is also a 4-part short-episode Special and a new OAV just coming out this year. All of these could conceivably be discussed in this thread. Comipa and its predecessor To Heart (from the same team) express the [i]environment[/i] of the story rather than focusing on romantic situations. In this way, they dish out big helpings of the kind of feel-good which has little to do with hormonal urges. Kazuki (male lead) and Mizuki, who are neighbors and high-school classmates, are awkwardly sorting out a best-friends-growing-up situation. There are other female characters on hand - in the game they, like Mizuki, are potential girlfriends. The world of DIY manga publishing is the show's ostensible subject. Kazuki's talent for drawing leads him into this world as a reluctant and ignorant newcomer. Early in the series he realizes that manga is a possible means of self-expression for him. The viewer learns right along with Kazuki about what it takes to self-produce a worthwhile manga. Rewatching the series I discovered that [b]Comic Party is really about the [i]sempai-kouhai[/i] relationship[/b]. Kazuki is soon surrounded by patient and caring friends and acquaintances who have experience in the manga world. They support him in creating and producing manga and keeping the rest of his life on track, allowing him to learn from his own mistakes but stepping in when he really needs a hand. This friendship and support and the way the anime depicts them make the show very charming and memorable. If this thread were allowed to live, interesting topics might be:[list][size=2]A comparison of Comic Party anime with the Comic Party games[/size] [*][size=2]A comparison of Comic Party with other game-based anime (such as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien)[/size] [*][size=2]Comparison of the TV series with the new OAV, which has different production qualities[/size] [*][size=2]Anime/manga or fandom as a subject of anime or manga; the way fans are portrayed in such works[/size][/list]

I found episode 4 of this series to be a bit unsettling. Not only is there a very disturbed character acting in the shadows (and I hope the show is not going to go into the motivations of people like that - it wouldn't suit this particular show) but I also feel after watching the family's behavior around Yuzuyu that they lack sense or compassion or both. The whole setup of assigning Kippei responsibility for Yuzuyu lacks something. Kippei obviously doesn't know enough about children to do a proper job of it. It's one thing to have him take on some of the tasks like bring the girl to school but the rest of the family seems to be washing their hands of the entire matter. Kippei was begging for advice in episode 4 from his sister, who seems rather selfish. She doesn't seem to know anything about children, which indicates that she didn't see fit to have anything to do with Kippei when he was younger. Also, noone in the family has been shown to touch or even speak to Yuzuyu in any way, except the sister in episode 4. I can't consider such aloof behavior as mentally healthy. It's no wonder Yuzuyu is susceptible to suggestions from strangers. I hope these attitudes and behaviors will be addressed in future episodes.

As far as "innovative" - I tend to value storytelling over anything in the content. [b]Omishi Magical Theater - Risky & Safety[/b] impressed me with separate episodes based on silent movies (nice way to introduce a one-shot character without having to get a voice actor), [i]kamishibai[/i] and musicals. In [b]Martian Successor Nadesico[/b], a parody of mecha anime called Gekiganger ran riot through the whole series - a recap episode is presented in the form of the characters from the Gekiganger show reminiscing about previous scenes from Nadesico. The Gekiganger motif, or the show itself, or the idea of being a Gekiganger fan are used numerous times, often to hilarious effect. I have never seen parody used so deeply in any other series.

[b]Melody of Oblivion[/b] (Boukyaku no Senritsu)(2004) # of Episodes: 24 Production: JC Staff SYNOPSIS: A boy named Bocca comes of age in a world where humans live under the heels of monsters. Adults live as quislings, sacrificing their children for the sake of comfort and peace. Unlike most people Bocca, who is fascinated with archery, makes contact with those humans who would resist being dominated. As the series begins he must decide which side he stands on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am not sure if this series interests me [i]despite[/i] or [i]because of[/i] the fact that it comes off as so damn pretentious (probably the latter). Although the first episode gave a clear idea of what was going on as far as the "story," the series seems to have more in store for Bocca and the viewer than a simple monster-of-the-week scenario. The combat scenes remind me of the duels in [b]Shoujo Kakumei Utena[/b]. The show also shares with Utena a certain mood. Some of the scenes, such as the sacrifices, paid off well, but have an alienated or symbolic quality to them - some of the punch they pack is not in what is shown but in what is suggested.

[b]Futari wa Pretty Cure[/b] (2004) # of Episodes: unknown Production: ABC, Asatsu DK, Toei Genre: Mahou Shoujo Nagisa Misumi (misumi means "beautiful black ink" - nobody really has that for a last name, I bet) and Honoka Yukishiro ("white snow" - ditto) are middle-school classmates but not friends. Nagisa is more or less a "jock" and Honoka is more or less a "nerd." For no apparent reason the "powers of Pretty Cure" are bestowed upon these girls by a pair of talking cell phones/blobby cutesy mascots (hey, sounds silly but it makes a [i]great marketing gimmick[/i]). The girls reluctantly go along with the deal, which includes defending the cell phones from the dastardly Pisard, who looks like a refugee from a visual-kei band. The show has some nice character designs and a bit of catchy music. It is also good-natured and sticks to important mahou shoujo basics. A couple of points worth discussing might be: [list][size=2]Nagisa and Honoka - as separate characters or as a team[/size] [*][size=2]Are romantic entanglements in store for the girls? Nagisa's got her eye on a boy...[/size] [*][size=2]The "guilty pleasure" of watching mahou shoujo series[/size][/list]

[quote name='MamoruAlpha']I also have the first volume of the Twelve Kingdoms. It's ok, but it seem to be way too much like Fushigi Yuugi.[/quote]Having seen all of both series I can easily point out differences. The Chinese setting of Fushigi Yuugi is only window-dressing in many ways - it represents Miaka's wish to flee the pressures of home. The heart of Fushigi Yuugi is friendship and romance, which are traditional concerns in shoujo manga. The character development in Fushigi Yuugi is played out in terms of the Chinese story but only in a symbolic way - after all, if Miaka had stayed home and faced her problems she would have matured all the same. Juuni Kokki concerns a real alternate world. This world is governed by traditional [i]Confucian[/i] virtues. Within Confucianism love and friendship are not nearly as important as duty and a very broad sense of justice. Yuka, Asano, and Youko must adapt to the new value system in order to survive. Explaining much more would involve revealing too much of either series.

[b]Requiem from the Darkness[/b] was announced as licensed by [b]Geneon[/b]. (The original title is Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatori; fansub groups renamed it Hundred Stories.) The series is basically an omnibus of horror stories set in 19th century Japan. It is very violent and a bit earthier than other Gothic series like Shingetsutan Tsukihime or Vampire Princess Miyu, but no less stylish in its own way. I can't recall another series which went so far in incorporating Expressionism into its backgrounds and even some of the character designs. Many short series are just chiselled-off hunks of longer stories, but Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatori is perfectly suited to the 13 episodes alloted it. The main characters are suggestively shaded rather than directly illuminated. This suits the mood of the show and allows the horror stories room in the foreground. I suspect that this is not a high-budget series, but given how the voice acting, music and visuals combine to support the storytelling I am all the more impressed.

Juuni Kokki was extensively adapted from a series of novels which mimic Chinese epic fiction. The major change was to bring the initial story and its characters to the forefront. The series took on more of the scope of the novels in later episodes; higher-level production and broadcasting people became so unhappy that production was halted. Considering Juuni Kokki as something like Condor Hero might put a different perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of the series. It's a bit different from Condor Hero in that it interprets events and people in a broad Confucian context rather than a somewhat more personal framework of martial arts and Buddhism. In both series the action is filtered and flattened out, but there is a correspondingly broad scope to the events in the stories. The first few characters change an awful lot but it takes time. The first 20 episodes constitute 2 story arcs covering the way Yuka, Asano, and Youko adapt to the promises and perils of their new surroundings. They are not very likeable at first, but they are being weighed on a scale that doesn't measure "cute" or "tries hard to get along."

[quote name='ElrickOtaku']I agree though, that this series was more than a little eclipsed by Evangelion; but I find that while that series is good - it has been more than a little overrated. Nadesico is in a few places far more tragic and dramatic than Evangelion was. It also was by default far funnier and just generally a nicer series, with a wide variety of characters "with slight personality defects", and a superb storyline and let's not forget a great anime-within-an-anime; Gekigengar III.[/quote] Well, Nadesico is your favorite and all, I'm not gonna argue relative merits here. I wasn't going there in the earlier post either. What I mean is that Evangelion ate up a lot of attention and still does. A lot of that is down to GAINAX, which has worked tirelessly to keep Evangelion in the public eye, and ADV, which is all too happy to import the GAINAX repackages and cash in. I think the Evangelion hype has led people to claim it is overrated and so on. Anyway I don't see Nadesico getting the same attention, but none of the older series really do. I think the Nadesico movie kind of throws up a wall too. It's an interesting feature but a some people can't get a grip on what happened in between the end of the TV series and the beginning of the movie. All of that was covered in a Japanese game (I can't say I know much about the game but I think the movie summarizes everything pretty well). I am always surprised that people charge in and watch movies for series they have not seen, as if they could just get a nice 60- to 90-minute blast of what a series is all about; it never works. I never see distributors warn people that they are going to be wasting their time, though... Anyway, POD's mood is very different from that of the series (less humor, less anime-fan type stuff) and of course there is not much time for the huge cast (not that the movie does a bad job). Some of the main characters are different (no point throwing in names and maybe spoiling things) and so on. So if anyone does stumble across the movie first they are not necessarily going to get drawn into the series. [b]BTW[/b] a fansub group called Hero-Legends is bringing out the original [b]Getter Robo[/b], a very old sentai mecha series which the Nadesico production team obviously loved and which got mixed into Gekiganger. The first episode is available on BT right now for those interested.

I can say that [i]I know somebody[/i] whose favorite series is Nadesico. I love the show too; it's not like it isn't one of my favorites, it's just that my top 5 series are all obscure junk. I have watched the entire series 2 or 3 times and I am sure I will watch it again. But Nadesico truly never got the love it might have commanded in a kinder world. It got a better reception in Japan than in the US, from what I gather. One reason is the frenzy over Evangelion, which also came out in 1996. And just like most series which have long been licensed, this one is becoming less well-known over time (Evangelion is an exception - it has been endlessly flogged and repackaged here and in Japan). Regardless of how high it is ranked by general viewers, this is a must-see series for anyone with ambitions to be a serious anime fan. The show itself is a love feast for anime and its fans, as expressed by the amazing series-within-a-series, "Gekiganger". "Gekiganger" (a tribute/takeoff on sentai mecha series like Getter Robo and Mazinger Z) spreads out like a virus from a single host and infects the entire crew of the Nadesico; even the show itself shows odd symptoms at times. The Nadesico series is a composite of older important anime series like Space Battleship Yamato and Irresponsible Captain Tylor. The success of Nadesico shows how creativity is different from originality and is in many ways much more important. The story is sweeping and believable, ranging from triumph to tragedy and spanning worlds. Romance, action, comedy, mystery and suspense get their due. One episode pays tribute to an well-known American naval thriller. One of Nadesico's abiding strengths is its love for and skillful handling of its characters. By the end of the series the viewer is left with the feeling of having gotten to know the crew of a huge spaceship, almost of having lived and served with them. The character designs (by Keiji Goto of GONZO) are attractive and expressive. The mecha designs are exciting and realistic. The animation is adequate. The voice acting is top-notch. The score is very good and supports a wide range of moods.

The ROD OAV is one of those OAVs which make people think that [i]all[/i] OAVs are incredibly well-made, hehe (far from it actually). It's a great adaptation of a stinko manga. The plot is a little over-and-under (some of what is going on got left somewhere in the manga I think) but the show goes well enough from scene to scene and pays off very well in the finale. What struck me most about ROD is the style, which is derived from flashy 60s/70s nonsense like the early Bond films. The show is very well orchestrated and plays off its classy score for maximum impact. I think the style is big enough to support the loopy plot and variety of settings. Even better in many ways was the TV series ([b]R.O.D The TV[/b]), which is licensed and hopefully will be coming over this year. Based on but not limited by yet another lame manga, this series manages to update the OAV's style and cook up a story which more or less dovetails into the preceding events. It also introduces 4 new major characters (who are all simply fabulous!) and does a superb job of juggling its expanded cast. Best of all, it has 26 episodes to dish out the goodness. Admittedly the entire ouvre has a rather tentative grasp on plotting. The TV series climax is dramatic but unspectacular. However, in dealing with the "super-powered" characters both shows adopt the approach American comic books do - the powers doled out to the characters at the outset of the story are all they get, and they have to use their wits to get into a position to use them effectively. This approach gives the action sequences a more exciting feeling because there are no mystical rituals or kooky "getting in touch with your feelings" scenes which have to be gotten through. My eyes always glaze over at that sort of thing... All in all the OAV and TV series are top-quality work and really stand out as huge achievements of the last few years.

[quote name='Dagger IX1]Despite the fact that it'll probably make many people uncomfortable, [b]Koi Kaze[/b'] appears to be an interesting and well-executed show... I'm interested in learning what other people think about the show, especially considering its incestuous undertones and the unusual sensitivity with which the script treats its main characters.[/quote]I am enjoying this one. Koshiro and Nanoka are very likable and act like human beings. I think I can trust this show not to go... someplace I don't want to follow it. It's so much more... [i]grounded[/i] than Onegai Twins or Da Capo, for one thing. There is a certain sense of humor about it which defuses its own suggestivity. One important theme of the show is the lack of relatedness between brothers and sisters. Although the show takes it to extremes by separating Nanoka and Koshiro and then tossing them back together years later, I think it is trying to point out that males in Japanese households are rather spoiled and fail to show affection towards their sisters, while also demonstrating that the males suffer for this in various ways - such as the emotional numbness Koshiro lives in. I think people will probably get more plugged-in about the age difference than anything else. For younger people from certain cultures this subject matter might be a bit too sensitizing. But this show is not intended for them. It is broadcast very late at night. The manga is written for the [i]seinen[/i] (college-age and older males) market.

I'll go with the 3-volume OST for Tenshi ni Narumon! which contains light jazz, acoustic guitar, some light orchestral pieces and a few marvellous songs from COMA. Some pieces include nonsense words or "scat" vocals by COMA's singer (I can't make out what her name is), whose voice is not strong but candid and expressive. The overall mood is playful and sets off the deeper songs and tunes. My favorite song is the ballad "Mikan no Aburidashi" on Volume 2, which relates somehow to the tragedy of Eros and Muse in the anime.

I saw a few TV episodes and some Christmas thing. I thought the anime adaptation didn't add anything to the manga so I never went out of my way to see the anime after the TV eps. I have read pretty far into the manga and I will probably finish it one of these days. It's a cliche to say "oh, the manga is better" but when it comes to Takahashi's works there just doesn't seem to be anything special added in the anime. Of course a lot of the adaptations are pretty old, which can often mean goofy music and not much animation (the music in Ranma doesn't do anything for me). I liked the recent Rumic Theater with the short stories and Mermaid's Forest though. When it comes to the characters, I feel that all of them in their own way manage to wear out their welcome with me. It mainly has to do with how unbelievably long and simple the manga is. Shampoo stands out somehow. She seems to be fairly good-natured and straightforward in a cast of cranky schemers. She also comes across with a lot of sensuality.

[quote name='Shiguru']Those are classics and labeling those "Major Properties" is debatable. Sure Kia Asiyama did that well penciledm horribly penned "Child of Dreams" and Japan did do some TMNT manga a while back, but it's not animated to my knowledge.[/quote]I don't really understand what this is about. "Tom Sawyer" and the Alcott novels are certainly important to American literature. If it's about the fact that they are public domain, I can only say that if they weren't the series wouldn't have been made at all. I am sure that too high a price tag on Hellboy will prevent Hellboy from being made in Japan.

[quote name='MamoruAlpha']Blood was... the dumbest thing I.G. ever did!... I won't be foolish enough to buy their crap again![/quote]Hrm, I won't argue over your dislike of Blood or Kai Doh Maru, but I am not sure you would profitably extend your boycott to Ghost In The Shell: Standalone Complex, which has been fairly riveting for some 32 episodes now. Or Video Girl Ai for that matter...

[quote name='Shiguru']...nifty question: Can you name one AMERICAN comic or major property that was turned into an anime?[/quote]You just need one? [b]Tom Sawyer[/b] by Samuel Clemens AKA Mark Twain was animated as part of the Nippon Animation [i]World Masterpiece Theater[/i] titles in 1980. The series was 49 episodes long. Some other [i]World Masterpiece Theater[/i] adaptations of well-known American novels: [b]Little Women[/b] by Louisa May Alcott: 1987 (48 episodes) [b]Little Men[/b]: 1993 (40 episodes) There were a couple of others ([i]Pollyanna[/i] in 1986 and [i]Daddy Long-legs[/i] in 1990), which are perhaps debatable as "major properties."

I am not enamored of GONZO's output either. But one GONZO series which relates to this discussion is Kiddy Grade. KG was a bit uneven but finished strongly; what is more important is that it is more or less a superhero show. The characters possessed certain powers at the beginning of the series and more or less had to use the same powers at the end. This approach is different from the typical Japanese way, where characters must undergo some obscure ritual and tap into something unavailable at the outset of a scene or episode. Having seen this countless times I am used to it but I don't like it very much. In Kiddy Grade using the "comic-book style" made for strong and easy-to-understand action and made the ending dramatic. Given all this I would say that at least GONZO has a chance of properly interpreting the concept of a comic-book superhero. R.O.D: The TV by J.C STAFF is another anime adaptation of the super-hero idea. It also includes strong characterization and an ambitious (but loopy) plot (I think this is characteristic of their output). J.C STAFF is certainly big enough to handle this movie and also has some very good titles in their resume (Azumanga Daioh, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shoujo Kakumei Utena TV and Movie). They've done a [i]lot[/i] of mediocre stuff, too, but I will still "nominate" this studio.

Spring series available fansubbed that I am watching: [b]Hi no Tori[/b] - Epic fantasy [b]Kyou Kara Maou![/b] - Fantasy/comedy [b]Midori no Hibi[/b] - Comedy/romance [b]Mahou Shoujotai[/b] - Fantasy [b]Aishiteruze, Baby[/b] - Shoujo Here are some other series I am watching that are still being broadcast or fansubbed: [b]Mujin Wakusei Survive[/b] (Uninhabited Planet Survive) - all-ages adventure [b]Futatsu no Supikka[/b] (Twin Spica) - SF series [b]PLANETES[/b] - SF series [b]Gokusen[/b] - adapted from josei (women's) manga [b]Futari wa Pretty Cure[/b] - original mahou shoujo [b]Sakigake! Cromartie High[/b] - short-episode comedy [b]Konjiki no Gasshu Bell!![/b] - shounen fighting series [b]Sailor Moon Live Action[/b] - mahou shoujo classic in a new format [b]Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatori[/b] - horror/gothic [b]Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex[/b] - Shounen SF/action [b]licensed[/b] I think highly of most of these, esp. Kousetsu Hyaku Monogatori, PLANETES, Mujin Wakusei Survive and Hi no Tori.

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Okay... Kono Mini is now going straight to the bottom of the scrap pile. After the next few episodes are released, I doubt I'll feel even the slightest temptation to continue watching it. Has anyone else seen episode 2? I'm sorry, but that shower scene was utterly ridiculous. Naked girls getting touchy-feely with one another is all very well.... [i]if[/i] I'm in the mood for hentai. There is absolutely no way that this show could work as a sweet sci-fi romance; it has all of Chobits' flaws and none of its redeeming qualities. [/QUOTE] I myself am cutting it off at the knees right here (#2). This show obviously doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. Last episode it was a poorly-thought-out action series; now it's a harem anime? With a hint of incest on the side? It's probably not going to accomplish any of this, and I don't care to cheer it on anyway. The thing that bugged me the most was the poor flow of both episodes. There was no need to drag in so many characters right away (even if Hikari knows them all, I can't remember most of them). They need to [i]do something[/i] with the characters. And then they just tossed all these cute little scenes around. The shower scene just fell out of the sky for the sake of showing breasts. Nothing paid off - even the bit about "Hikari is Hikari" fell flat because there was no buildup. [b]Shura no Toki[/b] looks like a run-of-the-mill feudal-era martial-arts thingy. A girl pretending to be a boy, taking the name Kishomaru and somehow being targeted by run-of-the-mill feudal-era martial-arts bad guys is most of the story. Some famous names are dropped but that kind of thing is lost on me. The visuals are not bad but not much is being put into the animation. I find the show tolerable. A short-episode series called [b]Dogtato-kun[/b] is whimsical and interesting; another short called [b]Panda Z[/b] is not. [b]Sensei no Ojikan[/b]'s second episode convinced me that the show is not going to do anything I want to see. I don't find it funny and don't care about the characters. I don't find anything attractive in the production either - the show seems cheaply made. Overall it reminds me of Momoiro Sisters, except that that show's episodes are mercifully much shorter and Momoko (the younger sister) is a half-decent character. Even given the cheapness and low-level (well, gutter-level) humor, a little attention to pacing and the guts of the scenes would really help out. But the writers can't manage to pay off what they set up. As for the comparisons with Azumanga Daioh, I watched the first couple of episodes just to see if it was slow starting off like this series seemed to be. From the second episode on I was enjoying myself so much that I wound up watching the entire series all over again. Frankly it kicks Sensei no Ojikan into a corner and then [b]beats it with a lunch tray[/b]... while I watch laughing hysterically... [b]Madlax[/b], on the other hand, came up with a very good story for episode 3 and seems to be promising something further along, which would have something to do with Margaret, a new character introduced in the cryptic and somewhat frustrating second episode. At this point the show feels a lot like Noir, and I for one say [i]it's about time[/i] someone did a proper rehash of Noir, even if it has to be Bee Train. [b]Midori no Hibi[/b] episode 3 was dreadful and really hard to watch. It featured huge naked breasts accompanied by Seiji's idiot older sister Rin and a drunken [i]onsen[/i] spree which didn't add anything to the story. Given that the anime adaptation doesn't cover everything in the manga, it is discouraging to see that this was considered important. Midori was thoroughly annoying in this episode; if I had been Seiji, I would have taken out a very sharp knife... I keep putting off watching [b]Monster[/b] for some reason... Scorecard: [color=green]Hi no Tori Kyou Kara Maou! Aishiteruze, Baby Melody of Oblivion Mahou Shoujotai Interlude Madlax Dogtato-kun Koi Kaze[/color] [color=orange]Shura no Toki Midori no Hibi Kenran Butou Sai[/color] [color=red]Phantom: the Animation Smash Hit Kono Mini Bakuretsu Tenshi Sensei no Ojikan Panda Z [/color]

Having seen the first 4 episodes, I am no less impressed now than I was when I saw the first one. The first story arc was concluded in a very satisfying manner. I really like the way the scope of the story was handled. There were quite a few battles and major events, but the story never got bogged down in them. On the other hand, the relationships were deftly rendered and provided solid payoffs and some great scenes.

[QUOTE=ScirosDarkblade]I've only watched the first DVD of this show so far. I am wondering whether you feel there's any closure at the end of the series. I don't mind if they leave some things unexplored as long as they don't linger in my mind (though they usually do, I guess). I like the music so far, except for that goddamn pocketwatch music. That stuff annoys the hell out of me. Hey, since everyone says it's a pretty simple anime, do there end up being many loopholes? If it's one thing I can't stand, it's mistakes in the plot.[/QUOTE] The series definitely has an end. A lot of business gets taken care of by then. I always liked the music-box styled theme (goes by the name of "melodie") because it signals business getting taken care of. I can't pinpoint any plot mistakes. I watch anime for the characters and scenes anyway, so I don't really share your concerns. It's kind of too bad that the topic includes questions about Noir as a first-time anime. It scatters the critical response to the series. I say no, it's not good for a first-time viewer - the show is too violent. It doesn't represent or take advantage of a broad range of what is possible in anime the way a Ghibli/Miyazaki movie does. People seem to find fault or favor with basically the same things about this series, which is a sign of this being a "love-or-hate" anime. I thought it was one of the stronger offerings of 2001. It is rather ambitious and pulls off most of what it sets out to do. To me the plot is just big enough to cover the 2-4 important characters while also creating a sense of scale. I like the way the show gives off an illusion of bigness and importance (by means of the worldwide locations and the "ancient tradition" of the Maidens with Black Hands) but revolves around Kirika and Mireille. I think the "big question" of the relationship between the two leads is handled very well and fits their characters. The characterization is rich and is given a lot of space in the series - which again points to the skillful use of a very small cast. The production values are impressive. There is a ritualistic use of the music and dialogue which supports the mood of the show - and mood is one of the show's strengths. Again, this seems to be a love-or-hate type of series but I think it has a lot to offer.

[b]Tenjou Tenge[/b] is so unpleasant that I couldn't be bothered to finish the first episode. Aya's voice was the prime offender, followed by her sister's bizarre morphing, the ridiculous gimmick for the whole show, the ridiculous premise for the first episode, the music and the looks of most of the male characters. The "in-your-face" fanservice (although there is a nominal martial-arts motif to the series, most of the "action" seems to involve female body parts) doesn't inspire anything within me either except the suspicion that this series will never come within an inch of telling a story. Tenjou Tenge is already licensed and will probably sell pretty well (the manga has a certain following). Scorecard: [color=green] Hi no Tori Kyou Kara Maou! Mahou Shoujotai Midori no Hibi Melody of Oblivion Aishiteruze, Baby Interlude[/color] [color=orange] Kenran Butou Sai Sensei no Ojikan Madlax Kono Mini[/color] [color=red] Phantom: the Animation Smash Hit Bakuretsu Tenshi Le Portrait de Petite Cossette Tenjou Tenge[/color]

I am glad the manga only had 4 volumes. I bought it all in Japanese around the time the 3rd volume came out and the anime was showing in Japan. For one thing, the 3 years of high school were covered and the manga had noplace left to go. For another, the tankubon were a bit pricey - $40 was plenty to spend for me. Most importantly Azuma had something else up his sleeve. The amazing Yotsubato! is the new project, scans for which are available on the web. Rewatching Azumanga Daioh, I remember that this was a must-see for me back when it was being fansubbed. Its lovable and/or unforgettable characters have quickly become icons among anime fans. Its distinctive visual style and expressive score will set this series apart from many others for a long time to come. The writing is very acute; although Azumanga Daioh is regarded primarily as a comedy, the series is packed with touching scenes. Many regard the series as plotless, but I consider the story arc regarding Sakaki and her quest for a cat of her own as being quite skillfully developed. Its slice-of-life approach will outlast many more heavily contrived titles.

I think Kippei and his relationship with Tokunaga are the keys to this series. Yuuzuru is cute and so on but I don't think that is such a hard thing to pull off. More importantly, this series has someplace to go with Kippei, which sets it above earlier shows using a similar "baby" or "kid" gimmick (Mama wa Shougaku Yonnensei, Aka-chan to Boku, Da! Da! Da!).