Tsunami.No.Anime

I spent my friday evening this week watching the highly rated anime Starship Operators. After watching all 13 episodes of the beautifully animated space opera, I’m still left with a burning question in my mind: was it worth it? Spoilers: If you like a character, they will die.

Starship Operators is the story of a crew of cadets on their final exam aboard the Kibi guard ship, Amateras. During the shakedown flight, their home-world is conquered by the Kingdom of the Planetary Alliance and they ordered to surrender the ship and disembark. Unwilling to do so, the crew of cadets decided to buy out the warship with aid from the Galactic News Network in exchange for the rights to air their battles and take on the kingdom themselves to free their world.

The animation in Starship Operators is absolutely amazing. A lot of detail and hard work went into making the show come out as superbly animated as it did. There is hardly a frame without an abundance of detail presented to you in the form of consoles, equipment, or warships. The CG of the show was seamlessly integrated into the traditional animation style to provide a true feeling of realism.

To add to this, the show utilizes even more realism in the form of real physics. Nearly all of the Amateras is under a zero-G environment except for a spinning section where the crew quarters are. This is the first anime with space ships that doesn’t have pseudo-artifical gravity throughout the ship. Weapons are made to follow physical rules as are the ships themselves. The ships maneuver as they would in a real space environment (i.e. no stopping on a dime or constant thrust = constant velocity). Surprisingly, when a ship explodes, there is no sound except for the admitted injection of a sound effect by the GNN producer.

The show also has some really great politics and strategy. From the get go, the crew is viewed as traitors by the Kibi government and also by the Kingdom. They bring on board the former prime minister of Kibi and declare themselves to be a government in exile in hopes that sympathetic nation planets will aid them. The politics play a major role in the end when several coup d’etats happen all at once and it gets a little confusing if you’re not used to such manipulation. The war strategy as well was pretty good. The executive officer, Shinon Kouzuki, makes nearly all the strategy decisions and usually through unconventional tactics that are impressive.

Unfortunately, the good of the show ends about there. While the characters of the show are very realistic in terms of their reactions to each other and to the situations they are in, they were also very shallow. At no point during the show was I able to connect to any one of the characters. The show didn’t allow for any character development outside of the transition from wishing they weren’t in a war to accepting their fight as it was. I was struck as how many characters (especially Shinon. See picture.) seemed artificial.The only characters the show let develop over the course of one or two episodes predictably ended up dying. The only character I ended up liking at all was the character of the crew as a whole.

The beginning of the show seemed to show off a lot of the strategy and tactics that, had they kept that approach, made the series look pretty awesome. But in the middle of the show, characters started to pair off in what seemed like forced relationships on the part of the writers. Injecting love stories, even if they are predictable for cadets, to add to the psychological make up of the crew, normally leads a series to pot really quick. Thankfully, they abandoned this line of story before the end and went back to strategy and politics. The ending of the show redeemed itself from the mess of forcing character development too late in the game.

Overall, Starship Operators was a very good war anime and a reallistic but botched character story. Had it picked one or the other it would have lived up to its expectations but it tried to be both and left me with a “meh” taste in my mouth. I appreciate the very realistic settings and reactions, but the relationships thing kinda killed the mood. For the great realism and strategy, Starship Operators gets a 3 out of 5 stars.

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Nyaa! Tsukuyomi is something that I originally watched as it was coming out last year but lost interest in about episode 8. Hounded by my brother to watch the dvd special episode 26, I drug the series back out and watched it from the beginning. I’m really glad I did because it ground my original feelings about the show into the dirt and made me appreciate neko mimi a whole lot more. Spoilers: Everyone ends up wearing cat ears at least once.

Tsukuyomi is about a photographer named Kouhei who, while on assignment in Germany, meets a vampire girl named Hazuki. Hazuki tricks him into letting her “kiss” him and become her servant. For some reason though, Kouhei is not effected by Hazuki’s bite and refuses to be her servant. Regardless, he rescues her from the castle she is in and she ends up living with himself and his grandfather. The remainder of the story is about Hazuki’s father’s attempts at getting her to return to the castle and Kouhei and cast’s refusal to let that happen. But mostly the show is about how many cat jokes a series can get away with.

I really enjoyed watching this show. The atmosphere of the show is one that varies between seriousness and then on to absolute silliness and back again. Throughout the show you are met with hilarity and then some moments of very troubling scenes. The flow from one to another is gradual over the course of an episode but even during the most serious scenes there is always the chance to throw in humor.

The style of humor for Tsukuyomi is basically three things: tsundere, puns and pans. Hazuki herself provides most of the tsundere humor. Her situation and personality make her transitions from being cute to being outrageous pretty funny and set up a lot of jokes for the rest of the cast. Later on, other characters take the role up as Hazuki gradually grows out of it and into a more mature character (relatively speaking). The show also has a TON of puns. The opener is nothing but a string of Japanese jokes and plays on words; most of which I didn’t get. Everything has cat ears as well. At some point in the show, every character wears cat ears at least once. The pans thing I still don’t quite get. Most awkward situations end with someone getting hit in the head with a pan or teapot. I still haven’t worked out what exactly it means, but its pretty funny regardless. There is also the (what I see as) very Japanese joke pattern of three repetitions of a tense statement, each time getting more serious with the last one ending in a non-sequiter. I found this to be very funny.

The plot of the show as a whole was kind of thin. I basically already spelled it out for you in the synopsis and it doesn’t deviate from that track. The love story part of the show is really the only thing that you end up trying to second guess. There are few real twists in the story and a few plot holes and unresolved issues exist which make watching it for story a bad idea. However, the characters make up for it.

Hazuki’s character development is really the major focus of the show I think. She starts out as a spoiled brat living in solitude in a castle with only her guardian to talk to. After living with Kouhei she learns to rely more on herself and less on her powers of manipulation as a vampire. She makes friends with her potential rivals and develops a great personality by the end of the show (minus the childish outbursts). This is very evident at the conclusion of the series where she helps a close personal enemy escape her own solitude and become part of the family. Her relationship with Kouhei develops from one of assumed mastership to one of admiration and the beginnings of romantic love.

Throughout the series I was left with a continual sense of “OMG Hazuki is absolutely adorable!” I don’t think I’ve wanted so bad to hug a character simply because of their cuteness. The cat ears make it all the better. One thing that did bother me was the obvious age difference between Kouhei and Hazuki when a portion of the plot is devoted to their growing relationship. So is this loli? I don’t know. Ages are never giving in the show so we can only guess. Kouhei’s mother left 14 years ago and we are left assuming that is when Hazuki’s mom left as well. Hazuki was old enough to talk and understand her mother was leaving when she left so she was around 2-4. Based on that I think it would be safe to assume Hazkui is around 16 while Kouhei is probably 20. Of course, we don’t know how vampires age so who knows.

Over all though, even as some things went unanswered and the plot was thin, Tsukuyomi makes up for it with its great cultural humor and adorable cat ears. So if you are going to watch this series, make sure you expect to be entertained and to develop an appreciation for cat ears. As such, Tsukuyomi gets a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Nyaa.

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Over the summer, when this show came out, there was another series staring another Haruhi. There was much to do about the other Haruhi and not much said about this one. Thats unfortunate given this show’s great humor and cast of characters, both of which should have stood out more against the competition. Spoilers: This show will make you gay.

Ouran High School Host Club is the story of a young man named Haruhi who, while a commoner, attends the prestigious school mentioned in the title. While trying to find a quiet place to study, he finds himself in the third music room which happens to belong to the Host Club, a club devoted to charming the socks off of girls. Haruhi, in a state of shock and awe and the sheer absurdity of those present accidentally knocks over a vase and is suddenly indebted to the club for reimbursement. To work it off, they make Haruhi into a host and tell him he must get 1000 customers before the debt is repaid. Trouble is, Haruhi is actually a girl. Hilarity thus ensues.

The story itself for this show at first seemed pretty shallow. The premise of the show is set up in the first episode and it doesn’t deviate from it till the end. Most of the first half is basically “OMG Haruhi is a girl pretending to be a guy” related jokes and situations. The second half delves more into the personalities of each of the club members and how the club and Haruhi has affected each of them for the better. Even so, the show is extremely episodic and, at most, there is a very subtle threat that ties the episodes together. Regardless of these irks, the show gives off a lot of warmth as the club often goes out of its way to bring happiness to others dispite any concieved inconvenience.

The characters don’t develop much in the first half other than the general getting to know them and their quirks. Nearly all of them are silly most of the time and then it turns out they have another serious side to them that you didn’t know about. It seemed kind of cliche to begin with. But in the second half, when you learn about how the club has become their family each of them didnt have before, you begin to connect with them a little bit more. While I can say I did like all the characters a lot, I can’t say I connected with any of them on a personal level.

This brings us to an interesting view. The show is about a commoner being in an ultra-rich school. Because of this, the first half tended to show how ridiculously well off the other club members were and how they seemed to have it easy all the time. Haruhi even calls them “rich bastards” several times. In the second half though the tables are turned. The rich club members begin to love being with Haruhi in commoner settings and doing commoner things. (The first half had a hint of this when the club started drinking a marvelous new drink — instant coffee) Haruhi also begins to see how being in rich and prestigious families isn’t all about roses as each of the characters reveals the hardships they face living up to the families’ standards.

Thankfully, the show did not have much of a love story. If you are expecting Haruhi to fall for one of the guys in this series, you’re out of luck. This is a plus because it lets you see the subtle changes she brings out in everyone rather than her focusing on a single person. It also would not at all have fitted her personality to have fallen for one of the guys by the end of the show as she is much too strong willed and independent. Dont be discouraged though, there are hints of some of the guys genuinely falling for her at the end as well as hints she might be interested back (though nothing is shown beyond that).

Overall, Ouran kept a smile on my face the whole time I was watching it. While not an impressive story or extraordinarily unique characters, it does have a lot of originality built into it. The friendship the club has seems extremely genuine as does any feelings anyone has in the show. Being upbeat, friendly, believable and unique, Ouran High School Host Club gets 4 out of 5 stars. (Oh, and this Haruhi could beat down Suzumiya any day of the week. And she’s cuter.)

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So today I watched all of Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni (When Cicadas Cry). I have to say that after watching all 26 episodes I think my brain is going to explode, and more than likely my friends will end up blowing it up for me. Spoilers: everyone dies… at least once.

When Cicadas Cry is an anime based off a series of detective games by the same name. It transpires in the June of 1983 and centers around the goings on in the remote town of Hinamizawa. The story begins with Keiichi Maebara moving into the town and befriending his classmates in the one room school that he attends. His friends consist of a troupe of four girls: Rena Ryuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Rika Furude, and Satoko Houjou. Soon we learn of a tragic case of murder that happened four years prior because of protests of a dam project which threatened to flood the town. Every year since then someone has died and someone has vanished on the night of the annual Cotton Drifting Festival.

Being based off a series of detective games, the show is split into several arcs: question arcs and answer arcs. In each, the characters are the same and the setting is the same, but the interactions and outcome of the plot always differs. The following may contain spoilers.

The first arc, spanning the first four episodes, introduces all the characters and the backstory for the rest of the arcs. In this arc, Keiichi becomes convinced that his friends are behind the curse of Oyashiro-sama and that he is the next victim. This arc is probably the most terrifying as you don’t know who to trust and the only perspective on the story that you see is Keiichi’s.

The second arc, spanning episodes 5-8, introduces Mion’s twin sister Shion. Shion and Keiichi end up becoming a bit of an item much to Mion’s chagrin and at the festival they decide to break into the main shrine with an amateur photographer and a historian. Soon though, the latter two end up dead and Keiichi and Shion find themselves in the midst of an intricate plot which threatens everyone’s lives.

The third arc, spanning episodes 9-13, finds Keiichi comforting Satako since her brother’s disappearance a year prior has left her lonely this June. He soon learns that Satako’s uncle has come back to town to care for her, but is, in fact, abusing her. Keiichi makes it his mission to save Satako from her torment. This is probably the most depressing arc.

The fourth arc, spanning episodes 14-15, takes us back to the events four years ago involving Mion’s family and the dam building project. It is the first arc to be told from someone other than Keiichi’s perspective (it is told from the perspective of the investigator). This is the last of the question arcs where all were presented with is a jumble of information.

The fifth arc, spanning episodes 16-21, is the longest arc of the series and also the most disturbing. From this arc we begin learning what is actually going on in the town. This is a direct retelling of the second arc from Shion’s point of view and focuses on her infatuation with the disappearance of Satako’s brother Satoshi a year prior right through the end of the events of arc 2.

The sixth arc, spanning episodes 22-26, is the last arc of the first season but only the second of the answer arcs. In this arc we are shown Rena’s decent into madness and her friend’s attempts to bring her back. We are also given juicy clues as to how all the arcs tie together.

Really, this show should be treated as several different shows (hence all the synopses). Spoiling one of the question arcs will not effect any other arc, but obviously spoiling an answer arc would give things away. So I will try to do neither and merely review content.

The story of When Cicadas Cry at first seems to be extremely broken. After the first arc there is a kind of bewilderment that the show seems to restart and have another go with a different outcome. Even so, the plot seems to be very intricate and even more so when you learn how the arcs all might be linked together. Unfortunately, the end of the season does not answer all of the burning questions that the first four arcs pose. Given its detective background, we are never shown true introspective of anyone other than the main character of that arc. We are never shown the whole picture and thus we never know truly what’s going on.

The presentation of this series though is excellent. Not since the original Village of the Damned have I seen a show where I cant trust anyone but the main character and are actually afraid for his life. The first arc itself is something that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. After this, the next few arcs become depressing and confusing rather than terrifying. There is very little gore ever shown, but there is a lot, a LOT of blood.

Probably the most horrifying part of this show is that fact that all the violence takes place just off screen and all you can see is the culprit’s eyes and the screams of the victims. The characters also are always happy and carefree at the beginning of the arc, but by the end, at least one of them have transformed into something horrific. The worst part is, the way they transform and the reasons they do are completely believable.

At the end of the series though we are left with a few burning questions:
Spoilers ▼

Hopefully, the new season will answer these questions by giving us the last two answer arcs.

Overall though, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni was a refreshing break from normal anime and a welcome chance to try to figure out what in the world is going on in that small town. I have also learned some valuable lessons:

• Do NOT trust cute little girls.
• If you live in a small rural town that has dark superstition surrounding it, your WILL die.
• Give dolls to the right person.

Other than that, the story, believability, and the mystery all lend this series to a 4.5 out of 5.

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