Meido Combat

Which combat maid would you prefer? Today's competitors are Roberta (Black Lagoon), Kogarashi (Kamen no Maid Guy) and Sayoko (Code Geass). Why don't I include more? Because I dont' feel like it.

Round 01: Maiding Skills
Sayoko has displayed very little actual maid abilities besides pushing Nunally around, but she at least has the proper demeantor. Roberta's cleaning prowess leaves much to be desired. Kogarashi, on the other hand, knows how to do laundry flawlessly. Kogarashi takes it with Sayoko in second.
Kogarashi: 2
Roberta: 0
Sayoko: 1

Round 02: Combat Skills
Sayoko is hopelessly outclassed in this one. If she can't even hope to beat Orange-kun without some Rolo assistance, there's no way she can stand up to the powers that are Kogarashi and Roberta. Kogarashi is a powerful fighter, but Robert can really tear it up with some Terminator-like skills. Kogarashi's final strikes often rely on unnerving the female opponent by putting her in a compromising situation. However, even in something like that Roberta would be unfazed. I might get flamed for this one, but I say Roberta with Kogarashi in a close second.
Kogarashi: 3
Roberta: 2
Sayoko: 1

Round 03: Looks
Because maids must also be pleasing to the eye. Kogarashi falls behind without a doubt, leaving the girls to fight it out. Sayoko has a nice figure, but the CLAMP stick figure just isn't in this season, and Roberta's long hair and glasses give her the points needed to pull ahead.
Kogarashi: 3
Roberta: 4
Sayoko: 2

Round 04: Special Skills
While Sayoko may be able to imitate Lelouch and get him a date with every girl in the process, Kogarashi's special skill set puts him way ahead of the girls. Roberta has no "special" skills to show, although I wager chasing after a car on foot is close enough. Kogarashi's win with Sayoko in second.
Kogarashi: 5
Roberta: 4
Sayoko: 3

Round 05: Past Lives
Unfortunately, Kogarashi fails because MIT Professor isn't exactly GAR (watch the MIT ninjas come kill me tonight). Roberta's military background and legendary abilities give her a great boost, but Sayoko has noble blood and her own legendary skills. Nobility wins over military dog.
Kogarashi: 5
Roberta: 5
Sayoko: 5

Round 06: Opponents
Because a fighter is only as interesting as the guy he's fighting against. Although Kogarashi comes up against an array of interesting fighters including another ninja maid, Orange-kun pulls ahead by virute of being Orange-kun (and as we all know, he's completely capable of defeating ninja maids). But as much as Orange-kun is full of win, Revy would load him full of holes before he could get close enough to to stab her. Roberta takes the win for most powerful opponent.
Kogarashi: 5
Roberta: 7
Sayoko: 6

And in a narrow victory, Roberta is crowned the number one combat meido until I do this again or some Sayoko fan decides to write their own post or Kogarashi comes in through my window and forces me to change it. This is my last post for a couple weeks as I'll be overseas for awhile. Please look forward to my super Japan trip diary when I return.

--Ou-bento

Special A 16 - Prince Jun

Sakura's sudden new obsession with Jun doesn't sit well with Ryuu and it especially doesn't sit will with Megumi. The next day, the Special A class goes on a camping trip of sorts and Sakura and her father show up. Ryuu gives Jun a whistle to blow any time he gets harrassed by Sakura. She does try to harrass him, but Ryuu and Megu play defense for him. Finally Sakura manages to get some alone time with him, but he doesn't take to it very well. Over lunch, Sakura un subtly gets some sauce on Jun's cheek and attempts to clean it off with a kiss. Jun tries to run away and Ryuu and Megu try to save him, but Sakura says that she understands if Jun doesn't like her. Out of pity, he decides to allow Sakura to kiss him, but he warns her to run away if things get strange. When she kisses him, he passes out and when he wakes up he seems to be a different person. He has a very princely manner and his aura causes Akira and Sakura to fawn over him instantly. Thanks to a hypnotist, Jun has a player alter-ego that comes out whenever a girl kisses him. The only way to snap him out of it is to use Megu's soul-shattering singing.

I love Jun. A lot. I have quite a fondess for twins, so I like him. Unfortunately, I'm not quite as fond of Sakura, especially her overbearing ways to get the prince she's after. I should at least thank her for bringing out Jun's alter-ego, since I was really looking forward to it. But I really hope Sakura and Jun don't wind up together. The best romantic hint in this was when Tadashi got angry at Akira going over to Jun. Looks like another Akira Tadashi Yahiro episode next. When will we get back to Hikari and Kei?

--Ou-bento
I still enjoyed the scene.

Ikuto Can't Play Violin

I'm not a world class violinist or anything, so maybe someone more knowledgeable can help me out here. But um...isn't Ikuto holding the bow backwards? Is that like a special technique that I never learned? Also, the way he's holding it, his fingers are touching the horse hair portion, which is a big no no. And his left wrist should be straight. And he really shouldn't be wrapping his thumb around the neck like that. And he's playing waaaaay too high up the finger board. It's a wonder he gets any decent sound of of that. Then again, I'd be impressed with anyone who can play a violin that's missing two tuning pegs. Am I nitpicking? Well, for the most part, yeah. No one's really gonna care that his wrist isn't straight or that he's bowing too high on the fingerboard. But he could at least afford to hold the bow at the proper end, right?

--Ou-bento
P.S.
I still enjoyed the scene.

Birdy the Mighty Decode 03 - Tempers and Romances Flare

Birdy has a huuuge appetite and Tsutomu is rather disgusted by the large amount of instant ramen she's managed to consume. He argues with her over taking care of their shared body, all the long nights she's pulling, and basically everything. Thankfully, Birdy's partner Gyuuto is there to play peacemaker. He manages to work out a deal for Tsutomu including more rest and home-cooked meals. The next day Tsutomu and Hayamiya are on the bus where they see Nakasugi. Hayamiya is surprised because Nakasugi is a lady and she shouldn't be taking the bus. A lurch on the bus causes Nakasugi to fall into Tsutomu's arms, and he goes into a blushing fit. Inside his head, Birdy wonders about Nakasugi and Tsutomu insists it's nothing. Everyone is wondering who he's talking to, so he claims he's only talking to himself. Nakasugi says he seems interesting. Meanwhile, the journalist Keisuke is researching on aliens. The strange man and his loli show up at a powerful company. This gentleman is apparently a business partner, but no one knows what he does. Human Gyuuto approaches Tsutomu and school and warms him/Birdy that Giga is on the move. Hayamiya and Nakasugi are surprised by Gyuuto, especially since he's overly friendly with Tsutomu. Hayamiya leaves and Nakasugi and Tsutomu have a really nice conversation about their lives. Tsutomu talks about his sister and Hayamiya says she's an only child. Unfortunately, their moment is ruined by Baccilus wearing Giga's skin. He grabs Nakasugi. Birdy offers to control Tsutomu's body and fight without transforming into her Birdy self. Tsutomu agrees and after some awkward acrobatics manages to rescue Nakasugi. Nakasugi is passed out, so Birdy takes complete control and transforms back into her own body to fight Baccilus/Giga. Baccilus gets the upper hand, but Gyuuto returns and blasts him away. Baccilus blasts Gyuuto and a weak Gyuuto gives Birdy a small bomb that will destroy Baccilus. She plants it in his body and he explodes along with half of the school's swimming pool. Gyuuto's wound is too great and he dies in Birdy's arms. Flashback to their first meeting with a very young and quite adorable Birdy. Elsewhere, Nakasugi wakes up in another room and wonders what's going on.

The only thing keeping Birdy and Tsutomu from the brink of insanity was Gyuuto, and now that he's gone badness might happen. His death hit Birdy really hard, since they've been partnered together for awhile. Meanwhile, Tsutomu seems to be getting further along with Nakasugi, but Hayamiya is a childhood friend, which definitely means trouble for his love life. I wonder what Nakasugi will think of his ability to jump tall buildings. In the meantime, it seems like all sorts of machinations are going on in the background. The same girl is still stalking Birdy, the journalist Keisuke seems to have an idea of what's going on, and the dude with the glasses and the loli...I have no idea. Once again, the slice of life portions are very sweet, and the fighting is nicely done. The battle in this one didn't quite live up to the other two (but that might have been the music), and I'm sad Birdy didn't use her really cool sparking boots more. I also feel the impact of Gyuuto's death wasn't as powerful as it could have been. The viewer has very little attachment to him and his closeness with Birdy wasn't made terribly apparent. I a bit disappointed that he's gone, but there's very little emotional impact. This episode wasn't quite as good as the first two, but I still enjoyed it and I'm definitely curious to find out what happens next.

--Ou-bento

Shugo Chara 41 - Everyone is Stupid

So the original plan was to blog Birdy today and Shugo Chara tomorrow. But this episode was just so good I couldn't wait. Turns out Utau's newest song Black Diamond is powered by Dia, versus Meikyuu Butterfly which was powered by Iru. Iru is feeling a little bit jealous and she misses being able to pick on Eru. In the meantime, the guardians are still in shock that Kairi was a spy. Amu says they should still believe in him, and they agree to. Nikaidou-sensei brings them some tickets to a secret Black Diamond concert that Kairi gave him so the guardians can go see him. At the concert, they finally figure out that the Black Diamond singer is Utau. This, of course, is only AFTER Utau does a chara nari with Dia and reveals herself. But even with that, they can't figure out that the new violinist for the band is Ikuto, even though his only disguise is a pair of sunglasses. Meanwhile, Ikuto plays violin poorly, bowing over the fingerboard rather than where any good violinist should really play. Yes, I'm nitpicking. But the violin is an important part of Ikuto's character, so I wish they'd pay attention to that simple detail. Oh well. Anyway, a fight breaks out and a bunch of X-Eggs combine to be a big super uh...::cough:: monster. Yaya finally gets her own chara nari, but she still remains useless. Kairi is fighting Amu, but when the big X-egg monster attacks her, Kairi decides he really does love her and he manages to perform his own chara nari and he saves Amu. YAYS.

Great episode. Yaya and Kairi finally got their own chara transformations. Yaya's is terribly unattractive. I feel bad for her and Rima in that aspect. Kairi's transformation is most excellent. He has so many more points than Tadase in that realm. It was also nice getting to hear more of Utau's song. I like it a lot more than Meikyuu Butterfly. It's a little sad that once someone gets a chara nari, it suddenly becomes quite useless so that someone else can step in and show off how cool they are too. I can't believe how long it took to figure out that the Black Diamond Singer was Utau. All she had was a hat and sunglasses. And she sounds the same. Seriously. And they couldn't recognize Ikuto? I didn't realize that sunglasses were such an effective disguise mechanism. Also, Utau really needs to get off of Ikuto. Like seriously.

--Ou-bento

Nogizaki Haruka no Himitsu 02 - Actually Not Bad

So this episode was decidedly better than the first. Thankfully the amount of fanservice has been greatly decreased, which has increased my viewing experience. Definitely a fun episode for otaku-ish people.

So Yuuto and Haruka walk to school while being stalked by Haruka's fanclub.

They escape from the stalkers and Haruka invites Yuuto on a date. Unfortunately, it's not like the kind he imagines. She wants to go to Akihabara.

Haruka draws a map to plan her day. Her art is...on part with Rukia's. She draws what's supposed to be a cat, but Yuuto mistakes it for a bear.

The date goes a bit awry when Haruka accidentally finds a yaoi doujin that uh...if I bothered to screencap it, it would be NSFW.

"Aw maaan. I wanted Pikachu!"

Yuuto is very not accustomed to maid cafes. Haruka is delighted.

Fairly fun episode with lots of Akiba and otaku stuff. Also, a pretty strong hint that it's Yuuto's fault that Haruka's an otaku.

--Ou-bento

Anime Dubbing and the use of Japanese Suffixes

So today I'm going to ramble about the use of things like -chan and -san in English dubs. A lot of people dislike the use of the Japanese suffixes or other Japanese words in English dubs, and others find the use of things like "Mr. Hikaru" a lot harder to swallow. Some official dubs like Azumanga Daioh go with the -san and -chan while most modern dubs opt to drop any references to suffixes at all, merely calling a character "Sakura" rather than "Miss Sakura."

The only real problem occurs when the dialogue requires knowledge of the suffixes. The official dubs of Rurouni Kenshin and Tenchi Muyo solved this by calling characters "Litte Yahiko," and "Little Washu," but even to the uniniated, it sounds terribly awkward. I can't imagine Tomoya trying to get "Little Kotomi's" attention in the library.

In English dubs, I usually have no problems with the Japanese suffixes if the story is set in Japan (although it was initially a little odd to hear it in Azumanga, I got used to it). Even stories originally in English use Japanese suffixes. I'd probably be very confused if the English dub of Victorian Romance Emma used -san and -sama, though.

Thoughts? Complaints? Opinions on whether or not she should be called "Little Kotomi?"

--Ou-bento

More CLANNAD in English

::sigh:: This has been deleted twice from YT already. Oh the pains I go through to give you people one minute's worth of...stuff I don't actually own. Go here for video.

--Ou-bento

Myself;Yourself Full OP

One of the M;Y DVD extras was a credits-free complete music video/opening to the full version of Tears Infection. And it is beautiful. Fans of M;Y will definitely find it a treat. Some of the original OP is in tact and there are a few scenes lifted from the series, but the new version contains edited portions of the original as well as plenty of new footage. Highlights include shots of all the girls in gothic or punk lolita style clothing, some cute Sana/Nanaka scenes and shots of the group practicing for their performance (viewable in the original OP). Changes to the original include Hinako now rocking out with the group on stage playing a sax, a nighttime version of the concert, and Asami crying versus the original silhouette with tears. Overall, nicely animated with plenty of stuff for fans of the series to enjoy. Definitely a delcious extra.

--Ou-bento

Special A 15 - A Female Rival Appears (Sorta)

Like everything else she does with Kei, Hikari considers their date to be another competition. She plans for the "perfect" date by reading lots of shoujo manga so she'll know how to act. Unfortunately, her cute act is terribly forced, and Kei still manages to out-sparkle her. While Hikari is still feeling like she really messed up on setting the right date mood, Kei notices some not so subtle guys in suits following him. He leaves Hikari and confronts the guys, saying he doesn't intent to return even though he knows his father wants him to. Hikari follows Kei and finds him surrounded by the dudes in suits. She knocks one out before Kei grabs her and they run off. Hikari is sad that Kei won't trust her since with what's going on. He tells her that he actually had an engagement meeting arranged for today, but he's skipping it to be with her. Ever oblivious Hikari tells him it must be a problem if he skips, so he should go. He says if she says so, then he'll go, but as he turns to leave she grabs his shirt without thinking.

Their sparkly moment is ruined by Kei's dad, who is desperately trying to get him to come to the engagement meeting. To complicate things, Kei's would-be fiance Sakura shows up. She sees that Kei skipped the meeting to be with another girl, so she drags Hikari off and asks her what her relationship with Kei is. Without hesitation, Hikari says they're rivals. Sakura is happy at hearing this because that means Hikari isn't a threat. Hikari wonders to herself Kei why wouldn't want Sakura, since she's beautiful and refined. Dense much? Yeah. Some guys start hitting on Sakura and Hikari, but Sakura punches one of them out, saying that she hates scumbags and liars like these guys. Her family code is that of honesty and honor and anyone who isn't like that despised. Somehow, Hikari understand her burning passion and the two suddenly become friends. Hikari agrees to help Sakura get Kei, so Sakura asks Hikari to ask Kei what is type is. The next day, Hikari asks Kei asks what type of girl he likes, but he won't answer her. None of the other S.A. members have any idea either, so Hikari decides to challenge Kei and make him tell her if she wins. In anger, he asks Hikari why she's helping Sakura when she initially tried to stop him from going to the engagement meeting in the first place. Hikari's not really sure.

Hikari and Sakura meet up again, but Hikari lies and says she hasn't had the chance to ask Kei about his type yet. Sakura suggests that Hikari is actually lying and that she doesn't want Sakura to know Kei's type, but quickly dismisses the thought. Later that day, Kei finally tells Hikari that he likes "normal" girls so that she'll be able to have an answer for Sakura. Before Hikari can talk to Sakura though, Sakura appears on campus and attacks her. Yahiro informed Sakura that Kei has feelings for Hikari, and Sakura feels like Hikari betrayed her and lied about her relationship with Kei. Hikari insists that it's not true, but Sakura asks why she hasn't told her about Kei's type yet. Hikari remembers that she tried to stop Kei from going to the meeting in the first place, and realizes that she doesn't actually have an answer. As she begins to cry, Ryuu and the twins appear. Suddenly, Sakura turns into an overheated sparkling fangirl. She says Jun is her ideal prince and (much to Megumi's chagrin) decides that she's going to go after him and that she has no interest in Kei.

Jun is mine!!!

I actually really enjoyed this episode. The pacing wasn't as awkward as S.A. episodes tend to be and we actually get to see Hikari start to realize her own feelings for Kei. Finally. Sakura is a great character who's a lot more honest about her romantic notions than Hikari. She reminds me quite a bit of Miya Miya from Bamboo Blade with her dark side and sparkly side. I'm cheering for Jun and Megumi, though. >_> Kei's father is hilarious as always. I kinda feel bad for him with sons like the ones he's got. It was nice having a romantic rival to get Hikari into gear, but it didn't last very long since Sakura switched guys at the end of the episode. ::sigh:: Next episode is camping and Jun's dark secret.

--Ou-bento

Shugo Chara Episode 40

Rima episode. The school Guardians are collecting the Black Diamond CDs, and Kairi is feeling a little conflicted. We find that Rima really enjoys comedy, but no one else in her home does. She wishes that she could make her parents smile again, since all they do is argue. But her mother instead tells her that she needs to resign from the guardians. Rima can't bring herself to do it and lies to her parents about it. Later that night Utau's new song is used to charm more children and Amu, Hotori and Yaya come out to fight. Rima finally stands up to her parents and manages to go to fight and save the day. The guardians catch Kairi sneaking out with some CDs and he reveals that he actually works for Easter. DUN DUN DUN.

A nice character episode for Rima as if gives her a lot more depth and makes her worlds less annoying. I feel bad for Kairi, and it's obvious he's having some serious internal conflicts. Next episode looks like a lot of Kairi and what appears to be a concert with Utau and Ikuto.

--Ou-bento

Birdy the Mighty Decode 02 - Triple Life

Tsutomu is still freaking out over the fact that he's leaping from rooftop to rooftop, but a flashback reminds him that he's very dead, thanks to a punch from Birdy. Thankfully, his consciousness was salvaged from his body, and how he resides in Birdy's shape-shifting body. The two of them have to share now, and right now it's Birdy's turn as she searches the city for Giga, the alien from the previous episode. She unfortunately has no luck, and so heads to Tsutomu's home to call it a night. While Tsutomu is still trying to adjust, he finds out at school that his classmate (and possible crush) Nakasugi got in a car accident and is now in the hospital. A bunch of his classmates decide to visit her, but he doesn't show up. Hayami is obviously unhappy that he didn't bother to visit. Unfortunately, Shion (Birdy's idol alter-ego) has a booking and so Tsutomu has no choice but to let Birdy take over. The booking turns out to be a trap and Shion is attacked by an alien named Baccilus. She leaps into battle, but Baccilus' strange and somewhat gooey body keeps her from making much progress. She does manage to get him to lose a few body parts at which point he decides to make an exit. She wants to chase after him, but Tsutomu points out a man who was trapped under some debris from the battle. Birdy clears out the debris and realizes that he has a digital camera with a picture of her on it. She quickly destroys it and Tsutomu realizes that he recognizes the man as Muroto Keisuke, a famous journalist. He's been stalking Shion, and now he's even more interested in the fact that she seems to have an alternate identity. The next day, Tsutomu is happy to find that Nakasugi has been released from the hospital and she looks fine. Meanwhile, Giga and Baccilus meet, and Baccilus decides that he needs another body to aid his which is currently falling apart. Looks like we won't be seeing Giga anymore.

Another fun episode that I really enjoyed watching. The music, once again has caught my attention. While it doesn't blow me away, it's something that makes me happy to listen to. It's a bit nostalgic, and very catchy, especially during action scenes. The idea of the double-life where someone is sometimes and idol or a hero isn't new. But now the female idol and super-powered hero also has to live the life of an average schoolboy. Already Birdy's hectic schedule is making things harder for Tsutomu as he is unable to visit his friend in the hospital. Luckily for him, his family seems to be nearly nonexistant. During the lunch scene, every student had a bento except for Tsutomu, who was eating purchased bread. From that, it's clear that he basically lives alone and doesn't do much in the way of taking care of himself. I feel kinda bad for Muroto, as he lost his camera in the first episode, and again in this one. The poor guy can't catch a break. Shion's kimono has dango on it. Just thought I'd mention that. Also, there's some evil girl(?) who seems to be watching everything without making any moves of her own. Hopefully we'll see what she's up to soon.

--Ou-bento

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 01 - Huh?

I'm not going to bother with the usual synopsis, thoughts, and screencaps because this show really doesn't deserve that much attention. Read on for a summary...of sorts.

The story starts with our normal guy hero Yuuto watching Kujian Dojikko-chan because of the recommendation of his friend Mako-cakes.

Yuuto's reaction to Dojikko-chan is on par with my reaction to this series. After all, he's just a normal dude with no interest in anime. Besides, he has other things to worry about.

For instance, the violent drunken women who seem to be living on his couch. He's constantly having to clean up after them and cook for them. A real man of the house, here.

Yuuto goes to school (which, if the uniform is any indication, is Ouran Koukou), and we're introduced to his average friends and the above average Nogizaka Haruka. Besides being smart, rich, and beautiful, she also has the ability to make the piano squirt bubbles all across campus.

Mako-cakes asks Yuuto to return his borrowed copy of Innocent Smile (an otaku-zine) to the library. The librarian appears to be the same old man who appears in every series pretty much ever. I wonder if times are tough on him.

Enter Haruka, who wants to borrow a copy of Innocent Smile. However, she'd rather not be recognized, since being an otaku is clearly the most embarrassing thing in the world. Hence, the best anime disguise since Karen decided to flip her hair out.

The fated meeting. It's Mamiko Noto in a library. (That's probably my most shameless plug EVER.) Anyway, due to a bunch of events and stuff Yuuto finds out that Haruka is an otaku. OH NOES. At first she's super embarrassed and tries to run away and then all sorts of badness happens because Haruka's cult thinks Yuuto is picking on her. But in the end it all works out and he helps her hide her otaku-ish ways and says that it's not an embarrassing hobby and other stuff like that. And then she says he can call her Haruka and he says she can call him Yuuto. AWWWWWW.

I'm pretty sure I saw this one in The Mummy.

For a precious few seconds, this show actually managed to interest me. The creepy atmosphere was nice. Now if only they were ghost hunters in a haunted library instead of an otaku and a normal dude with a vibrating cat phone.

This ending isn't derivative at all. Ne, Kyon?

...

--Ou-bento

Bamboo Blade - Anime Review

Just finished watching Bamboo Blade. It was a fun ride, but now I feel a little bit blank inside. As one who practices kendo, I was excited to find an anime series about kendo, and I quickly found Bamboo Blade to be one of the most entertaining and playful series I've ever seen.

The story centers around five high school girls and their kendo club. There are also some guys in it too, but they're less important. The real charm of the series is the characters. The plot is simple and hardly groundbreaking, but the characters shine through. Each girl shines and complements the other characters very well. Besides the five lead females, opposing teams and rivals are also interesting individuals. Character interactions and relationships are what make this series shine. In it's simplest form, it's just a story about high school kids having fun. Unfortunately, the large cast also makes character development difficult. Although a member of the main kendo club, Yuuji often takes a back seat to the other members. The opposing teams also lack good development, which is disappointing because some of them are really interesting characters.

Production values fluctuate terribly. Animation ranges from lovely and fluid to stiff and disproportionate, often within a single episode. The incredibly lazy OP is somewhat of a turnoff as well. The music does its part, but it's instantly forgettable, and even the energetic OP and ED could be better. The vocal cast, however, shines through. It's an excellent collection of seiyuu and with a cast so impressive, it's hard for me not to be excited. The acting is top notch, and the voices fit the characters beautifully. The anime translates the manga well, following the storyline almost to the letter. In this case, it's not a bad thing.

My biggest complaint about Bamboo Blade is the level of unexplored territory and potential. The manga extends far beyond the anime, and the final episode of Bamboo Blade set up a second season perfectly, introducing two new characters and hinting at two more in the ED sequence. The plethora of interesting characters and the subtle and terrible malnourished romance between Tamaki and Yuuji leaves me desperate for more Bamboo Blade. It was a nice ride, but it can't be over yet. Not with so much left unanswered.

Bamboo Blade isn't ground breaking. Sports anime has been done before. Bamboo Blade isn't deep. It isn't overflowing with romance and angst. Even fight scenes are limited to typical kendo matches (i.e. people taking turns hitting each other with sticks). But Bamboo Blade is FUN. It's just smart enough to keep your brain from melting, but light-hearted enough that you can relax to it. I, personally, loved it, and I am hoping dearly for a second season.

--Ou-bento

sola - Manga First Look

Yeah, so I liked the sola anime. Like, seriously. I have a slight obsession with the sky, and Mamiko Noto's voice is adorable. That said, I was really happy to find some manga scans online. owo
The sola manga follows the plot of the anime fairly closely, although there's a bit more foreshadowing near the beginning. Yorito is a boy who loves the sky. One night, while he's photographing the sky, he meets a girl kicking a vending machine. She doesn't seem to be very successful at getting her drink, so he tries to help her. She disappears oh so mysteriously before the sun comes up. Meanwhile, Yorito's sister is in the hospital. He brings her an ugly doll (because his taste is really odd) and winds up taking pictures of the sky rather than spending time with her. Things happen, some guy tries to stab Matsuri (the mysterious girl at the vending machine). Then Matsuri winds up staying at Yorito's house. Um...I really cut that summary short. @___@
The artwork in the manga is much, much cuter than the anime. An abundance of chibis and cute innocent wide eyes make this a very attractive story for people who enjoy moe things. The artwork is clean with most backgrounds simple and sparse, but enough to give a good sense of where the characters are. The chapters I managed to read were largely light-hearted and cheery although the melancholy portions were emotional enough to make me stop for a moment. Definitely a lot more comical than the animal, but just as beautiful. I intend to pick up the U.S. release as soon as I find it. Fans of sola will enjoy the manga. Those of you who haven't seen sola, but like visual novel stories with romantic plots and supernatural twists should check it out.

sola is licensed by Broccoli Books.

--Ou-bento

Today I made a Bento

Usually I wouldn't be so loserish as to just post something I randomly made, but 1.) It's relevant to this blog 2.) I'm lazy today and 3.) The one antenna that I'm on seems to have lost contact with my feed and blogger is stupid and won't let me ping so I have no idea how many people are reading this right now anyway. I made this today. On my own. Because I am a cooking genius. Well, okay, not really. But I did make it on my own. Except the chocolate coronet. I bought that.

--Ou-bento

Special A 14 - Inappropriate Peer-to-Teen Choice Behaviors

This episode concludes the Akira/Yui arc and explains why Yahiro is such a big jerk. It's because Akira is lousy at picking friends and he's hopelessly in love. Was that a spoiler?

Life is pretty much back to normal for the S.A. now that they're back at their normal school. However, all the girls say they'll miss Akira so she throws a big party for all of them and Yui gives her a flower to signify their friendship. Akira finds out that Yahiro has been stalking Yui, so the next day she sends her big, fancy, expensive car to drive Yui to school. Later on, she invites Yui over, but while she's getting tea ready, Yui decides to steal some of Akira's jewelry. When Akira returns with the tea, Yui suddenly says she doesn't really feel like hanging out today, and she'd appreciate it if Akira would stop sending the car to take her to school. Akira is crushed, and the other members of the S.A. are mystified. Even Tadashi's teasing can't bring Akira out of her slump. The two of them wind up with some time alone where Tadashi apologizes for being troublesome sometimes, but he wants to help Akira if he can. She gives him a nice, big, romantic hug. If only Hikari would move that fast, maybe we'd be somewhere.

Elsewhere, Yahiro confronts Yui as she tries to sell off Akira's jewelry. He seems very cruel, but he's a nice guy and saves her from getting run over by a truck. Akira and Tadashi are searching for Yui and they finally decide to go to Yahiro's house where they find Yahiro and an injured Yui. Akira assumes the worst and blames Yahiro, but Yui says that it's not his fault. Yahiro stops Yui from saying anymore. In the past, he had overheard Akira's old friend Sayo bragging to her friends that Akira was rich and would give her anything. He knew the friendship was a sham, but instead of telling Akira, he broke the two of them up, thinking that he wouldn't mind being a demon if the girl he loved could be happy. Tadashi tells Yahiro that if Yui wants to confess what she did, he shouldn't stop her. Yui manages to confess that she stole from Akira, and Akira finally feels that she can forgive Yahiro a little bit. The next day, Akira gives Tadashi some cookies as thanks before noticing that Kei and Hikari are missing. Much to her dismay, they've gone out on a date.

Next time: Sakura appears. Her hair is really bright pink.

This story arc still really bores me, but the AkiraxTadashi moment was pretty sweet. Her blushing when she gave him the cookies was also very nice. I feel bad for Yahiro, since it's obvious he still has feelings for her, but he's trying to play the bad guy so she can be happy. Akira also has terrible friend-picking sense, going two for two on girls who want to steal from her. At least Yui had better reasons, but it's still pretty sad. Akira's imagination of angel Hikaru and Demon Kei was priceless, especially Kei's evil laughter. I look forward to the next episode. Sakura and Hikari's interactions are hilarious.

--Ou-bento

P.S.
S.A. post without a single mention of Geass! Oops...

Birdy the Mighty Decode 01 - I am Pleasantly Surprised

I initially assumed that Birdy wouldn't be my sort of anime. The preview image was just a chick wearing next to nothing, and that sort of series really isn't my thing. The premise was interesting enough for me to check out the manga, but even that didn't grab me. However, with not much to watch on a lazy Saturday, I figured I'd give this series a whirl, and I am very glad that I did.

The story follows the manga plot pretty loosely. Birdy if a space police officer with a violent streak and a love of fighting. She reminds me of bizarre cross between Lina Inverse and Revy. While on a mission, she tracks the alien she's hunting to Earth, but loses track of him. So while she searches for this alien fellow, she lives life on earth as a girl named Shion and somehow becomes a popular idol. She's very popular among teenage boys, except for Tsutomu, who is too absorbed in the manga he's reading to bother with his friends waving a centerfold in his face. Tsutomu himself lives a pretty normal life with a childhood female friend, a crush, friends at school, and a happy family with an older sister and two living parents who aren't on a season-long business trip in America. Unfortunately, he's also very curious, and he winds up exploring a dark abandoned building in the dead of night, just in time to find Birdy fighting the alien that she's been chasing. Mistaking Tsutomu for the alien, Birdy kills him in one blow. Oops. : / When Tsutomu wakes up, he thinks it was just a dream, but he's surprised to find he doesn't need glasses anymore. Later that day, he hears a female voice inside his head. He falls down the stairs in surprise, and when he comes to, he finds that he's leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He looks to the side and sees his reflection...but it's not his body. Instead, it's Birdy's.


It's hard to explain why I enjoyed this episode so much, but I really, really did. The animation was fluid with some very nice fight scenes, and the designs give me a Eureka 7 vibe. The voice acting was good, although I think I'd be happier if Birdy had a harder edge to her voice. The plot progresses smoothly with no hiccups or downtime, which is surprising given the huge contrast between Birdy's fighting moments and the slow pace of Tsutomu's life.

I think the one that that really made me happy, though, was the music. The music feels nostalgic, like a cross between some older outer space series and a little bit of quiet slice of life. I couldn't help but think that the soundtrack was just very, very nicely done. The OP is a pleasant change from the usual sugar-drenched perky openings, and the fact that it's titled "Sora" gives it a boost thanks to my Yorito-like obsession with the sky. The ED is extremely catchy, and I would love to hear the full version. The ED animation is simple (kinda reminds me of the Gurren Lagann ED), but it's clean and happy, and it's definitely one of the must fun EDs I've heard in awhile.

Watching Birdy just makes me happy. It's not so brainless I feel I'm being pandered to (although if Birdy got herself a nice pair of pants and a shirt that covered more than two square inches, I would not complain), but it's not so terribly deep that I have to put too much thought into it. It's just good, fun, entertainment. Here's hoping the first episode is just a taste of what's to come.

Oh SNET it's Leeron!

...and the Witch of the Waste. For some reason.

--Ou-bento

Shugo Chara 39 - Magical Girl Tadase

So I heard Tadase's chara nari was uh...feminine. It's also mildly embarrassing. He's got shoes a sweet lolita would be jealous of. Anyway, Tadase has a dream/flashback remembering his childhood. He wakes up feeling unsettled. At school, everyone is talking about the new Black Diamond CD. Kairi, after some guilty feelings finally hands over a copy to Tadase. Meanwhile, Utau (in a VERY CONVINCING disguise) is putting on a live concert and more of the X-egg CDs are being handed out. Unsurprisingly, the effect makes kids go into a trance and lose their eggs. Tadase is captured by the spell, Amu[let Heart] saves him, he gets to do a Chara Nari and they save the day. Yay.

I like Utau's new song a lot more than Meikyuu Butterfly. Can't wait for the single. I'm glad Tadase got to transform, but he looks like Louis XIV. He would have looked a lot nicer wearing something similar to Kiseki's outfit, I think. Oh well, I've seen worse.

--Ou-bento

I Maked a Karen Fanart

Sorry for the no post yesterday (yeah, like anyone actually reads this regularly). I lost track of time between all the July 4th stuff and working on the above image. LelouchxKaren is the only way to go. More substantial post later today after I get back from iaido practice.

--Ou-bento

Does anyone want to swap links?

If I say this is me, will I get more male readers?

This blog is only a couple months old, but I'd love to trade links with anyone who's interested. Drop me a note at sonozaki.mion@gmail.com

Chocolate Underground 04 - In Which they Actually Eat Chocolate (Finally)

They finally get to eat chocolate! We can all rejoice now. Huntley and Smudger sneak out at night and go back to the place where they found the coded message/poem. Thanks to their previous research, they've figured out the thing Columbus discovered and have found that it's about chocolate. They come to a door that is NOT suspiciously labeled "KEEP OUT." On the other side of the door is...moonshine. Well, chocolate, at least. Beautiful tables of chocolate cakes, truffles, and everything good. They're greeted by a friend Dave who welcomes them to the underground. He then tells everyone that it's okay, and these guys love chocolate. A bunch of people come out from hiding under tables and return to their chocolate eating. Huntley and Smudger finally get to eat some chocolate, and they're reminded of such beautiful memories as Smudger's father's baking, Huntley's mother serving him chocolate cake, and Louise's bakery serving good foods. The security camera reveals they're being surrounded by police.

--Ou-bento

Slayers Revolution 01 - Being Lina Inverse is now a Crime

I confess: I've only seen Slayers Try (and a few episodes of Slayers Next), but I was still looking forward to Revolution. And episode one doesn't miss a beat, filled with the same art, humor, and over the top explosions that Slayers fans have come to love. A cameo appearance of the fish lady made me smile, but newcomers would probably scratch their heads (although admittedly, I scratched my head at the fish people too).

The episode begins with Lina unleashing her fireballs on some poor nameless pirates. Even though she's easily more powerful than them, it still takes a good one third of the episode to blow them up. This is mildly annoying, as the battle is rather one-sided, so it becomes a bit boring after awhile. But hey, it's Lina being Lina and Gourry being...useless in battle. The battle ends when the pirates are fired on by a ship carrying Ameria, Zelgadiss, and an old dude named Waizer. He says he's been looking for Lina and he's impressed by her power. Lina and Gourry are treated to some food at a local town while they catch up with Ameria and Zel (or in Gourry's case, attempt to remember them in the first place). Waizer flashes a badge and announces that Lina Inverse is under arrest for the crime of...being Lina Inverse. He says that they're surrounded by soliders, machines, and more, but Lina doesn't seem to mind, and easily blasts her way through them, Gourry, Ameria, and Zel in tow. As they're fighting, a strange mascot-like creature begins chanting the spell for Lina's signature attack, Dragon Slave. Much to everyone's surprise, the critter fires off a Dragon Slave, but they manage to escape. Lina's pretty ticked off, and the others try to cool her down. Meanwhile...the strange creature is flying through the sky searching for her.

Definitely a nice treat for fans of the series, but it takes a least a bit of prior knowledge to really enjoy this episode. Newcomers will probably find themselves a bit lost, and even bored at points. The episode follows the pretty standard bit of explosions everywhere formula that Slayers has stuck to. Animation is nice. The art style hasn't changed, but the colors are much brighter, and the animation is (unsurprisingly) more fluid that the older series. Good first episode that kept the spirit of Slayers, but the only real twist was the small animal able to use Dragon Slave. If the OP is any indication, it'll be on Lina's side soon enough. Also, no Xellos this episode, which made me sad, since I like him.

--Ou-bento

Iron Wok Jan - Random Comments

So there are a lot of series about cooking out there. Cooking Master Boy, Yakitate! Japan, Kitchen Princess, (Fighting Foodons?) to name a few. But I had never heard of this series until I stumbled upon it somewhat by accident. I also wound up with volume 5 or something (I don't really remember). Either way, Iron Wok Jan reads like a typical shonen series. The volume I stumbled upon involved a dessert tournament with some of the greatest chefs in the world doing all sorts of uh...chefy things. Except not really. Jan takes the attention of all the judges and the audience by making a dessert using pigeon's blood. He kills the pigeons in the arena (yes, they're cooking in an arena) and drains blood from their necks in front of everyone. Yes, it's a gruesome cooking manga. The art is a good match for a bloody series full of angry people and screaming. Characters have darkly outlined eyes, sharpy toothy grins, and small pupils. Female characters are clearly designed to appeal to a male audience.

It's hard to say much about the plot or the characters. Plotwise, it's a tournament. Hardly groundbreaking. Jan is an evil chef who seems he'd be better off as one of those psycho assassins who tend to show up in shonen manga. The only other character who leaves much of an impression is an angry food critic who tries to make things hard on Jan by withholding a vote during the judging process. The other judges and competitors are instantly forgettable.

Reading this volume was worth it because I like cooking, so a cooking series appeals to me. But this story is so little about cooking, and I learn so little actual cooking that it's really hard to say anything in that light. Otherwise, it's an average shonen fighting tournament. If you like shonen fighting tournaments, you can easily find something better. If you want to know about cooking, you can easily find something better.

--Ou-bento