アニ・ノート

Snatched by Sixten, I had to give it a try. It’s almost like going to a virtual club meeting with Steven, if only for the first 5 (10) episodes: he has access to the whole stack of DVDs and I’m at the mercy of Netflix’s DVD dispatch algorithm.

I think it’s possible to watch Shrine of the Morning Mist as a comedy. I laughed heartily at the place where the above screencap was taken.

Notes:

Yuzu appearance reminded me about someone else so much, it was uncanny. I suspected Osaka, but most likely it’s a bottle fairy.

Another laugh was when mikos busted the empty roof. And when the immense power of cake was revealed.

I have the OP and ED on Megumi Hayashibara’s CD “center color” that I bought in Japan. As usual in such cases, it’s weird hearing it over the video.

In demon form, Koma springs two tails.

Initially the rich bitch was the best character, but the creators let everyone else to grow nicely, including Yuzu.

It looks like I watched everything worth watching among titles available on Netflix. I’m not even kidding, the only series in the queue that I would actually like to see is Moribito.

Piracy is the only recourse.

A post at Animesuki gave me the hook with which to find what the other of Jun’s images of war was: “Bokura no Nanokan Sensou” (ぼくらの七日間戦争), or Seven Days War.

Michael trolls me in a simple yet effective way:

I’ve quickly marathoned through sub-par shows in the past. However, good series such as Stand Alone Complex, Tweeny Witches, and Legend of Galactic Heroes can’t seem to hook me in like that. All three of these anime are top notch quality, yet none of them have me desperate for more. Wouldn’t this mean they aren’t all that great? But then why am I having such a hard time criticizing them?

So, what about you? Have you any series that you know to be extraordinary yet you can’t quite find yourself compelled to give them the attention they should — in your mind — deserve?

OK, I’ll bite. But to be clear, I abandoned or otherwise downchecked a whole bunch of shows that someone else liked. The short list of rejects below is only that of titles I consider masterpieces in abstract, or at least credible attempts. The aforementioned GiTS:SAC misses that benchmark, in my opinion. So, sorted by decreased masterpieceness:

Mushishi: Masterpiece? Hell yes. In the same time, the most boring anime I have ever watched. I dragged myself through 10 episodes.

Princess Tutu: A masterpiece indeed. But for some reason I cannot connect with and/or care for the characters.

Dennou Coil: This is what happens when the best talent is given a lot of money and told to manufacture a masterpiece. It’s just not the same as the real thing. The dumb nuclear war filler was where I gave up on it.

Aria: This one I have actually completed, but I think I shouldn’t have. Completely presses wrong buttons for me, and again, did they have to make Akatsuki such a jerk?

Macross Frontier: Not a masterpiece in an artistic sense, I would say, but a show I would love to love. Sadly, I find it overwrought. But I always boost it if anyone asks.

Hidamari Sketch: As far as slice of life shows go, Hidamari is a masterpiece; a masterpiecer show than Aria. But would it _hurt_ SHAFT to actually animate the blasted thing?!

Twelve Kingdoms: Completely ruined by slavish adherence to the material and thus incomplete storyline (see also: Haruhi Suzumiya, The Melancholy Of). But it does not have to be like that, and Banner of the Stars is the proof.

UPDATE 2010/01/05: Michal gives a second chance and turns for some (e.g. LoGH). For my part, I glanced at the list above, and the book is closed on all except Mac F.

Due to some circumstances, I have set on rewatching Manabi Straight at last, this time from the comfort of a couch. And coincidentially, Zyl remarked today:

Manabi Straight: It sounds like so much fun but I’m just defeated by the whole fat loli thing.

I’m happy to report that the fat heads get tuned out so well over time that I am having a hard time understanding the issue on rewatch, even though I remember well the heated blogging from back when Manabi aired.

As far as story goes, it’s the usual rewatch experience: I know what to expect, so I focus on different things, like the way the first few episodes set up the scene (in particular, the role of Momoha is way more obvious to me now). This makes me wonder, how effectively can creators maintain the fresh perspective on the work? Perhaps they never even realized to what degree fat heads alienate.

Hikago asks what the difference is between kimono and yukata. Obviously he could’ve researched that, but in the spirit of sharing the excitement of being a shameless weaboo, here’s what I know from my limited experience… And if it makes snobs like WAH to squirm, so much for the better.

The main difference is, kimono is a formal garment, whereas yukata is an everyday clothing piece. From there, all the fun things flow that you read on the Net: a hereditary kimono, thread reuse, etc.

Kimono is almost invariably made from silk, whereas yukata… hmm… I suspect it’s cotton these days.

One thing weaboos often underappreciate about kimono is how warm it is, in particular since you must wear warm undergarment with it. The white band (as demonstrated by my online friend Katie to a good effect) is the indicator of kimono. So, wearing it in the summer is pure suicide. Honestly, I’m afraid for the health of anyone serving a tea ceremony when it’s warm. Yukata does not have kimono’s code attached, and can be worn haphazardly.

So, what is Hikago’s Shana wearing? Good question. I cannot tell without touching, honestly. I would say, the artist wanted to depict an archaic kimono, judging by the size of sleeves. See, the thing is, these days if you fight, you wear combat fatigues. This development displaced kimono into the formal area — except for anime.

On a related topic, I remember how Tatsuo Sato said in an interview about his plans after Shingu that he wanted to make something more unbridled and frolicking (not precisely in these words). He certainly succeeded in that, but in the big picture, Shingu is a greater, stronger, more polished, more mature production than its successor Stellvia (notwithstanding the controversial OP).

Both Stellvia and Shingu are life-affirming in their philosophy. I like that.