Archive for the Bee Train Category


El Cazador Anime: Volume 4 (Polish/German)

May 6th, 2009

I’m very excited to once again offer a review from the Okazu Europe bureau. Everyone, please welcome back Winterbraid! Yayyy~!

El Cazador Volume 4 has episodes 15 through 18. Starting with the mandatory swimsuit (and in one case, no swimsuit) episode, followed by L.A. losing the last bits of sympathy we have for him, some random cosplay and buttock prodding by Nadie and Ellis, and – in my opinion – a rather Noir-like episode, closed with the trickster god part – which, on the second run, is probably one of my favourites. Otherwise, it seems that everyone stalks everyone, all with a generous spurt of fluff and cuddly on top – perfect after a tough week. ^-^

As far as the localization is concerned… well, I’m not really in the mood for nagging right now. ^-^ Fortunately, there is no more translating whole sentences as a single word, although some awkwardness (and a few blatant mistakes) awaits. Overall, I’d say that compared to the previous volume, the translation hasn’t gained enough of a soul to allow for creative criticism, but there is an improvement – or maybe it’s just that my tolerance is increasing. Apparently, there’s something
weird about the disc that prevented me from playing it on Linux… not that anyone cares. ^-^. Now that I think about it, the fonts could perhaps do with some tweaks, i.e. less jaggedness – oh well… anyway, every possible defect of this release is – for me at least – overshadowed by the postcards, which are quite cool this time. ^-^

By the way, I took a quick glimpse of the manga; and… uh… how should I put it… NO. ^-^;

Short, bittersweet and to the point. Thank you Winterbraid for another look at a series we cannot *wait* to get over here!





News Brief: Funimation licenses El Cazador

February 19th, 2009

I’m absolutely beside myself with joy. There’s only three anime I want to see licensed right now and this was number one on the list. (Blue Drop and Mnemosyne are two and three. I know you’re gonna ask.)

Fans of Bee Train’s girls-with-guns-on-the-run trilogy, completion is around the corner at last, with Funimation’s licensing of El Cazador de la Bruja!

Finally, we’ll get to see Ellis loving Nadie best when her eyes are shining.





Yuri Anime: Noir, Volume 7 (English)

May 14th, 2008

What a really fabulous series Noir is. It’s been years – practically lifetimes in fandom years – since I first watched this series as it came out on Japanese TV. I enjoyed it just as much, maybe even a little more, this time as I did lo those many years ago when I first set eyes on Kirika and Mirielle.

In Volume 7 of Noir, everything comes to a head. Kirika has left Mirielle behind and given herself over to the dark side of the Force. She’s entered the alternative universe of Altena’s Manor and, to Chloe’s genuine joy and delight, has dedicated herself to being Noir.

Chloe really blossoms in this volume and it still creeps me out.  ^_^

When Mirielle arrives, the sense that she’s come to free Kirika from a spell is not as strong as the sense that she’s arrived to allow Kirika to free herself. And then the battle become two on one and there’s no question, really, who the true Noir is. It’s the “End of the Matter” as the volume title states.

In the final episodes, as Mirielle takes on the members of Altena’s household, hearing Shinohara Emi as one of them was like a little easter egg for me.

There’s a lot of wonderful moments in the final volume of Noir, most of which would be spoilers, so I don’t want to point them out. If you have never watched Noir to completion, do – there’s gold in them there hills. If you have and can’t remember Altena’s final scene, then watch it again. It confirms what I have been saying since the beginning – she was a refugee from a completely different anime series. ^_^

We were treated to a bump up in Yuri for the final episodes, with Chloe fawning over Kirika, but for me, not being a huge Chloe fan, it was Mirielle’s decisions that spoke volumes about her feelings for Kirika.

The final production notes read more like a discussion guide than anything else. They propose questions for us, the audience, to answer, and end them all with “What was Noir to you?” I’ll tell you what it was to me – a story of love and redemption, a story of action and violence, a story of growth and diminishing, a story of two women whose lives change are irrevocably changed when they meet after many years. And the beginning of a fantastic triptych of girls with guns on the run.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Character – 9
Story – 8
Yuri – 6
Service – 4 Hawt ritual bathing action

Overall – 9

Still want to do a Noir, Madlax, El Cazador marathon. If they are each good by themselves, how much better will they be when we run them together until our eyes bleed? Everything’s better in excess! ^_^





Yuri Drama CD: El Cazador de la Bruja, Volume 2

February 28th, 2008

My goodness,the El Cazador Drama CD, Volume 2 is a cute Drama CD. Set somewhere just past halfway into the series, after Ellis has started to realize that Nadie is more than a friend, but well before Nadie clues in, this Christmas story finds our two adventurers on the run with Santa Claus.

Not *the* Santa Claus, of course. In this case, the story begins with Nadie telling Ellis that she remembers a Christmas in New York City. Ellis presses her for details, which Nadie is loathe to share. When she – reluctantly – begins the story, it goes something like this. “Santa Claus was running away.”

At which Santa Claus comes running out of a store and into their car, importuning them to floor it. After some banter, they take off. Nadie is amazed at the irony when Clive, the Santa in question, turns out to be the *same* Santa as that in her New York story.

The opening credits are an opportunity for Ellis to keep changing the title of the story, inserting “New York” in every version, until Nadie puts a stop to it.

Eventually Ellis learns the New York story, and why Clive is (still) on the run. There’s gunfights and poignant moments, and Ellis using her newfound powers, and LA being a freak, and Ricardo being whipped by Lilio into dressing as Santa (red poncho) and walking around with a llama with a red nose. And each scene narrated dryly, as usual, by Jody “Blue Eyes” Hayward.

In the end, Clive was wearing a red shirt for a good reason, and Ellis and Nadie are forced to confront Clive’s mother, now a nun, with the gift he had made for her. Ellis’ innate honesty and goodness force Clive’s mother to forgive her son and they move on, having once again changed the world one person at a time.

The story is a little thin, but there were a few excellent scenes and one very un-excellent scene. ^_^

The best scene, IMHO, is Blue Eyes asking one of her henchwomen to stay for a drink, since it’s Christmas Eve and all. She begins interrogating the woman – likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. None, comes the answer. Blue Eyes makes fun of the woman a little, but when the questions are turned on her and she doesn’t have any better answers, the henchwoman notes that they are the same. Scene fades out. My imagination doesn’t. ^_^

The most horriblest scene involves LA singing the Amigos tacos song. Try imagining it. That’s not nearly half as bad as it actually was. 0_0

And the funniest scene comes right at the very end in a 12-second track, when Ricardo, Liliio, and the llama, drive by Nadie and Ellis. ^_^

The bonus track was very long, with quite a lot of conversation from the main cast. Miyano Mamoru, LA’s actor, is quick to point out that LA is not, in fact, a pervert or hentai – his feelings are genuine love for Ellis. I agree, but it doesn’t make him any less horrible.

Hisakawa Aya is bemoaning the fact that Rosenberg’s voice actor, Miyake Kenta, isn’t with them this time and wouldn’t you know it – he walks in at that very moment! “Uso!” Hisakwa says, and a conversation that has nothing at all to do with us listeners erupts. ^_^

No physical extras, but the cover art is just about exactly as cute as the story inside.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Yuri – 3
Service  – 4

Overall – 7

While not as love-love as the first El Cazador DCD, the second is still fun.





Yuri Drama CD: El Cazador de La Bruja

January 17th, 2008

Had a *brilliant* time at the signing last night, I’ll post pics and comments this weekend. In the mean time, a review of an actual anime-related thing! Can you believe it?

It’s not too often I can call a Drama CD just about perfect. Kotonoha no Miko to Kotodama no Majyo to: Madrigal Halloween is pretty much the only one I’d give that title to so far. But El Cazador de la Bruja: El Bosque del Eco must certainly share the title. It has everything an El Cazador fan could possibly want. Ellis teasing Nadie slightly inappropriately, Nadie saying, “Yuigon attara, dozo” in that way she does, with the smile obvious in her tone, Ellis brightly saying “Yes sir!” when she gets her own way, Ricardo saving the day, Lilio not speaking until she does and then creeping us all out, Blue Eyes sardonically narrating, and sharing a moment or two with one of her unnamed henchchicks. Unfortunately, Rosenberg pretending to be a decent guy to Melissa, who is desperately trying to trust him. And, of course…LA being a freakazoid.

And magic, and violence and miracles and action and great music.

Perfect.

For fans of the series, this was an episode that fits in the final third of the series – after Ellis has realized that she’s in love with Nadie, but not vice versa yet.

The story begins with our heroines arriving at a town with no money, and no prospects – there’s not even an Amigos Tacos in the place. A pervy old guy approaches them with a request to pose for inappropriate pictures, which is negotiated down a bit, until they are sidetracked by finding an emerald necklace. Oh, the pervy old dude says – that belongs to the Professor, it’s part of a treasure from the mythical Ringing Forest. So off Ellis and Nadie go to return the necklace and make the world right.

Only, they encounter the Professor’s wife dying from a gunshot wound, and who gives them a casket. They try to return all of this to the Professor who turns out to be a fake, in it for the money – and his partner, the pervy old guy. Nadie and Ellis fall for the oldest trick in the book and are drugged. Ricardo wakes them up, then watches hopelessly as they drive off to get their revenge – well, they don’t actually say that, but let’s be real.

LA delays the creepy guys, Ricardo saves their lives, LA eventually kills them anyway and in the end, Ellis and Nadie learn that the casket actually holds a skeleton, the spirit of which possesses Lilio and says that it has come home, followed by the manifestation of the El Bosque del Eco, the Ringing Forest. And all is well again. In the epilogue, Ellis tries to get Nadie into a daring bathing suit, if not for the pictures, then just to enjoy her in same. (She obfuscated a situation a bit earlier in the story, too, in order to undress Nadie – when confronted about it, all Ellis would say was that Nadie was sexy that way.)

In the beginning and middle of the story, Rosenberg lies beautifully to Melissa a bit, too.

This DCD comes with the extra of a postcard of the cover art of Nadie and Ellis looking happily at one another. And the cast and crew credits come in English and Japanese, something I thought was kinda cool.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 5
Service – 6

Overall – 8

Unless I’m hallucinating, Jody “Blue Eyes” Hayward’s henchchicks never get any voice credit – or, indeed, names. Anyone know who they are and why that is?