Archive for the Series Category


New Anime Season Summer 2009: Yuri Anime: Aoi Hana

July 2nd, 2009

If you are not familiar with Aoi Hana check out my review of Volume 1 of the Aoi Hana manga (or if you want the story through Volume 3, check the Aoi Hana category on the sidebar. Today we’re just going to talk anime.

Crunchyroll launched this anime with no fanfare – in fact, with barely even a blip on the radar. No press release, no time to build anticipation. But, there it was, with 6 hours to go before it launched on Japanese TV at some gawdforsaken hour, a simulcast in CR was announced to be shown one hour later. You can still catch that first episode, of course.

Rumors about this production were pretty rampant. The voice cast is newcomers to the field, maybe Ikuhara Kunihiko (of Revolutionary Girl Utena fame) might be animating the opening sequence. In fact, he did and it’s quite lovely and although they are relatively new names to the seiyuu world, the skill and professionalism of the voice actresses was top notch.

So, the clock ran down and there we were watching what was certainly the most anticipated Yuri anime of 2009 to date.

Right off the bat, the opening sequence was lovely. Spoilery, maybe, but lovely. The ending sequence uses some of the watercolor art from the manga as a background and was, in its own way, just as nice. The songs were totally suitable.

As I said, the voice cast was excellent. Some people have complained that Fumi’s voice is too high, but as usual, they are forgetting that by Japanese standards, a high-pitched girly voice is *more* attractive, not less. And despite the delusion we as fans have, there really is no sign that Japanese anime companies give a rat’s ass about what we want. Especially as it is still Japanese fans who shell out the yen for what they want, while foreign fans are much more reluctant to do so.

I found the art appealing, and felt that the tone of the manga was captured perfectly. I have no complaints about the anime itself.

There were a number of issues with the subtitles. Although I had no problems, many people have written in here and other places to note that subtitles did not always work. At least one person commented that it’s a known bug. This is unacceptable, really, for a company trying to rethink their business model and be *the* portal for anime to the western audience. In some cases, simply right-clicking and “enabling” subtitles worked to fix this. In other cases, refreshing the page did. In yet others nothing seemed to work.

On the positive side, it appears that there was no subscription embargo for the simulcast, although there were IP limitations. CR has posted a list of the countries in which the series can be legally viewed in their Aoi Hana forums – consider posting intelligently there to counter the “eww Yuri” posts. For my part, less than $7/month is less than one sandwich and chips and I think it’s a ridiculously low price to pay for legal streaming anime, subbed, that I want to see, right after it was on Japanese TV. I’m more than happy to pay the price.

My main thought about all this is that we finally have a “Yuri” anime we can show people as a stereotypical Yuri series, in the same way that Gravitation has stood as a gateway “Yaoi” anime for so many years. This story has many of the most typical Yuri tropes, but is not a parody or a melodrama. It is a good story, but undeniably about a young woman who likes women. The characters are strong, are likable and are the kind of people you’d want over for lunch.

Yesterday I was able to watch a simulcast of Aoi Hana, eat ice cream and watch fireworks. It was just about the most perfect day ever. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Characters – 9
Story – 8
Yuri – 7 (Ultimately, not in episode 1, however)
Service – 1

Overall – 9

This is a great way to continue the odd-numbered year Yuri effect. We can look forward to this, then autumn will bring even more good things for us with El Cazador and Sasameikoto.





Yuri News: Aoi Hana Anime on Crunchyroll

July 1st, 2009

Fans of Aoi Hana will be able to watch the new anime within an hour of it showing on Japanese TV on Cruchyroll!

Check out the CR Aoi Hana listing for information. It will be made available at 3PM EDT for American viewers.

Update: This simulcast is subbed, and appears to be available to UK, Mexico and Canada viewers as well. If you can confirm any other countries, please let us know!.





My-Zhime (My Otome) Zwei Anime

June 26th, 2009

It is just after the end of the My Otome TV series, and Arika is a hero, but things aren’t any easier for her. School is still tough, she and Mashiro have a fight and are separated and, just to make sure that nothing is easy, a new, powerful bad guy appears. Welcome to My Zhime Zwei.

Sensibly, the bad guy takes out all the powerful, cool Otome first, leaving all the smaller fry (and not coincidentally, our heroines Arika and Nina) to take them on and win the day for all. Really, there’s never even the remotest concern that Good and Right won’t win. If you’re hoping for something like that, you’re totally watching the wrong franchise. ^_^

Because of the relative intelligence of the baddy, Shizuru and Natsuki are apart for the bulk of this series. Aoi and Chie have little time together, hardly sharing a panel. So for Yuri, we have to turn our attentions to the far more amusing comedy couple Brigadier Haruka Armitage and her President, Yukino Chrysant of Aries. In episode two they bring it, with fireworks and ticker tape and a really big megaphone. For the second episode alone, this volume is worth the cost. It’s full of big grinny Haruka awesomeness. If – and I mean that with a sense of complete certainty that it will not happen – IF, I were to ever feel compelled to write a Mai-anything fanfic, it would be Haruka, Yukino, some things that go ka-boom and awesome. Just like episode two of this volume.

Nina and Arika beat the bad guys, no one kills Nagi and everyone lives happily ever after. The end, until they come out with S.ifr here, or manage to come up with another anime addition to the set.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Characters – 8 Haruka for the win. Even as a block of stone she rocks.
Story – 7
Yuri – 4
Service – 5

Overall – 7

I want to express a sincere disappointment and frustration for the execrable quality of doujinshi for Mai Otome. I have a number of them, and they are all so very bad. I have developed a theory based on this, but don’t have energy to expound right now. Someone remind me next week to discuss it. I’ll call it “six degrees of service” as a mental reminder.

Many, many thanks to the sponsor of today’s feast, Okazu Superhero Ana M, for her kindness, generosity, and all around subarashii-ness. Ana, you’re da bomb! Or whatever tanks shoot. Shells, I guess, right? You’re an absolute shell. ^_^





Yuri Manga: Burst Angel, Volume 3 (English)

June 19th, 2009

Answer: Love

Question: What is the one thing that defines something as being not a “monster?”

In Volume 3 of Burst Angel, the revelation that Jo was actually created to be a monster comes too late for us to ever be able to believe it, because we’ve already seen the look in her eyes when she looks at Meg.

And so has Meg.

So, no matter what people say about Jo – no matter what Meg hears about her inhumanity, she knows damn well that Jo is really a human and really, truly, someone that she’d go to the wire for. It doesn’t matter that Sei offers her scads of cash to stay away, that a crazy-ass killer named Rumpelstiltskin insists she was a cold-blooded killing machine or even an evil corporation that reveals Jo was created as a Genocide Angel, can keep her away from Jo’s side.

And that, my friends, is all we ever wanted to see out of this series. Jo and Meg together. And it is why the manga is orders better than the anime.

Thankfully, the reproduction was up to snuff this time. At last, a volume worthy of Burst Angel. I can’t speak for you, but the image of Meg and Jo walking away from the hospital together arm in arm, Meg asking if they’ll be together forever from now on, and both of them smiling at one another was *exactly* the ending I wanted from this series.

Meg and Jo are together.

QED.

Ratings:

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

Overall – 8

Once more I tip my hat in thanks to Okazu Superhero Eric P. for being the sponsor of today’s and all our Burst Angel reviews. I think this is the final chapter Eric, we’re going to need a new series to obsess about. ^_^





Maria Watches Over Us Anime: Season 3, Volume 3 (English)

June 18th, 2009

There I was, surveying my domain, which is to say I was staring at my pile of things to review, and I saw the Season 3 boxset of Maria Watches Over Us. It came into my mind to review “Ciao, Sorella”…and, I smiled. Because this particular OAV makes me smile. Every time. Smiled when I watched it raw, right after it was on Japanese TV, and again when I bought the Japanese collector’s edition (complete with marble-pattered photo album) and again when I saw it subbed and yes, again when I watched it – twice – from my shiny happy boxset from Right Stuf/Nozomi.

This is the last of the third season, the last OAV for the series to date. To write the novel, this was the first time Konno Oyuki had ever gone a overseas trip for reference – and it shows. This book reads like a tour of Italy in the company of Yumi, Yoshino and Shimako. Which is exactly what it is. Many fans were disappointed with the OAV, as nothing happened. Since Lillian is the Talking Heads “Heaven” and nothing ever happens, this seemed spot on for me.

Yumi, Yoshino and Shimako are off on their second-year class trip and, as befits a private school for rich girls, they don’t go to Okinawa, they go to Italy. On tour they see exactly the same things anyone sees while on a group tour of Italy. Relax, when you watch this. Have some gelato because one does while on tour of Italy, and smile at the goofy pictures of the girls pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa because, as Tsutako says, just because something is typical doesn’t mean it can’t be good.

There is a little drama in this story – Yoshino’s dark secret, Shimako’s angelic tears, but there is *way* more comedy than drama. Most of the drama is turned into comedy.

Here’s my three favorite scenes:

Yumi, Yoshino, Tsutako and Mami on a gondola ride, listening to the gondolier talking in broken English, which none of them are really fluent in, about the Bridge of Sighs. He tells them about the legend of kissing the one you love as they pass under. They look at each other like – what on earth are we supposed to do with that information? In the book, Yumi actually thinks that out loud and they talk about coming back when they have someone. Yumi thinks it might be fun to return with Sachiko.

Shimako, in tears at the sublime “Last Judgement,” standing there with Yumi, when Yoshino walks up and says, “Don’t you think Jesus is a little fat?” Awesome Yoshino moment.

And in Florence, a budgie that says, “Firenze senbei,” which was not what I adored about this scene, but that the OTHER thing the parakeet says was, “Stop it already, Satou-san.” ^_^ The win scene of the book.

There is little Yuri in this series, as there has ever been. This series is about relationships that are labeled “sister” for a good reason. There is love, of course, and I’d even go so far to say that some of that has been romantic, but forever platonic, or nearer to it. Sachiko’s admission of having missed Yumi may not make much of an impression on you, but it warms the cockles of my heart, as my late grandmother used to say.

One more thing before I forget….

Shizuka! Squee!

Even a Shizuka drive-by is wonderful (there was one late in the novel series, in which we saw her in passing at a train station. And of course there’s the wonderful story “The Little Match Girl” in Variety Gift.) How much more wonderful to have some full-blown Shizuka time. Always a pleasure to see our old friends.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Yuri – 1
Service – 2 (there was actually a little service in this one. Did you blink and miss it?)

Overall – 8

Now the Third Season is behind us, and we have nothing to do but await the Fourth and start collecting Special CDs and Drama CDs again! And pray to the Pizza Hut gods that they are willing to finance a final series of OVAs.