Archive for the Yuri Anime Category


Yuri Anime: Bubblegum Crisis/Bugglegum Crash

February 15th, 2005

Funny how I never seemed to get around to this series….

Way back, in the dawn of time, I was writing anime reviews for a newsletter that no longer exists, called Metro Druid News (It’s now transmogrified into News From the Other Grove, for which I no longer write, but it’s still pretty fun.) I was writing, specifically, reviews of anime with pagan/magical/spiritual content. So, of course, the companies kept sending me shounen action stories with guns. I suppose it made sense to someone. More likely, it was all they had.

In the middle of the piles of samurai and scifi, was a series called Bubblegum Crisis. I had *heard* of BGC – one could hardly avoid it since, along with Dirty Pair and Project A-ko, it was one of the earliest anime to make it to western shores. This is one of those anime series the old-timers talk about when they talk about huddling over Nth generation videos with mimeographed copies of hand-typed translations, well before fansubs existed. (My personal experience with this was 9th generation copy of a volume of raw Sailor Moon.)

BGC, for the three of you who have never heard of it, is a cyberpunk action story, about four women battling corporate corruption and mutating androids. A very Akira-period anime without the nuclear fallout feel. There was the inevitable yuri implications between the four female leads: Motorcycle-riding, tough, dark, angsty Priss; loli computer genius Nene; bland Lina and; slick, sexy rich-girl Sylia. For the women, there was an effeminate gay cop who flirts valiantly with straight male lead Leon. Even as I think back to my first watching of BGC,I can remember just how *much* this series had something for everybody. And, of course, a lot of mutating androids, guns and explosions. Not surprisingly, it’s still a fan favorite after all this time.

But, even as I watched and suffered through the soundtrack, (a comment for which I *know* I will recieve hate mail) I thought, well, you know Priss is butchy as hell…but ‘m just not seeing the Sylia x Priss thing everyone else is seeing. I tried, I really did! ^_^

But then Episode 5 rolled around and Sylvie – a motorcycle-ridin’ sexaroid with a noir storyline shows up and I simply took the yuri goggles off, because there was plenty to be seen without ’em. This was my first experience with rampant shounen yuri implication, so it sidelined me a bit.

Here’s a piece of obscure trivia – Priss was voted best overall anime lesbian in the first Yuricon Poll, which ran back in 2000. It caused a huge Usenet stink, because a bunch of people were offended that she was even considered to be a lesbian. I say, if it wears leather like a duck, and rides a motorcycle like a duck and hangs out with sexy lesbian sexaroids like a duck….

Don’t get me wrong – there is no happy ending here, but it’s still a pretty damn good story. Just enough dark and grim to give it atmosphere, lots of action, the requisite sexy chicks (at least, what passed for sexy anime chicks in the 1980s…bad hair alert!) and poor Priss’s excruciating Pat Benatar-like music, which were pretty much the perfect beat for walking on a treadmill. The old VHS tapes I had also included music videos made from clips of the arcs and the songs Priss sung in them…whether this was a “bonus” will directly depend on whether you *liked* the music or not. ^_^

If you haven’t watched BGC – especially if you’re a relatively recent Yuri fan – I strongly recommend that you do. It’s good to know where we’ve been to see where we’re going – and how far we have yet to go….





Yuri Anime: Seraphim Call, Part 2 (English)

February 11th, 2005

Disc 2 of Seraphim Call is better than the first. Much better. Why is that? The stories are paced a *bit* quicker, and even the art is tighter. It almost feels as if the animators were just getting the hang of it, and then it ends.

Or, maybe, I just like the vignettes better on this disc.

To start off, in Episode seven we meet Saeno, one of two adults in the story. Saeno is a mathematics genius who has become an English teacher. Her story revolves around a particular math problem – that of “squaring the circle.” Her story also has a little light time travel, just for flavor.

Episode eight is meant to be a parody on super mecha rescue forces, lead by rich girl Ayaka…but fails to be funny, which is kind of deathly for a parody.

Then comes episode nine. This epsiode is really the best one. The fact that it’s Yuri-flavored helps, but even if it were utterly straight, it would still be the best of the bunch. Again, the narrative is partially non-linear, and the “twist” is really obvious, nonetheless it’s still a really decent piece of writing. In this episode, we are introduced to a “legend” of Kurenai Kasumi, through the eyes of a schoolgirl/documentary host. While tracing the legend of Kasumi, we meet Yakko, a cynical camerawoman who dismisses the legend as bunk, constantly challenging the girl’s unquestioning belief in the legend. I won’t give away the surprise ending, but let me say that its definitely got a Yuri edge to it. To add to the fun, Kasumi’s voice is done by Asakawa Yuu, who has done other notable lesbian characters as Sakaki-san from Azumanga Daioh, Jura from Vandread and even another red-haired motorcycle-riding uber-cool babe (and Yuri fan favorite) Priss, from Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040.

This one episode really notches up the Yuri for the major heavy-duty akogare and again for Kasumi’s backstory. And because she rides a motorcycle. ;-)

Episode ten is an interesting multi-layer story of Kurumi, a high school student who is also a popular manga artist. When her life and her story become foils for each other, it adds a layer of complexity to both her writing and her own existence. The manga itself has a part to play in the narrative and we see how Kurumi’s experience affects her story directly. The only complaint I had for this episode is that Media Blasters translated the spoken words of the characters of the manga, but not the words written in the manga, which were not always the same as what was being said. Good thing I can read a little Japanese…

The last of the introductory episodes I can only describe as a surrealist introspective monologue by Urara, a girl whose best friend appears to be…a door. The entire episode is laid out as a kind of one-person play, with Urara the only actor. All other people in her life are invisible to us – although we can see that they do exist, we never see them directly. It’s a bit heavy on the door/adulthood imagery, but kind of interesting for all that.

Which brings us to the final episode, in which all the characters are linked. In the preceding episodes, we are never given any idea that any of these characters know each other, but in the final episode, a chain of circumstantial acquaintance or friendship bring them together for “the screening.”

Urara from the last episode goes to the same school as Yukina, the genius from the first episode, who tells her about the plan to project faces on a big screen in space that night. Yukina, in turn, knows Tanpopo from episode two, who contacts Kurumi from episode ten (which includes an amusing mistake as Tanpopo assumes that Kurumi is a guy and is shocked when Kurumi wonders why Tanpopo would think that her lover is a woman…which launches Tanopopo on a silly monologue about romantic boys’ love) Kurumi then follows Chinami from episode three and, completely inexplicably, confesses that she loves her. It’s particularly random given Kurumi’s apparent interest in the guy who moves in with her family in her own episode…but who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? Chinami’s reaction, btw, is brilliant – she says that she’s pretty picky about looks and asks Kurumi to remove her glasses to see if she’s worth considering. I really think that Chinami wins here. ^_^

Chinami meets Hatsumi for some cake, admits that she was propositioned by a girl, and Hatsumi mentions how she met Kurenai Kasmumi and asks her for advice on being her own self. (I’d like to point out that Hatsumi was still wearing pants and a tie and looked really good. ^_^) The scene with Hatsumi in tie and Kasumi in leather is, visually speaking, one of my personal favorites. ^_^

Kasumi then calls her former teacher Saeno to thank her for a math problem she had posed in school the year before, and to offer the solution. Saeno turns around and speaks to Ayaka, who strafes Shion and Sakura’s compound in her plane. The best part of this penultimate scene was seeing that Sakura had a personality after all – she’s quite nasty to Ayaka. Good.

So, the climax comes and all the girls are together and…the anime ends.

It makes sense, I guess, but I kept wondering, well…so what? What now? It seems as if we’re poised for something that just isn’t there.

Again – not quality. But, interesting, with exceptional writing in a few places and not so much in others. As an exercise in “voice” it’s quite good – every episode had a completely different sound and feel from every other (excepting of course, the twins’.)

For Yuri fans – well, given that Shion and Sakura are an item, that Kasumi’s backstory is Yuri, that Kurumi confesses to Chinami and that Hatsumi gives off that cross-dress-y babydyke vibe…it’s a win.

Ratings:

Art – 5
Story – Variable, from 2-8
Characters – 7, something for everyone
Music – Variable, but averaging at about a 7 (the end themes are all sung by the voice actresses for that episode’s main character)
Yuri – 8

Overall – 7, but definitely worth Yuri fans’ attention.





Yuri Anime: Seraphim Call, Part 1(English)

February 10th, 2005

Remember what I said a few days ago about quality? Well, upon rewatching Seraphim Call, I came to the conclusion that, quality it ain’t.

Let’s start with the packaging, since that’s what one sees first. Media Blasters has always been, IMHO, a bit behind the curve on aesthetics, but I can’t fault them too much. While this OVA doesn’t have cool extras or liner notes or *anything* other than that ever-present market research card, it *does* have all 12 episodes on 2 DVDs, for a reasonable cost.  This DVD is Japanese language audio only, with English subtitles…no dub available. This doesn’t bother me, of course, but it may be an issue with others.

Additionally, the type MB uses for their subtitles is the same exact one they have been using since the dawn of time and it looks…dated. Little yellow words that pop up in stark declarative or interrogative sentences with no other forms of punctuation than period or question mark. It’s really disturbing after a while, because even though the voices are normal, there’s a sense of droning monotony, because of the subtitles. (And yes, I am perfectly aware that I’m over-sensitive to such things. But I calls ’em as I see ’em.)

I sat down to watch the first disc with only a vague memory of the individual vignettes, having intially watched them quite a few years ago now. The basic premise is 11 entirely unrelated girls and women will be brought together for *something* to happen. The first 11 epsiodes are background stories on each of the 11 girls, and episode 12 is supposed to tie everything together. I remembered only that about 1/4 of the cast was gay. ^_^

I did not know then, but do know now, that the original character designer is Aoi Nanase (creator of Angel Dust) which explains several things, like the gayness and the odd hair. I’m not sure if there’s a manga for this series, but if there is, I’d like to read it, to see if the story ever goes anywhere. (Perhaps one of my loyal readers can assist with this? Have you heard of or seen a manga version?)

So, with vague memories and a mild fever, I began re-watching Seraphim Call.

The first episode was a slow-paced story about Yukina, a super-genius mechanical engineer with a phobia of men. I had, for some reason, remembered each episode being quite short, but I was wrong – maybe it was wishful thinking, because this epsiode *draaaagggggged.*

Episode two I skipped. It’s a repulsive little loli stalker perv thing that I have no interest in ever seeing again. Once was scarring enough.

By this time I was reclaiming old memories and quite clearly knew what was coming.

Episode three is the tale of Chinami, a girl with a dream to be a dessert chef and divorced parents. Slow, again, but actually kind of the most realistic story of the bunch.

Episode four is, IMHO, the best of the first disc. Using a non-linear narrative, we learn about Hatsumi, a boyish, athletic girl who agrees (after much resistance) to model nude for a painting. It’s not Yuri, at all, but there’s a gender and self identity issue, which is also quite realistic for a high school girl. Although I wish *someone* had told Hatsumi that she looked adorable in shorts and tie…

Episodes five and six are a combo story, which gives the individual perspectives of a pair of creepy incestuous lesbian twin sisters as they reject all else but each other. I remember being strongly disturbed by these episodes the first time I watched the series, but you know, after watching again yesterday, I can only say that I quite prefer them together. It lowers the possibility that anyone else will get involved in their dysfunctional worldviews. These two episodes are full of unresolved virtual reality escapades, which leaves you with no clue whether the girls are back in reality – or were ever there to begin with. After I finished watching, I was disturbed all over again, but this time not by Shion and Sakura, but by myself thinking that, actually, these two episodes were kind of sweet and touching in a really weird way.

Clearly anime is sucking my soul away, one episode at a time.

My last two thoughts, as I watched Shion and Sakura kiss for the second time, were these:

1) I can pretty much guarantee that I would never in a million years fall in love with someone who looked exactly like me, and;

2) How on *earth* did this anime get rated 7 and up???? Did the person who rated it not watch episodes 2,5 and 6?

In any case, while this anime really is Yuri-riffic, its not…erm…good. However, I hold out more hope for Disc 2, where we get some Yuri that isn’t creepy. ^_^





Yuri:Anime ROD The TV, DVD Volume 4 (English)

January 25th, 2005

What can I say about ROD The TV, Volume 4 other than, “Omigodomigodomigodomigod!!”

Watching *this* volume of *this* anime is as close to having sex as you can get without doing anything even remotely like having sex.

Episode 13 of ROD the TV is quite possibly one of the best episodes of anime *ever.* Certainly right up in the top three for me. This whole volume had me on the edge of my seat, and I already know what’s going to happen – I mean really, how amazing is that? In fact, although I just watched these epsiodes, I kind of want to watch them all over again right now.

In the original TV broadcast, episodes 15 and 16 had serious art degradation, but Geneon announced that this would be corrected in the DVD release – and it was. The art seems a bit over-kill on the shading department now, but it is a big improvement over the original…and damn straight too, because this is THE volume, kids, THE one! Nenene’s big scene was, in the original version scarred by seriously crappy art. Scarred no more, we can sniffle along with Nenene, as she learns just exactly what’s been going on for the last five years. (And boy is this volume creepy as hell, as we realize just how nuts Joker and Wendy are.)

The translation seemed a little inconsistent, as the translators occasionally slip into telling us something like what the characters said, as opposed to what they actually said; but there are also a few spots where this translation was significantly better than the fansubbers’ – especially in Wendy’s exposition of what the real deal is. This mix of science, history, medicine and fantasy is not easy material to be translating. Clearly. And I, for one, applaud the translators for their fine effort.

Best scene ever in any anime ever, for my money, is when Nenene hauls off and belts Joker. I watched it three times, just because it feels so damn good. ^_^

The only downside to Volume 4? The pencil board. This one isn’t just yucky or offensive – it’s downright getting towards illegal. I was NOT happy with this pencil board. If I haven’t made it clear, then let me be plain. Lolicon grosses me out the door. And folks who find it sexy gross me out too. I’m sorry, but…you’re wrong in the head if you think kids are sex material. I include the folks who decided that this pencil board was a good idea. Hey guys – you were wrong. It wasn’t. This was in plain-old bad taste.

Ratings? 10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10 ad infinitum ad nauseum





Yuri Anime:Azumanga Daioh, DVD Vol. 6

January 11th, 2005

Short review, today, on a short volume of short vignettes about a short period in one’s life.

Well, here we are at the final volume of Azumanga Daioh, and as with my first viewing, I’m kind of bummed. Only this time, I know why.

This entire series, which up to now has focused on goofball comedy, all of a sudden gets entirely too maudlin for me at the end.

Well, that, and there’s only three episodes on the DVD.

BUT, we do get those excellent liner notes, another pin (Of a cat! How unexpected!) This time the pin is Maya, the Iriomote cat which adopts Sakaki-san. – something that, while I won’t wear, at least *liked*. And we get the Azumanga Daioh mini-movie as an extra on the DVD, which was nice, but still not nearly as funny as the TV series was.

Lastly, in the final few moments of the story, we get one last shot of yuri obsession, as Kaorin spends a tense moment trying to explain, rather urgently, just how *important* it was that she get a copy of that picture Tomo took of her and Sakaki-san. ^_^

It’s nice to know that I can visit this crowd whenever I’m in need of a laugh, and overall, ADV did a reasonable job with it. Thumbs up for this last volume in this excellent series.

Final Ratings for Azumanga Daioh on DVD from ADV:

Story – 9
Characters – 9
Art – 7
Music – 8
Translation – 8
Extras – 9
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8.5

A very worthwile addition to any anime (and Yuri) fan’s collection.