Archive for the Yuri Anime Category


Yuri Anime: Gakuen Alice Update

April 25th, 2005

Jet lag is not fun. My only consolation is that everyone else who went to Japan with me feels the same way, so it isn’t me. Maybe it was the earthquake, but probably not. ^_^

In any case, I spent this weekend catching up on anime, including several excellent, but essentially non-Yuri series like Emma and Speed Grapher. And while I was at it, I managed to get up-to-date with Gakuen Alice, the only series I am currently watching with a Yuri couple that doesn’t make me want to cringe. (I say this because I am valiantly watching a few other series, which I will write about anon, that make me feel quite disgusted. All for the sake of Yuri. Sigh.)

Gakuen Alice only has a few more episodes left in its run, which is too bad, because it’s been pretty decent. As you may remember from my November review of this series, this anime is about your basic normal girl, Mikan, in the decidedly non-normal circustances of a school filled with children who have special powers and no manners.

The series follows Mikan as she surmounts enormous odds to turn the obnoxious brats of the school into friends, allies and even admirers. Her “alice” is nullification, which means that she can’t be hurt by other alices, but of course, she can be mortified and embarrassed. Much like Bink from Piers Anthony’s original Xanth book, from way back when he actually wrote novels that weren’t just collections of dumb puns about Florida.

I’d like to say that the saving grace of this series was the yuri love between Mikan and her bestest friend Hotaru…but I’d be lying if I did. Throughout most of the series, Hotaru has acted as if Mikan was nothing more than a bother – although from Mikan’s point of view, Hotaru has become increasingly desirable. We are treated to a scene mid-series where Mikan is caught snuggling her pillow and kissing it while dreaming of Hotaru.

So it’s been pretty much one-sided Yuri.

About 3/4 through the series, Hotaru thaws. In Episode 20, while the writers are cleverly tring to distract us with a non-existent straight love triangle between Mikan and Ruka and Natsume, Hotaru goes all Yuri with style.

Apparently, at the school dance, whoever you have the last dance with will love you forever or some such kind of thing. Ruka asks Mikan for the dance, but it turned down graciously. He gets an earlier dance, which he accepts just as graciously. It is supposed to appear that Natsume will be the recipient of Mikan’s last dance request, however, Hotaru has other plans. She has won some kind of contest and is allowed to choose any partner from among the entire crowd. In front of everyone, over the PA system so *no one* misses the announcement, she chooses Mikan. Yay Hotaru!

See above picture for reference. ^_^

Since then, Hotaru has been much more physically open with Mikan, allowing all the hugs and physical affection she previously rejected. I don’t see this relationship going any further, but in my opinion, this was a major battle won. We can hope for a first kiss snuck in there somewhere, off-stage at least.. ^_^

So, with two episodes to go, I still don’t know what’s going to happen in the plot, which makes me wish that the series would continue a little longer.

Ratings:

Story – 8
Characters – 8
Art – 7
Music – 7
Yuri – 7

Overall – a strong 7 with high recommendation, especially as the rest of this season is looking pretty bad for Yuri fans. ^_^





Yuri Anime: Ikkitousen, DVD Volume 4

April 5th, 2005

Ikkitousen is, despite trying *very* hard to be a piece of crap, a damn good story.

This short OVA wraps up in Volume 4, with some darn good pithy action and character development. Unfortunately, like a little sister who keep jumping into the scene when you’re trying to take a picture of your friends, the fanservice is really distracting – I mean, to the point of actually detracting from the storyline. Which is a bloody shame, because in these three episodes, what was on and off a decent story goes straight into a fairly intense plot. Except the visuals don’t support the story at *all.*

In a lot of ways, it might almost be better to watch this whole volume with the English soundtrack on, while doing something else entirely. This way you would be able to hear the story unfold, without having to crane around the panty and nipple shots, just to get to the action.

While the rest of the character interaction is good, the transformation of Ryofu into uber-lesbian is completed in this volume and really, she gets extra snaps for dying so damn well. Which brings me to the manga version of Ikkitousen, repulsively entitled, Battle Vixens. In Volume 6 of Battle Vixens, Ryofu meets a completely different death, but one no less hunky and yuri-filled.

In the anime, Chinkyuu, Ryofu’s vassal and lover, dies trying to bring the Great Seal to her mistress. Ryofu berates her, because she never wanted to rule, but Chinkyuu admits that it would have made her happy to see Ryofu at peace. At which point, Chinkyuu closes her eyes for the last time and what little zest for life Ryofu has, goes with her. Ryofu has a tearful and moving departure from Chinkyuu, with the hope that they’d be together soon. And off she goes to kill Toutaku, like the obnoxious little expletive deleted he is. Before her death, Ryofu gets one last jibe at Ryomou. “It’s a shame, because you really are my type.” lol You gotta hand it to Ryofu – she’s got one thing one her mind. We are left with no doubt that, as she sloughs her mortal coil, she joins Chinkyuu in whatever passes as heaven for this story.

In the manga, Ryofu’s final fight is against Unchou, and she is taking a brutal beating. Her one moment of victory is that she managed to make Unchou pee her pants. Obsessing about this, Ryofu goes down at the hands of the superior Fighter. Chinkyuu (who had not been in the story until this moment,) runs up and shields Ryofu’s body from the killing blow. In response to Unchou’s taunts, Chinkyuu explains that she serves Ryofu to the death, and scooping her beloved lord into her arms, self-destructs so that they die together.

Regardless of the rest of the utter shittiness of the manga and much of the crapiness of the anime, these two rock. They have great deaths in both versions.

Our little Ryomou, in the meantime, has thrown herself into the role of vassal to Hakufu with vigor, but we get more than a few glimpses of her real interest – Hakufu’s mother, Goei. I love the way she blushes everytime Goei thanks her or smiles at her.

Again I say, despite working hard to end dumbly, the anime actually has a decent and fun ending. Good enough that it made me want to read The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which I did. And for the record, Lu Bu (Ryofu) and Lu Meng (Ryomou) kick butt in the novel, too. :-)But it’s not always easy to recognize the characters’ Chinese names, so I was never able to figure out just who Chinkyuu was – and the research I’ve turned up has that name associated with several different possible characters from the novel.

In any case, as I finished this volume I couldn’t help but think what a truly GREAT anime this would have been if they backed off on the fanservice a notch or three.

If you like panty and nipple fanservice, then you might find the story distracting – its rather complex and may be beyond your ability to concentrate past your fetish.

In conclusion? Good anime despite itself, lots of women who kick ass, at least one serious heavy-duty Yuri couple and the implication of one other crush-y May-December thing going on.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 9
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8

Overall – 8

Ryofu and Chinkyuu were even cooler this time around than the first time I watched. And Ryomou is just brilliant. If she were real, I’d want to adopt her. ^_^





Yuri Anime: ROD The TV, Volume 5

March 29th, 2005

I will never get tired of writing about ROD The TV – are you tired of hearing about it? Too bad! In fact, I may have to rewatch it in about 6 months, just to write about it again. lol

In a nutshell, ROD The TV is, by Volume 5, full on into the second “season” and neck deep in complicated plot. This is not an anime for people who like to do something else while watching TV. You really need to *pay attention.*

Amazing action, wonderful storytelling, the plot deepens without becoming mired in tediousness, even when it’s all backstory and confession. Wendy and Joker are consummate baddies, if only because they otherwise seem perfectly normal, and our gang of heroes turn out to be some of the coolest, most admirable and bitchin’est women in anime. All of them. While the backstory definitely fills in some blanks, it actually serves to make the plot more complicated – and the characters as well. Did I mention good storytelling? For once, I feel that the writers really did an excellent job in crafting a plot and carrying it through to the very end. Every episode ends on a damn decent cliffhanger – something that is not easy to do at all.

But what really stands out in this volume for me is the poignant and apparently unresolvable love triangle of Yomiko, Nancy and Nenene. And they make no bones about it – it’s shown for what it is, two women who want nothing more than to be the emotional prop for a third, who doesn’t have the fortitude to decide between them. And oh my *god* is it good! I’m not a big fan of unresolvable sexual tension, but…oh yeah baby, this volume rocks, for that one thing alone.

The art is pretty consistent, which was a nice change, but the translation was *terrible*. Very dubtitled. There were quite a few scenes I found myself correcting the subtitles mentally, which I think does a terrible disservice to the fans. “I didn’t want to get you involved” and “I didn’t want to get you in trouble” are NOT the same thing at all. They are the same syllable count for the dub – why didn’t you translate it the right way, Geneon? Lazy, lazy, lazy. Points off for that.

The packaging is, as always, good, with double-sided cover and mini-poster. The pencil board is, once again, highly distressing. Not criminal so much as awful, awful, awful art. What exactly is Nancy’s left breast doing? And why is Junior’s torso so horribly elongated? These are questions which will likely never be answered…

If you haven’t watched any of ROD The TV don’t start in the middle. You can do that with, say, Sailor Moon, but not this series. Wait for the final volume to come out and get the box set, then turn off the phone and computer, invite intelligent friends over and marathon as much as you can watch. (We’ve done all of the Sailor Moon S season in one day and all of Marmalade Boy in two, so a mere 26 episodes should be easy!)

Ratings? 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10.





Yuri Anime: Ikkitousen DVD Volume 3

March 24th, 2005

Gods help me, I *really* enjoyed Ikkitousen Vol. 3. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I’m seriously thinking about going home and rewatching it again. Today.

In a nutshell, this volume of the anime version of Wani Comics’ offensively fanservicey, trashy, faux-historical/martial arts epic, details the transformations of Housen Ryofu from psychotic lackey into honorable uber-warrior and Shimei Ryomou from psychotic loner into super-vassal. And despite myself, I really enjoyed the hell out of it.

Ryofu wakes up with the realization that she is dying, and decides to go out with a bang. She’s determined to take Toutaku out before she goes – a fine goal, in my opinion. She heads off to a mountain hot spring to train with *the* master and gain an undefeatable technique and the strength to go with it. Before she leaves, she explains to Chinkyuu why she has to do this, and Chinkyuu responds by explaining why she will stay with Ryofu until the very end. In a single volume, Ryofu goes from being a superficial baddie, to a surprisingly deep heroine.

In the meantime, Goei has brought Hakufu and Koukin (who remains the most annoying character in the series) to the same hot spring, in order to train. Well – they are there to train, she’s there to “take the water” as they say in Jane Austen. Hakufu almost immediately runs into Ryomou who has been drawn there for reasons that remain obscure and convenient.

At the hot spring Ryomou has an epiphany. Well, one epiphany and the beginning of a second. Firstly, she meets and is wowed by Goei, whose casual sensuality simply blows her away enough to remove the stick from her ass for a second.

Then, when she and Hakufu meet Ryofu on a mountain path, Ryomou realizes that her true fate is, was and always will be to serve Hakufu and protect her. In a single defiant gesture, she stands before Ryofu to protect Hakufu with her life. Ryofu laughs, says she doesn’t have the time and runs off.

In the meantime, Chinkyuu makes a bad decision which ends up getting her raped and tortured at the command of Toutaku’s lackey, Kaku Bunwa. Bunwa is one of those second-in-commands that you enjoy watching being taken down, because she thinks she’s so clever, but she ain’t. I’m sure you know the type. When Bunwa tells Ryofu about Chinkyuu, Ryofu goes off to save her lover/vassal in a stunningly impressive display of coolness and ki. Ryofu notches up several ranks of wow as she blows the life out of Bunwa’s enforcers without hardly moving. Waaaahhhhh….coooollll…. I just love a woman who can blow a man’s heart out of his chest.

Ryomou, having determined to serve Hakufu to the death, runs off to see “her” again. Not Hakufu…Goei. Bing Bing! We got a winner here! Ryomou discovers Goei falling to her knees in the street, as she has just met the Fighter that, historically, killed Hakufu. Goei begs Ryomou to protect her daughter and, Ryomou, in her second epiphany, swears to make sure that Goei is never sad. From vassal of the daughter, to serving the mother in one smooth move. Yay Ryomou!

Some other stuff happens – we learn why Toutaku always has bandages on his body, but you know…who cares? And we’re supposed to care about the dragon that is awakening within Hakufu, too. But we don’t, do we? Because *we’re* watching the Yuri-fest going on in the background. ^_^ In any case, Koukin will do all our worrying for us, so we’re free to watch the cool chicks.

The Yuri goggles are getting dusty on the shelf while we watch this volume, I can tell you. The Yuri is so blatant, starting with Ryofu’s waking up naked next to Chinkyuu right down to Ryomou vowing to keep Goei from ever being sad.

Yes, there’s fanservice, but I simply tune it out now. And for once, there’s actual nipples instead of that wretched convention of clothes that have exploded but conveniently hang down *just* to cover the nipples and groin, which I find absolutely tedious. In some ways, the fanservice was *less* stupid because it was more overt. At least it was more honest and less coy.

One final rave about this particular volume – the pencil board did not actually suck! Can you believe it? On the one side is Ukitsu (the Fighter who is supposed to destroy Hakufu) looking seductive and sweet as opposed to kick-ass, which I always find to be a disservice. But! On the other side is *my* favorite character, Goei. Yes, Hakufu’s mother. ^_^ What can I say? I adore her. Anyway, there she is mostly dressed, while her kimono falls sexily around her. She looks just as sensual and aware as she does in the actual show – no frontal lobotomy here. So this pencil board wins. I may actually use it, instead of locking it away with the ROD The TV boards in the “please don’t think I like these” collection.

I’ll be honest, Ikkitousen is not a *good* anime. But given this series’ general suckiness, this DVD is a good volume. (And, for the record, the anime is significantly superior to the manga, which you’ll notice I have not reviewed. Be patient.)

The Yuri rating for Ikkitousen, Vol. 3 is an easy 9. All the other ratings remain as before.





Yuri Anime: Stellvia of the Universe, DVD Vol. 3 (English)

March 15th, 2005

Volume 3 of Stellvia of the Universe marks the end of the first arc – and was suprisingly more interesting than I remembered the first time around.

One of my complaints has always been that Shima, our heroine, follows that weird “idiot savant” pattern so common in female-lead shounen anime. You know, she’s a failure at a thing the first time she tries it, but after a “Gamabare!” or two from whomever is her emotional prop, she masters it immediately.

Well, upon rewatch, I find that I was mistaken. In fact, Shima spends an enormous amount of time in Vol. 3 practicing her skills, which result in her improving. Perfectly sensible, and how on earth did I miss that the first time around? Not only that, but the lesson is pounded home when Rinna points out that the only reason she herself is so good is that she had no friends, so practiced pretty much all day every day since she was a child.

Leila-sensei even comments that Shima’s seemingly irrational emotional ups and downs make sense – after all, she’s very young, and it stands to reason that she’ll vaccillate between being hyper-energetic and completely self-conscious and unsure of herself. Heck, I do that now, and I’m hardly young any more… lol

So, okay, okay, I was wrong! Sheesh…

So, where does that leave me? Rewatching this series has forced to me turn my dislike on Kouta, Shima’s soon-to-be love interest. I will never like him, on principle. ^_^ But I will grudgingly admit that, at the end of this volume, he becomes an interesting red herring/plot complication.

On the yuri side, we get only a little of the dynamic between Yayoi and Ayaka in this series, as we’re all focused on the resolution of the Second Wave. 20/20 hindsight leads me to believe that Yayoi was attempting to find some closure before Ayaka leaves on the mission, but chickens out at the last second. (Which makes for a nice place to write a fanfic, I think.) I have completely moved over to the Arisa is in love with Shima camp, but even Arisa can see that it’s hopeless, so it stays at low-level crushiness, for which I think Arisa deserves snaps.

Again, the absolute *best* thing about this series is that all the characters act their ages, and the dialogue *sounds* their ages, too. I really feel like these characters are exactly what they appear – something I rarely get from an anime. (Can anyone say Haruka and Michiru? I mean, really – they were suppose to be *16* when we first meet them. LOL)

I won’t whine about the bare packaging and scant episode count again…you’ve heard it before. I’m just getting into the DVD when it’s over. But other than that, I honestly think I’m enjoying this series *more* this time around than I did the first time.

Once again, if you like space opera, good characterization, a catchy, yet unsingable opening theme and a lovely Yuri relationship, Stellvia is still a good watch.