Roving Thoughts archives

On Otome Youkai Zakuro's foreshadowing

Author:

I may be wrong as usual, but I expect the opposing human-youkai team to appear and maybe some conspiracy to rule the world thrown in, which is what the 3 couplings of bumbling lovers are going to face. Heck, I'll guess more: the dude in the mask is probably the adjutant guy who we saw in the beginning of the 1st episode.

The adjutant (he's briefly named as Hanadate) reappears in the second episode as the Lieutenant who saves the day by defusing the situation our heroes have gotten themselves into (by throwing around Army resources, which apparently he can speak for). If one wants more signs that villainy is in the air, there's also the mysteriously ill-tempered lightning beast from the first episode; anime has taught me that any time a normally well behaved creature inexplicably goes berserk, it is due to enemy action.

Sadly this is one of the weaknesses that I grumped at Zakuro for, because the good Lieutenant Hanadate sure feels like a cliche. My immediate reaction to him in the second episode (even before I realized that he was also the adjutant) was that he was so clearly too good to be true that he was probably going to turn out to be a villain, just like a whole string of similar characters before him in other shows.

(Just to be sure, the show gave him the smarmy villain look.)

I hadn't paid enough close attention to the opening and ending sequences, though, so I didn't really notice the bits that Author did. The masked man does seem to have hair that's pretty similar to Lieutenant Hanadate's, including bangs (sort of visible in the unmasking section of the opening), although I don't think we've seen Hanadate with his hat off yet.

This 'too good to be true, turns out to be a villain' thing has gotten to be such a cliche in anime that I groan every time such a character turns up. Just once I'd like them to actually be the genuinely nice people that they appear to be, instead of villains who lead the protagonists on and betray them later on. (As it happens I have a theory for why this keeps happening, but it doesn't fit here.)

PS: to be clear, I'm not surprised by the existence of villains in Zakuro; it was plain from the opening that there would probably be antagonists, given that they suggestively showed us extra characters (in shadowy lighting, just to drive it in). It's the fine details I didn't spot, which shows that Author has a better eye than I do.

My brief snapshot of the Fall 2010 anime season first episodes

Another season, another flood of first episodes, some of which I've seen and some of which I currently have no interest in. Because I feel like it (and because I want to keep track and make sure I don't miss anything), here's a snapshot in an extremely abbreviated form.

Short summary of this season: I haven't seen anything yet that's likely to make Author happy .

Shows I have seen (more or less in the order seen):

• Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls: I saw the preview version of the first episode; it was alternately interesting and annoying. The less fanservice in future episodes the better, but I'm probably going to be disappointed.

• Panty & Stocking: cannot look away. Disturbingly funny; totally over the top.

• Star Driver: I have a weakness for empty action calories and this was at least entertaining. On the positive side, I think they intended for the ridiculous bits to be ridiculous.

• Otome Youkai Zakuro: This had me paying attention from the opening scene, partly because I like supernatural action shows. So far one of my favorite shows of this season, despite occasional weaknesses.

• Psychic Detective Yakumo: The premise is interesting but the first episode was just acceptable and somewhat paint by numbers. I hope that it intended to telegraph who the guilty party was as strongly as it did. (I wouldn't have really noticed the lack of actual animation if Aroduc hadn't called it out.)

• My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute (Ore no Imouto ...): It's well produced, competently done, and even funny, but I find that I have very little interest in watching more for various reasons.

  (I watched the first episode because Author tweeted a link to this, which praised it.)

• A Certain Magical Index II: It seems to be planning to be just like the first season. This is fine by me but may not be fine by you.

• Iron Man: an unexceptional Japanese version of American superheroics. The original source comics are probably just as stupid (although this cannot excuse what they are doing to the female reporter), and I like how they get that Tony Stark is a total obnoxious prat.

  I would like to wholeheartedly like this, but it really has too much stupid in it and not enough action, and the action is not really all that good. (The character art style doesn't help.)

• The World God Only Knows: competently done and decently amusing (probably only in small doses for me).

• Tantei Opera Milky Holmes: the premise is sort of interesting but the implementation is kind of generic. If I watch more at all, I wouldn't be surprised if I got bored very fast.

• Invasion! Squid Girl: It's both well-made and funny, but I sort of feel that I've already seen as much of Keroro Gunsou as I want to.

  (Also, I find Squid Girl much more sympathetic than I ever did Keroro so I am less amused by bad things happening to her.)

One of the things I've decided is that I need to stop reading Aroduc's summaries before I decide whether or not to watch shows. Aroduc is perpetually picky about things and even though I know that he is more picky than I am, I still let his grumpy reactions influence me. It'd be better to only look at his reactions after I've formed my own.

Still going to see (when available):

• Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan second season: I watched the first season.
• Tamayura (OVA): It's about photography.

Have not watched (yet, subject to change) due to show's genre and/or summary:

• MM!: ordinary life plus sex comedy
• Bakuman: ordinary life comedy/drama

• Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
• Togainu no Chi

• Fortune Arterial: you jest.
• Yosuga no Sora: uh, no (warning: NSFW spoilers, which really says all that's necessary).

• Super Robot Wars OG: classic giant robots, plus I don't know anything about the setting of this long-running franchise

Have not watched due to being a sequel to something I didn't watch:

• Arakawa Under the Bridge*2
• Sora no Otoshimono (Heaven's Lost Property) Forte
• Letter Bee REVERSE: technically I watched part of the first season before giving up on it.

Forgotten, overlooked, or not yet fansubbed: everything else.