Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo (Ryoko’s Case Files)

July 31, 2008 at 9:23 pm | In adventure, anime, grownup is not a panacea, plot crystalization, summer 2008 | Leave a Comment

Summary: Adult action office romance adventure with some supernatural. Yes, it’s (too?) busy.
Based on: 13 episodes
Series info: at Anime News Network (pic shamelessly lifted from there too)

This one’s a bit strange. It’s obviously written for adults, not teens or kids, which is a good start. Ryoko’s an apparently brilliant police investigor who spends all her time slacking off. Her assistant Junichiro is basically her babysitter. But when the weird stuff starts happening, she’s suddenly in the thick of things to fix it, which is apparently why they still keep her employed. You’ll sometimes hear this one referred to as Ryoko’s Supernatural Case Files, but it’s more Science Gone Mad thing than vengeful ghosts. The Kaiki just means bizarre/strange.

All the women in this show are strong and dominant and all the men are semi-closeted submissives, which is hardly unique in adult anime, but a nice change from the usual teen stuff.  Presumably this appeals to Japanese salarymen, but then they have to undermine it by constantly non-subtly hinting that Ryoko’s fallen for Junichiro, though she’d never admit it. So she’s allowed to be strong, but still weak enough she doesn’t totally emasculate the viewers. In fact, the 3rd episode is pretty much a total waste based on this ‘plot’.

Usually you’ll hear me bemoaning shows for too much action and not enough plot or character building, but honestly in this show the action is much more interesting than the relationship building, which I find fairly awkward and stunted.  But Ep 2 has giant man-eating snakes destroying buildings in downtown Tokyo and a very amusing interrogation scene. I thoroughly enjoyed the Doc Savage vibe in that one, so I’m going to keep watching for a while longer to see what comes up.

Update: I’ve watched it all now. I particularly like how the plot crystalized in the last 5 eps or so for a big dramatic finish that pulled in a bunch of seemingly throwaway plot points from early episodes.  The ending was a little facile, but respectable.

I don’t usually mention specific sub groups, but big thanks to AonE and AnY for following through one of the few respectable anime that’s actually for adults out to completion.

Slayers Revolution

July 8, 2008 at 1:31 am | In adventure, anime, comedy, summer 2008 | 2 Comments

Summary: Comedy adventure. If you’ve seen any Slayers you’ve seen this.
Based on: 1 episode
Series info: at Anime News Network (pic shamelessly lifted from there too)

I’m actually more interested in comparing this to Birdy the Mighty Decode, which is another revival of an ancient show this season. Whereas Birdy embraces the new visuals of the 2000s (oughts?), Slayers Revolution remains proudly 90s retro. The character designs have hardly been updated, the songs are the same, and most tellingly I don’t think there was any CG anywhere in the episode. Unless it was integrated really well, everything, even the bits that you would normally expect to be CG these days like fleets of ships, was hand animated.

All the normal cast of TV characters are back. The overall plot, such as it is, is that Gourry lost the Sword of Light in Slayers Try so they’re looking for a replacement. The plot for the first ep is ‘Lina gets mad and she blows things up as usual’. There are some slight changeups – instead of exploding bandits she’s exploding pirates and though the expected Dragon Slave goes off in the first ep it’s not Lina who does it.

If you’ve never seen Slayers before you might be pretty lost, since this is effectively the 4th season of an ongoing plot. But it’s fairly fluffy harmless comedy adventure series which usually sprouts some Drama half-way in.

Birdy the Mighty Decode

July 8, 2008 at 1:31 am | In adventure, anime, summer 2008 | Leave a Comment

Summary: Curvy alien supercop hunts down criminals on Earth.  Action/Romance. So old it feels new.
Based on: 1 episode (and the original series)
Summary at: Anime News Network (pic shamelessly lifted from there too)

This one is interesting to compare to Slayers Revolution. That show wallows happily in its retro 90-ness, while this one is a retelling of the old Birdy the Mighty series which yanks it visually into the 2000s.

‘Birdy’ is a space inspector tasked with hunting down alien criminals (who for some reason like to hide on Earth) though in practice she acts more like a bounty hunter. Throw in some school romance (due to a silly plot twist that ends the first episode but which is one of the series core conceits) and lots of fighting and action and you have something that’s not really all that adult, but is entertaining.

Graphically this is hugely updated – lots of CG and even the hand-animation is very attractive.  The aliens here are fabulously ugly, even when disguised as human.  But this is still 90s at the core – in fact it’s sort of sad that the idea of a Bubblegum Crisis type ass-kicking female, which were a dime a dozen, actually feels somewhat fresh compared to the submissive big-breasted bubbleheads (or lolis) that tend to populate shows now.  But fighting in high heels still isn’t.

P.S.: I’m not sure if it’s a nod or because he was just perfect to begin with, but badman Gomez looks exactly the same.

Summer 2008 Season

July 5, 2008 at 8:51 pm | In anime, summer 2008 | 1 Comment

This season started a bit weak, but after the horror of Sekirei and Strike Witches has gotten a bit better.

So Far So Good:

  • Birdy the Mighty Decode – Another 90s throwback, a re-imagining of Birdy the Mighty.  Cute, violent, female (of course) intergalactic inspector hunts down alien criminals on earth.
  • Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo (Ryoko’s Case Files) – This is definitely written for adults. Supernatural policework (and for once the main chars don’t have magic powers). The first ep is a little slow, but by the second it’s in full gear and you’ve got giant man-eating snakes.
  • Takane no Jitensha - Would you trade your bratty little sister to a fox for a new bike? Yeah I would too. Nice one-shot show.
  • Natsume Yujin-cho – Natsume’s grandmother was a powerful spirit medium who made a hobby of beating up all the monsters in the area and forcing them to write their names in her ‘Book of Friends’. Now they’ve mistaken Natsume for his grandmother, and everyone wants the book back. After 13 eps, I highly recommend this.

Special Circumstances:

  • Antique Bakery – This is gayer than a purse full of wangs,  but gay as imagined by tittering straight women.  Any plot here is all incidental to the baker ‘Demon Lord of Gay’ (the show’s own term) bagging the token straight owner.
  • Bounen no Xamdou (Xam’d) – If you liked Rahxephon or Eureka 7, this is for you. School boy transformed into humanoid weapon in dystopian (but with airships) future. This one is actually growing on me.
  • Mahou Tsukai no Taisetsuna Koto: Natsu no Sora – This low key series, like its predescessor, is for preteen girls, but you might still enjoy it.  It has a interesting art style of using real pictures of Hokkaido and Tokyo as backgrounds for simplistic (but not minimalistic) character designs.
  • Slayers Revolution – If you’ve ever seen a Slayers anime before, you know exactly what this is like. 90s (relatively) Old School fantasy comedy adventure. Dumb fun.
  • Telepathy Girl Ran – this is a cute comedy/school love thing… with battling psychic girls and people burned horribly to death by demon dogs. It’s not bad, but is definitely a kiddie magical girl show.

Pass:

  • Koihime Mousou – Yet another mangling of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but this one tops Ikkitousen since every single character is female. Starts right out with the big breasted beauty and bratty loli just to get things going. Based on a porn game.
  • Nogizaki Haruhi no Himitsu – Pandering to the otaku crowd, even down to the name. The perfect girl at school’s deep dark secret is… she’s an otaku! Watch only if you need to be desperately reassured.
  • Sekirei – 108 girls paired with 108 pathetic losers fight with the power of their breast size. I hope to god this is based on a porn game, because if it’s not there’s no excuse for it.
  • Strike Witches - nekomimi loli girls who turn into planes and more crotch shots than a month of Tijuana bar fights. If you thought Sky Girls was too classy, this is for you.
  • World Destruction – This is every RPG anime ever made, based on a game. Two humans (who just happen to be the main chars) trapped in a world of furries. Cliches ahoy!

Here Comes the New Season!

July 1, 2008 at 8:30 pm | In anime, summer 2008 | Leave a Comment

Well I don’t have much to add to this myself yet, having not seen any of it, so I’ll just point you to Joe Chan’s New Anime List.  But you can bet I’ll be downloading and watching at least the first episode of everything so you don’t (necessarily) have to.

I’m interested in Birdy the Mighty Decode,  Blade of the Immortal, and Ponyo, but other than that we’ll just have to see.

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