Series, various
Viewfinder (latest chapter): realised that my gripe with the Hong Kong arc isn't Feilong, it's Takaba. When Yamane's ukes go drippy like that it's over in terms of tension, at least until they meet the seme again. Not only that but it's vaguely cheapening - and irritating - to have him being used by Feilong while pining after Asami all this time. I'd find it more interesting if he held up his end.
But I must be in the minority - among people who even like Asami x Takaba, that is. XD
Ouran (latest anime ep): IMO the series coasts on momentum when it's not being on crack, which is odd - it's usually the other way around. But I feel like the backstory eps haven't told me anything surprising. ^^; Take the twins-related eps: if one must be an insufferable little snot it may well peak around age 13-14, to be gradually grown out of (or smacked out of, thank you Haruhi), but that's neither illuminating nor sympathetic, it's just life. XD And I know Kyouya's type maybe too well. Dunno. I think Haruhi's presence is more integral to the setup's success than readily apparent, given that the point of Haruhi is not being flashy.
Though the character that comes off best is Tamaki. After all's said and done etc. You could actually make the argument that Haruhi is freed from the emotional duties of yr typical purehearted shoujo heroine precisely because Tamaki takes on so many of them. XD Also I really adore his seiyuu, I don't know how they cast someone this perfect.
(There's this thing I want to write involving Kyouya and Tamaki but am stuck, for the same reason I was stuck (briefly) on the TezuFuji Brussels postcard thing: I know the topic it revolves around but I'm not sure of the characters' opinions. ...Who was it said Kyouya and Tamaki are what you get if you surgically separated the hemispheres of Imonoyama Nokoru's brain? XD)
Saiunkoku Monogatari (episodes 1-3): started watching this. I could've been ahead of you all but I was lazy. XD Overwhelming impression is "It's not Juuni Kokki, but then again it's not Fushigi Yuugi either." Principally it's less fantastic than the other two, so far no unicorns or phoenixes, the heroine doesn't come from a different world, etc. meaning I have more leisure to compare it to real ancient China and be offended that it's not. Which is unfair, given that what I mean is I keep expecting the politics to be more complex and vicious and unencumbered by shoujo pastels, and for good people to come to bad ends. XD;
I get the feeling the story proper hasn't kicked in, though. And I'm really, really certain that the author of this thing was into Fushigi Yuugi in high school, then at some point sat down with a beer and was like, "........You know what? I could totally do better," and did, which is the sort of endeavour I could get behind.
GetBackers (volume 36): manga shipment came in a week early. As the previous volume dealt with the Miroku this one mostly wraps it for the Fuuchouin. Oh, Fuuchouin clans, why the hell are there so many of you. =_= The interest of the battles themselves have dipped, since they serve - Kenshin-style - as a sort of shortcut to catharsis, with the outcome dependant on some combination of will and right feeling (explicitly as well as thematically, given the nature of the Beltline). Id est what physically happens during a fight is meaningless and you can't judge by it, may as well sum it up in a sentence. :P At least with Fuuchouin you get the pretty named attacks. I have the impression Aoki-sensei has thrown in the towel and is writing wuxia.
(I've always wanted to compile a numbered list of all the named Fuuchouin and Kakei attacks in the series. You do get to see Kazuki's #99th attack ougi, it's a Cocco song.
And, because it's Kazuki, a dramatic moment of unintentional hilarity:
Kazuki's mom: I can only show you this technique once. It's passed down by those who marry into the Fuuchouin clan, secretly, from generation to generation. So you must never mention it to your father.
little!Kazuki:
little!Kazuki: But if it's passed down by those who marry into the Fuuchouin, why are you showing it to me?
Kazuki's mom: ...*sigh*)
I wish Yohan were introduced earlier in the series, actually, instead of being a Big Boss Out Of Nowhere. Though they did a good job of filling his character in as the arc progressed. I especially appreciate how he explicitly, canonically has a Thing(tm) for Kazuki, and then... yeah. Teamwork at its best, guys.
...Is anyone summarizing/spoilering GB now or not at all? Makubex is in the Archive. Who's female. And wants to eat him. Vagina dentata at its best. He's holding her off by making side bets on the fight outcomes.
But I must be in the minority - among people who even like Asami x Takaba, that is. XD
Ouran (latest anime ep): IMO the series coasts on momentum when it's not being on crack, which is odd - it's usually the other way around. But I feel like the backstory eps haven't told me anything surprising. ^^; Take the twins-related eps: if one must be an insufferable little snot it may well peak around age 13-14, to be gradually grown out of (or smacked out of, thank you Haruhi), but that's neither illuminating nor sympathetic, it's just life. XD And I know Kyouya's type maybe too well. Dunno. I think Haruhi's presence is more integral to the setup's success than readily apparent, given that the point of Haruhi is not being flashy.
Though the character that comes off best is Tamaki. After all's said and done etc. You could actually make the argument that Haruhi is freed from the emotional duties of yr typical purehearted shoujo heroine precisely because Tamaki takes on so many of them. XD Also I really adore his seiyuu, I don't know how they cast someone this perfect.
(There's this thing I want to write involving Kyouya and Tamaki but am stuck, for the same reason I was stuck (briefly) on the TezuFuji Brussels postcard thing: I know the topic it revolves around but I'm not sure of the characters' opinions. ...Who was it said Kyouya and Tamaki are what you get if you surgically separated the hemispheres of Imonoyama Nokoru's brain? XD)
Saiunkoku Monogatari (episodes 1-3): started watching this. I could've been ahead of you all but I was lazy. XD Overwhelming impression is "It's not Juuni Kokki, but then again it's not Fushigi Yuugi either." Principally it's less fantastic than the other two, so far no unicorns or phoenixes, the heroine doesn't come from a different world, etc. meaning I have more leisure to compare it to real ancient China and be offended that it's not. Which is unfair, given that what I mean is I keep expecting the politics to be more complex and vicious and unencumbered by shoujo pastels, and for good people to come to bad ends. XD;
I get the feeling the story proper hasn't kicked in, though. And I'm really, really certain that the author of this thing was into Fushigi Yuugi in high school, then at some point sat down with a beer and was like, "........You know what? I could totally do better," and did, which is the sort of endeavour I could get behind.
GetBackers (volume 36): manga shipment came in a week early. As the previous volume dealt with the Miroku this one mostly wraps it for the Fuuchouin. Oh, Fuuchouin clans, why the hell are there so many of you. =_= The interest of the battles themselves have dipped, since they serve - Kenshin-style - as a sort of shortcut to catharsis, with the outcome dependant on some combination of will and right feeling (explicitly as well as thematically, given the nature of the Beltline). Id est what physically happens during a fight is meaningless and you can't judge by it, may as well sum it up in a sentence. :P At least with Fuuchouin you get the pretty named attacks. I have the impression Aoki-sensei has thrown in the towel and is writing wuxia.
(I've always wanted to compile a numbered list of all the named Fuuchouin and Kakei attacks in the series. You do get to see Kazuki's #99th attack ougi, it's a Cocco song.
And, because it's Kazuki, a dramatic moment of unintentional hilarity:
Kazuki's mom: I can only show you this technique once. It's passed down by those who marry into the Fuuchouin clan, secretly, from generation to generation. So you must never mention it to your father.
little!Kazuki:
little!Kazuki: But if it's passed down by those who marry into the Fuuchouin, why are you showing it to me?
Kazuki's mom: ...*sigh*)
I wish Yohan were introduced earlier in the series, actually, instead of being a Big Boss Out Of Nowhere. Though they did a good job of filling his character in as the arc progressed. I especially appreciate how he explicitly, canonically has a Thing(tm) for Kazuki, and then... yeah. Teamwork at its best, guys.
...Is anyone summarizing/spoilering GB now or not at all? Makubex is in the Archive. Who's female. And wants to eat him. Vagina dentata at its best. He's holding her off by making side bets on the fight outcomes.