Gokujou Seitokai
Yeah I finished that series too. In a marathon all-nighter. How fun.
I'm in love with Jinguji Kanade's voice. Yay for Hitomi Nabatame! She also voiced Hanazono Shizuma and Torii Eriko, and when I first heard Kanade's voice, I was like, hmm, familiar....lol.
Gokujou Seitokai was a fun and enjoyable anime, not meant for serious watching. That is, even serious themes look silly in this anime. Honestly, I was laughing when they were talking about Rino's sad past. It's a show that doesn't even try to take itself seriously (much like Strawberry Panic, but this is somehow more amusing without the overdramatic conventions Stopani went for). A very Gokujou anime indeed. XD
Heck, even the yuri themes and "subtext" was handled in an absolutely wacky and slapstick manner, on the level of comic relief. Well, most of the time anyway. There are actual moments of "real" subtext, however real subtext can possibly be. For example, Nanaho is suspiciously attached to Kanade, and even though there IS a reason (gratitude for freeing her from a familial duty), shoujo ai fans can interpret that overwhelming protective loyalty as something else. Haha.
Of course, my gaydar was busily on the lookout on all the characters...well, it IS an all girls' school, and you know what it means... Payapaya~~~ *cough* XD
So, possible yuri subtext in the show? Hmm let's see. Mucho spoilers ahead, I think?
Kanade/Rino: Mother/daughter relationship. Period. I might be a shoujo ai fan, but even I wouldn't want to distort the truth too much. x___x
Kanade/Nanaho: Personally I think they're more "best friends" than lovers, and Kanade obviously trusts Nanaho very much. Nanaho on the other hand...it could be interpreted as love on her part, but it could just be loyalty. Inconclusive, definitely.
*pause* Before I start pairing EVERYONE with Kanade, let me get in a word. She's like the alpha female here, much like Shizuma was in Strawberry Panic, which in a sense means that everyone is in a sense linked/indebted/in love with her. *shrugs* I'll just list those with more possibility.
Nanaho/Kuon: Because I say so. *coughs* No, really, I think their friendly rivalry is interesting. They don't really hate each other, and they tend to cooperate when really faced with trouble. I guess, on some level, they do care for each other. And they do seem to understand each other pretty well. But its pretty slim. VERY VERY slim. Possibly non-existent. But I want to think back to episode 25, when Kanade tells Nanaho that there is "someone else like her(Kanade)" in the school. It's pretty ambiguous, since she could either mean Rino (Jinguji blood and all), or she could mean Kuon, who is similarly "caught in an awkward situation"---something Seina points out towards the end. Meh, I rather think she meant Kuon, mostly because it fuels a possibility for this relationship...wishful thinking on my part, but one can hope! ^__^
Seina/Kuon: Long shot here, and I based it off one scene where they seemed sort of chummy in a more-than-friends way. It's not entirely impossible, since I think that Seina and Kuon are pretty similar in character underneath their outward facades. They both are in charge of Covert, after all. XD
Sayuri/Rein: The closest thing to strong subtext in the show. Rein and Sayuri are pretty much always together. They even grew up together, darnit. Lol. I like the episode where Sayuri's past catches up with her, and Rein hugs Sayuri to comfort her...I was like "yay they can be possible!" in my own little fantasy world. It's not too far a stretch, I think. It's quite cute, even. Megane, megane, megane~~~~ ^____~
Kotoha/Kuon: Based off a scene in a hot spring. The subtext was so light, you'd blink and miss it. Heck, you can be staring at it and still not get it. It took awhile to click in my head too. Lol. Kotoha respects Kuon, that's for sure, but I'm not sure how far it goes. But I am pretty sure Kuon was only teasing her, and wasn't serious...well, who knows?
Kotoha/Ayumu: Wishful thinking on my part. But I do have some justification for my wishful thinking. Ninja skillz!! Um, not that. But seeing that they are the top two elite members of the largely secret Covert squad, they seem to be on fairly good terms as seen towards the end. Kotoha does care for Ayumu's well-being, as seen in the Ayumu-centered episode where her past catches up with her (everyone has pasts in Gokujou Seitokai, it seems...), and even shadows her to ensure her safety....unnecessarily as it turns out, since Ayu-chan is more than capable of taking care of herself...mostly anyway. ^__~ Besides, seeing them in super ninja action mode in the final few episodes (always hanging around in trees, the two of them...) was uberly cool. I would be overjoyed if someone actually wrote something about them. Maybe I should....eventually...perhaps...hmm...
Um I think that's most of it. The only pairings that I would actually like to happen are probably Kuon/Nanaho, Sayuri/Rein, and Kotoha/Ayumu. Actually, Seina/Kuon would actually have some interesting complications considering the open-endedness of the ending...well, there WERE many loose strings left untied, and if I square Seina and Kuon together, Kuon's situation would make it even MORE interesting. And Seina's position would double the fun. Haha. Can I see international incidents occuring? Hell yeah. Lol.
But the real star of the show has gotta be...PUCCHAN!!! Yeah, the talking puppet. Burning!!! Haha.
I think though, Pucchan's real identity came sort of as a shock. Well, to me anyway. I had some idea, but it came out a little weirdly, though it did manage to correspond at least slightly with my initial hypothesis. It was odd. Seriously.
But Pucchan was cool. Foulmouthed, slightly lecherous, but cool. Sarcastic too. Haha. I want a puppet just like Pucchan! Hehe.
Favorite character? I'll have to go with...umm...either Rein or Kuon. Actually, I'm not sure at all. I mean, Kanade's voice was cool, but I don't like the way her face was drawn---side view is perfectly fine, but otherwise, bleh. Nanaho was funny and boyish, but not favorite-character material. And I dislike moe characters like Rino. Lol.
Seina is my type of character, smiling but can be evil (very scary) at times. She's the type that'd be smiling while plotting your demise...or sticking a knife in your back. Lol. I like her, but she loses points for having a sister like Minamo. The little brat improves towards the end, but first impressions die hard. Haha.
Sayuri's character design isn't my favorite either, although her "megane, megane, megane..." routine every other episode has great comedy value. She gets a few extra points for being a genius swordswoman, but a middle-lister in general.
I won't deny that I liked Kaori's personality, minus the jealous fits whenever she see Kanade-kaichou with Rino. Kaori is cool and strong, and she's stubborn. I like her, but she's not my favorite character.
The Landlady, aka Hisakawa Maachi, otherwise known as the 11 year old loli-type character with the helium voice. High pitched doesn't cut it, the octave is at glass shattering levels. I'd strangle her if she wasn't so cute (and deadly, as it turned out), and her "ehe" turned out to be surprisingly endearing after awhile.
Mayura, or Miss Accountant, pretty much the perennial budget-worrier as everyone else on the student council blissfully ignore the financial situation. Lol. I like her, but she didn't really stand out much in the cast.
Cyndi annoyed me. Her English is so horribly bad. And she's largely monosyllabic, save for the final episode where she actually speaks fluent japanese, for all of 5 seconds. Haha. Comedic value, yes, but not favorite, no no.
Rein, well Rein is Rein. Cheats at cards, loves gambling and snacks, good with children...lol. She's strong, and despite her father abandoning her as a child, she somehow managed to live without going all emo about it. That's respectable, if nothing else. I always respect characters like that. Plus, her potential yuri-ness with Sayuri elevates her a bit more in the stakes. Hehe.
And as for Kuon, I just adore characters like hers. The enigmatic, slightly detached persona, with a secret agenda. Torn between two duties...that kind of slightly angsty characters that aren't actually emo. I don't like overly emo characters, they remind me too much of myself. Haha. Besides, she's officially in charge of Covert, even if Seina is in charge of Covert ops, and she can be pretty sneaky/efficient in her work. Besides, I like the way she's drawn. Reminds me of Shizuru for some perverse reason. Haha.
Anyway, Gokujou Seitokai was pretty enjoyable overall. If you want light-hearted entertainment with minimal plot, this is it. It's probably not as laughably funny as some other shows might be, but its good enough. Campy fun in the beginning, and actual character development along the way, whaddya know, not too shabby eh? Haha.
Incidentally I found a probably unintentional reference to Yamibou in the preview for the last episode. When Rino's voiceover said "I want to meet you even if I can't see you", my mind immediately went "Yamibou OP lyrics!". Haha. The words repeated over and over again in japanese in the final episode by Rino further reinforced that impression. Haha. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But who cares? =P
Ok well, gotta go. Ja na!
I'm in love with Jinguji Kanade's voice. Yay for Hitomi Nabatame! She also voiced Hanazono Shizuma and Torii Eriko, and when I first heard Kanade's voice, I was like, hmm, familiar....lol.
Gokujou Seitokai was a fun and enjoyable anime, not meant for serious watching. That is, even serious themes look silly in this anime. Honestly, I was laughing when they were talking about Rino's sad past. It's a show that doesn't even try to take itself seriously (much like Strawberry Panic, but this is somehow more amusing without the overdramatic conventions Stopani went for). A very Gokujou anime indeed. XD
Heck, even the yuri themes and "subtext" was handled in an absolutely wacky and slapstick manner, on the level of comic relief. Well, most of the time anyway. There are actual moments of "real" subtext, however real subtext can possibly be. For example, Nanaho is suspiciously attached to Kanade, and even though there IS a reason (gratitude for freeing her from a familial duty), shoujo ai fans can interpret that overwhelming protective loyalty as something else. Haha.
Of course, my gaydar was busily on the lookout on all the characters...well, it IS an all girls' school, and you know what it means... Payapaya~~~ *cough* XD
So, possible yuri subtext in the show? Hmm let's see. Mucho spoilers ahead, I think?
Kanade/Rino: Mother/daughter relationship. Period. I might be a shoujo ai fan, but even I wouldn't want to distort the truth too much. x___x
Kanade/Nanaho: Personally I think they're more "best friends" than lovers, and Kanade obviously trusts Nanaho very much. Nanaho on the other hand...it could be interpreted as love on her part, but it could just be loyalty. Inconclusive, definitely.
*pause* Before I start pairing EVERYONE with Kanade, let me get in a word. She's like the alpha female here, much like Shizuma was in Strawberry Panic, which in a sense means that everyone is in a sense linked/indebted/in love with her. *shrugs* I'll just list those with more possibility.
Nanaho/Kuon: Because I say so. *coughs* No, really, I think their friendly rivalry is interesting. They don't really hate each other, and they tend to cooperate when really faced with trouble. I guess, on some level, they do care for each other. And they do seem to understand each other pretty well. But its pretty slim. VERY VERY slim. Possibly non-existent. But I want to think back to episode 25, when Kanade tells Nanaho that there is "someone else like her(Kanade)" in the school. It's pretty ambiguous, since she could either mean Rino (Jinguji blood and all), or she could mean Kuon, who is similarly "caught in an awkward situation"---something Seina points out towards the end. Meh, I rather think she meant Kuon, mostly because it fuels a possibility for this relationship...wishful thinking on my part, but one can hope! ^__^
Seina/Kuon: Long shot here, and I based it off one scene where they seemed sort of chummy in a more-than-friends way. It's not entirely impossible, since I think that Seina and Kuon are pretty similar in character underneath their outward facades. They both are in charge of Covert, after all. XD
Sayuri/Rein: The closest thing to strong subtext in the show. Rein and Sayuri are pretty much always together. They even grew up together, darnit. Lol. I like the episode where Sayuri's past catches up with her, and Rein hugs Sayuri to comfort her...I was like "yay they can be possible!" in my own little fantasy world. It's not too far a stretch, I think. It's quite cute, even. Megane, megane, megane~~~~ ^____~
Kotoha/Kuon: Based off a scene in a hot spring. The subtext was so light, you'd blink and miss it. Heck, you can be staring at it and still not get it. It took awhile to click in my head too. Lol. Kotoha respects Kuon, that's for sure, but I'm not sure how far it goes. But I am pretty sure Kuon was only teasing her, and wasn't serious...well, who knows?
Kotoha/Ayumu: Wishful thinking on my part. But I do have some justification for my wishful thinking. Ninja skillz!! Um, not that. But seeing that they are the top two elite members of the largely secret Covert squad, they seem to be on fairly good terms as seen towards the end. Kotoha does care for Ayumu's well-being, as seen in the Ayumu-centered episode where her past catches up with her (everyone has pasts in Gokujou Seitokai, it seems...), and even shadows her to ensure her safety....unnecessarily as it turns out, since Ayu-chan is more than capable of taking care of herself...mostly anyway. ^__~ Besides, seeing them in super ninja action mode in the final few episodes (always hanging around in trees, the two of them...) was uberly cool. I would be overjoyed if someone actually wrote something about them. Maybe I should....eventually...perhaps...hmm...
Um I think that's most of it. The only pairings that I would actually like to happen are probably Kuon/Nanaho, Sayuri/Rein, and Kotoha/Ayumu. Actually, Seina/Kuon would actually have some interesting complications considering the open-endedness of the ending...well, there WERE many loose strings left untied, and if I square Seina and Kuon together, Kuon's situation would make it even MORE interesting. And Seina's position would double the fun. Haha. Can I see international incidents occuring? Hell yeah. Lol.
But the real star of the show has gotta be...PUCCHAN!!! Yeah, the talking puppet. Burning!!! Haha.
I think though, Pucchan's real identity came sort of as a shock. Well, to me anyway. I had some idea, but it came out a little weirdly, though it did manage to correspond at least slightly with my initial hypothesis. It was odd. Seriously.
But Pucchan was cool. Foulmouthed, slightly lecherous, but cool. Sarcastic too. Haha. I want a puppet just like Pucchan! Hehe.
Favorite character? I'll have to go with...umm...either Rein or Kuon. Actually, I'm not sure at all. I mean, Kanade's voice was cool, but I don't like the way her face was drawn---side view is perfectly fine, but otherwise, bleh. Nanaho was funny and boyish, but not favorite-character material. And I dislike moe characters like Rino. Lol.
Seina is my type of character, smiling but can be evil (very scary) at times. She's the type that'd be smiling while plotting your demise...or sticking a knife in your back. Lol. I like her, but she loses points for having a sister like Minamo. The little brat improves towards the end, but first impressions die hard. Haha.
Sayuri's character design isn't my favorite either, although her "megane, megane, megane..." routine every other episode has great comedy value. She gets a few extra points for being a genius swordswoman, but a middle-lister in general.
I won't deny that I liked Kaori's personality, minus the jealous fits whenever she see Kanade-kaichou with Rino. Kaori is cool and strong, and she's stubborn. I like her, but she's not my favorite character.
The Landlady, aka Hisakawa Maachi, otherwise known as the 11 year old loli-type character with the helium voice. High pitched doesn't cut it, the octave is at glass shattering levels. I'd strangle her if she wasn't so cute (and deadly, as it turned out), and her "ehe" turned out to be surprisingly endearing after awhile.
Mayura, or Miss Accountant, pretty much the perennial budget-worrier as everyone else on the student council blissfully ignore the financial situation. Lol. I like her, but she didn't really stand out much in the cast.
Cyndi annoyed me. Her English is so horribly bad. And she's largely monosyllabic, save for the final episode where she actually speaks fluent japanese, for all of 5 seconds. Haha. Comedic value, yes, but not favorite, no no.
Rein, well Rein is Rein. Cheats at cards, loves gambling and snacks, good with children...lol. She's strong, and despite her father abandoning her as a child, she somehow managed to live without going all emo about it. That's respectable, if nothing else. I always respect characters like that. Plus, her potential yuri-ness with Sayuri elevates her a bit more in the stakes. Hehe.
And as for Kuon, I just adore characters like hers. The enigmatic, slightly detached persona, with a secret agenda. Torn between two duties...that kind of slightly angsty characters that aren't actually emo. I don't like overly emo characters, they remind me too much of myself. Haha. Besides, she's officially in charge of Covert, even if Seina is in charge of Covert ops, and she can be pretty sneaky/efficient in her work. Besides, I like the way she's drawn. Reminds me of Shizuru for some perverse reason. Haha.
Anyway, Gokujou Seitokai was pretty enjoyable overall. If you want light-hearted entertainment with minimal plot, this is it. It's probably not as laughably funny as some other shows might be, but its good enough. Campy fun in the beginning, and actual character development along the way, whaddya know, not too shabby eh? Haha.
Incidentally I found a probably unintentional reference to Yamibou in the preview for the last episode. When Rino's voiceover said "I want to meet you even if I can't see you", my mind immediately went "Yamibou OP lyrics!". Haha. The words repeated over and over again in japanese in the final episode by Rino further reinforced that impression. Haha. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But who cares? =P
Ok well, gotta go. Ja na!