Anime reviews, 2011.01
Arakawa Under The Bridge
It seems the shows I end up enjoying the most are often the ones I know the least about when going into them. I heard about this one on a reviewer's list of their favourite anime opening sequences from 2010, but not much was said other than something along the lines of it being quirky and charming, which is usually up my alley. It's an adaptation of a fairly long-running manga, and spans two seasons of 13 episodes each, both produced last year.
Young, successful business heir Kou walks along a bridge over Tokyo's Arakawa River one day and is set upon by a gang of 'eccentric' (says the fansub) youths, who somehow leave his pants attached to a column far above his head. While attempting to rescue them, Kou falls into the river and is himself rescued by Nino, a strange blonde who was fishing from the edge of the bridge. Kou's family motto says never to rely on anyone else, so he insists that she make a request of him in return - and she asks him to be her lover. In bewilderment, he agrees, and begins living on the riverbank under the bridge along with Nino and the other assorted nutcases that are her friends. The first of these that we meet is the chief or mayor of the area, who claims to be a 600-year-old mythical creature (a Kappa) despite obviously being a man in a costume, and who must give Kou a new name ('Recruit', or 'Ric' for short) before he is allowed to stay. Nino, for her part, claims to be a Venusian, and is named for the text on the front of her tracksuit (2-3, 'ni-no-san' in Japanese).
I really like this show, but I have a pretty hard time trying to define why, which I suppose is standard for me. Some of the characters are hilarious and lovable: in particular, Nino, who is forgetful, unhinged from reality, and disturbingly naïve for her age, and Star, a talentless musician in a yellow star mask who resents Kou/Ric for his relationship with Nino. The animation is fairly standard, certainly well-done but nothing unique, and is pretty much a straight adaptation of the manga's visual style, right down to Nino's peculiar, dead eyes. Ric's exasperation with almost everything the locals say and do is the source of much amusement, although a few of the characters are pretty stock-standard in this regard; e.g. P-ko, the river's fruit and vegetable farmer who fits the stereotype of 'cute and clumsy' and according to Ric is 'a walking catastrophe'.
I suppose the main thing that sucked me in is partly what I had heard about the show beforehand - that it is quirky and charming - and partly that it is damn funny. I really grew attached to the main characters and was eager to see further developments and new situations. There are some small story arcs, such as Ric's frustrating but endearing attempts to further the relationship with his 'lover', a planned commercial development on the riverbank in season 1 and a quest to fly everyone to Venus in season 2, but these arcs take a backseat to the day-to-day shenanigans. Most irritating, Season 2 comes to an abrupt end on pretty much a non-note, resolving nearly none of the tantalising suggestions of plot (including some hints of Nino's true past). Presumably the manga continues these threads, and I've sought it out and plan to read it. I have never actively read a manga before, but that's how much I want to know what happens. Hopefully there will be a third season of the show too.
Midori Days
I'd heard about this one quite some time ago from an ex but never really thought about watching it, until I was given a Minotaur gift voucher and found that it was one of the very few things on the shelf that a) came well-recommended and b) I hadn't already seen. This is a show about a high school delinquent who never has any success with girls but wakes up one morning to find that his right hand has been replaced by one - in fact, it is a girl that has had a crush on him for a long time but of whom he is completely unaware.
Not really a great deal I can say about this show. It's not bad. It's funny, and cute, never sinks to the obvious joke, and is over soon enough. The romance, such as it is, feels pretty contrived and unbelievable, but perhaps that's just because Midori is not my type. I found myself rooting for the other girl, who stood no chance from the beginning. Never a good sign. I'd recommend Midori Days as an easygoing time-killer if it sounds like your thing.
Seitokai no Ichizon (The Student Council's Discretion)
Started watching this one with absolutely no clue what to expect; it just happened to be on a fansub group's RSS feed. Turns out it's another high school club/council comedy nonsense thing. My initial thought was that it was a retarded version of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and not worth my time, but the show echoed that very thought in dialogue ten seconds later, which somehow convinced me to keep watching. So I suppose it's a parody of sorts - of other shows of its kind and of otaku life/culture in general - but only inasmuch as the fact that it is adapted from an actual manga would allow.
This is the first anime of the 'moe' variety that I have seen and will probably be the last. I'm pretty sure I could literally feel my brain rotting while watching. Being a self-aware reflection of tropes in manga and anime does not forgive unoriginality and being utterly boring. I suppose this show had its funny moments, and occasionally came close to engaging my interest in a couple of the characters, but overall... not worth the time.
Shiki
MasakoX and his Anifile review series are responsible for my watching this, and I am grateful. I suppose it falls into the 'horror' category, although it did not frighten me at all (that reaction seems to be limited to live-action stuff like Paranormal Activity or The Ring). However, it was definitely enjoyable.
I shall say right off despite it not being revealed until some way into the series: this is a show about vampires, which is always a plus in my book. I have a very guilty appreciation for vampires and their ilk - I read the first 11 Anita Blake books and part of the 12th before I realised I had just read a hundred pages of supernatural sexual tension and decided I'd had enough, and I do love True Blood. So if vamps are your thing, give this show a go. Like any good vampire story, it puts its own spin on the established mythology, keeping it fresh and exploring some interesting themes and ideas that I hadn't seen done with vampires before. The setting of an isolated village (at least they call it a village, but it's fairly large) is a nice change too, and is very relevant to the plot and many of the characters' attitudes and motivations.
The art style is really nice. Most of the characters have very unique designs (and ridiculous hairstyles), which definitely helps considering there are so many of them - I say most, because two of the main characters look nearly identical, and I didn't realise they were different people at first (mega 'Ooohhhh' moment). Everything is fittingly dark in tone and of course much of the show takes place at night, lit by supernatural auras or raging fires. The music is melancholy and haunting, and at random times I had some of the background themes floating through my head without knowing where they were from at first.
I can think of two downsides to this show. One is that the first half of the series is excruciatingly slow-paced; I can't imagine having to watch that part week to week. Perhaps this was necessary to build up the tension; I couldn't say for sure, but thankfully things pick up a lot in the second half, which I did largely watch weekly as it aired in Japan. The second flaw was that I just didn't feel connected to the characters. Everything felt pretty distant, and it took a while before I realised I was supposed to be already emotionally invested in what was happening rather than taking in some kind of setup or prologue. This could be because there is no real protagonist - the two characters who come closest to filling this role, in terms of being introduced to what is going on at the same time as the viewer, are both private characters who have plans and objectives that we don't always see. Other characters that discover things along with the audience are too annoying or minor to form a connection with.
Still, despite the above, I'd recommend this show. It has a unique, lamenting tone, and the plot and pace really do kick up a notch halfway through. At 22 episodes it's not too short to be shallow and forgettable, but not so long that it starts to drag and outstay its welcome. Worth watching for any vampire fans. (Twilight fans need not apply; these nasties are the real deal.)