Just another anime podcast and what they taught me about Love (Lab)

Just as a note they don't like Dog and Scissors, just dog marriages.

   I usually don’t talk about other blogs and podcasts but I think I might start now. In the past few weeks I have found a new anime podcast that I enjoy listening to. As you can probably guess It is just another anime podcast. It is a weekly podcast where the hosts talk about the anime of the week and a little about the news.

    What I really like about this podcast is that it feels rather energetic and you can feel that the people talking really enjoy anime (even though they are very willing to savage a show they don’t like) and enjoy talking to each other. Even though there has been some shakeup in show’s cast in recent episodes this feels like a podcast that still feels like it is going strong. Just as a note they will talk about sexual topics and use course language although they don’t feel compelled to constantly swear.

     What has really caused me to make this post is how I have just recently picked up the show Love Lab and how I can mostly attribute this to this podcast. While you will have to wait for a while to hear my complete thoughts I am thinking of giving it a silver rating so far. Even though I don’t always agree with the hosts I enjoy their opinions and one of these days I will get around to watching Joshiraku. 

You can listen to it at http://justanotheranimepodcast.com/

Old Moe, Old Shojo An Introduction to Ashita no Nadja

    

    As an aspiring anime scholar (really nothing more than a blogger with pretentions of wit) I have long since studied the phenomenon of moe in anime and have tried to better understand it. While looking at the history of the annual most moe character contest, call Saimoe I saw in the year 2004 the winner was a character from a show called Ashita no Nadja. After watching the first five episodes of said show I have come to some interesting conclusions.

     First it should be noted that Ashita no Nadja is a shojo anime, or in laymen's terms, a show for girls. While such distinctions can be a bit hard to pin down I believe that this correct. First is that the fact that this anime had a two volume companion manga that ran in Nakayoshi, which is a manga compilation definitely aimed at girls. The piece of evidence is shown in the opening animation; about at the minute mark the titular character flies past a veritable field of handsome would-be male love interests. In moe shows aimed at men, such as K On or Girls Und Panzer, actual men are virtually absent.

            As what this show is about, Ashita no Nadja is the story of Nadja Applefield, a cute girl who lives in an orphanage in Early twentieth century England. She is about to turn thirteen years old which means she has to start looking for a job. However one day a mysterious package appears for Nadja, which contains a brooch and a trunk but more importantly the news that her mother might still be alive somewhere. That night a couple of thieves appear at the orphanage looking for Nadja's stuff and accidentally set fire to the place.

            As she is worried about what will happen to the rest of the orphans if she stays at the orphanage so she hits the streets a couple of weeks early. She is unable to find work until she happens upon a band of traveling performers and impresses them with her dancing skills. Unknown to Nadja she is in fact the heir to a noble house and the brooch she received is the proof of her lineage.

      

Ashita no Nadja is currently not available in the United States and given the age of the show it is doubtful that it will ever be licensed in English speaking countries. I feel unable to give a detailed review of the show but the following sentences should suffice for a short one. Ashita no Nadja looks like it will be a good show but not a great show. The most important hook this show has is that it is something rather different than just about any anime available in that it is a female focused anime that is neither a magical girl show or some sort of romance (at least yet). If you have time to spare in your watching schedule and an open mind you might just enjoy this show.

Review Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas aka Yoshinaga-san'chi no Gargoyle

Thinking about it and maybe a bit of an odd bird by reviewing the show. After all Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas is a show I'm pretty much expecting that of you really were thinking of seeing and really isn't much more than mediocre site really can claim this as a gym and or make some rage filled hate review of it.

One of the main characters jump kicking the other 

 Review Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas is the story of a somewhat ordinary family consisting of a rather tomboyish girl named Futaba (In fact I think about an episode or two passed before I realized she was a girl) her slightly feminine older brother Kazumi and their two parents. One day Futaba  wins a strange stone statue in the local lottery. Much to everyone's surprise this statue can talk and move about (although it is never mobile in the animation) for it is an alchemical creation called gargoyle or Gar kun for short.

A phantom thief riding a robot, just like most slice of life shows

If I would have to give this show a genre classification I would call it a slice of life show with a hefty side of comedy. However this isn't a normal slice of life show as the titular character gargoyle is only the first of many supernatural elements that inhabit this show. In reality there is also a splash of action in this show although I wouldn't really call this should show in action show. Except for a couple of episodes that pick up from the previous episode and a finale which brings a lot of dangling elements together the show is mostly episodic.

Futaba and her friends

As it is a mostly a slice of life show perhaps the most important thing is the characters. Gargoyle to start off with is this stalwart defender of this show's characters and even if he doesn't have the most complex of personalities he is an honorable sword and therefore quite likable. This is contrasted with the other main character for top may be a bit of local pretty girl but as it turns out she is no usually do the right thing and therefore he can really cater. Many of the other characters have less of a presence or only there for a couple of episodes but they make an interesting mix as well.

Overall I consider this a decent show not a great show but something you might not pass up if for some weird reason you ever get the chance to watch this.

 Rating The bronze Onsakumaru (Shinobu 2x2) for being a decent show that I watch almost entirely to Hear Norio Wakamoto.

Mid season review Fantasista Doll

Well I don't want to commit myself to the arduous schedule of being an episode blogger I feel the need to talk about some of the shows I've watched. I was thinking the first show I should talk about is Fantatista Doll one of the shows I've been watching this season. I'll be honest in saying that it isn't one that shows that I have seen recently or overall but I can say is an interesting show.

Girl is Panzer

Fantatista Doll Stars Uzume Uno the prototypical normal schoolgirl who one day happens upon some amazing powers just like in most Anime in this case being a magical cell phone which allows her to summon five girls to fight for her. Most of the show so far has centered on either Uzume and her new magical friends called dolls fighting the villain of the week or Uzume bonding with said magical friends.

Almost every magical girl show has some sort of team attack. I think it is a rule or something.

To be honest I don't think this is a really good show and if I would have to rate it right now I would hover around either a bronze or tin rating. However I'm not watching the show entirely for the quality but for how the ID very idea of the show place out. When I first saw the show I was suddenly intrigued in the fact that it was a show that attempts to look like it is a show for girls while in fact is aimed at the male audience.

Somehow I don't think she would make it into a normal magical girl show.

This show has a strange amount of fan service as there is it not enough to properly label it as a fan service (and the fan service is definitely aimed at guys) show but there's definitely too much to really call it a show designed for girls. Other than that this show tries to emulate a straightforward magical girl show and for the most part does so. I would probably say that I am more intrigued about the idea of the show than its actual execution. However I find the show mildly amusing and therefore I will probably stick with it until the end.

Awesome characters 1 Hikigaya Hachiman

Our protagonist

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU(At least that is what they are calling it on Crunchy roll) is one of my favorite shows in the spring season and unlike Attack on Titan and Gargantia I don't feel that it has been hyped enough. I have found the show's biggest strength is that it takes many of the tropes and characters you see in anime romantic comedies and light novels and deconstructs them. I feel that this is very evident in the main character Hikigaya Hachiman.

I remember a few years ago I was able to greatly alter if not win a debate about feminism and Umineko no Koro ni with the idea that oppresion does not make you a better person. The same principle applies to Hikigaya. All too often in anime we have a main character who is not only dateless but also bereft of friends, yet they suffer no emotional backlash from their sorry state. Hikigaya is not only an interesting twist on the blank anime protagonist his since of bitterness and negativity make him more relatable than your average so called anime nerd protagonist.

Not only is he relatable to darker nature of many of us his attitude is one that is perfect for novels. He has a lot of inner monologue and narration, which is common for novel works. Such works are best served by a main character which a strong voice and Hikigaya's unrelenting pessimism gives us just that voice.

Yet another way Hikigaya makes (title) so even better is the fact that his antisocial nature really does put the brakes on any romance happening in the show. In most romantic shows the main relationship is dragged out so the show can make more money simply by being longer. However with (title) simply not emotionally capable of committing to either Yukino or Yui until he makes some rather drastic personal changes. By the end of he show you she the beginnings of those changes and a slight change in his relationships but that feels natural. In short when it comes to romantic comedy protagonists sometimes bitter is much better taste than bland.

Magic Knight Rayearth Overview part 3,

Where we left off last time our heroines were still questing for the spring of Eterna where they were hoping to find some Escudo. With nothing but a mascot creature who can only say the word Pu to guide them the going has been difficult but they have made it so far. Fortunately unlike real rpgs where if you get stuck you may have to search for hours before finding the correct way Magic Knight Rayearth refuses to be that boring even when it ventures into filler territory which it will do in this volume.

Fuu investigates a blue line

After yet another wandering monster fight this time involving a water monster that made the Magic Knights glow the trio arrives at what appears to be a glowing blue line hanging in mid air. While most people would have no idea what exactly that could mean Mokona climbs on a rock and instructs Hikaru, Umi and Fuu to do the same. From that vantage point they find that the blue line is in fact the spring of Eterna. Mokona then hops in and after some trepidation the girls do so as well.

I guess Cephiro has decorative jewels on everything

The three are separated and each find them facing something they love, Hikaru finds her dog Hikari, Umi finds her parents and Fuu (this is explained not to be extreme narcissism) herself. In each case the object of the Magic Knight's affections attacks their respective protagonist until a message from Princess Emeraude asks them "would those you love wish you harm?". At that point the Magic Knights retaliate with new spells revealing their adversaries to be pieces of Escudo. Since there is a couple of minutes of running time in the episode left Alcione attacks again informing our protagonists that the fight at the beginning of the episode was in fact a plot to poison the Magic Knights and that the poison should be kicking in just about now. Even brought to their knees the Magic Knights refuse to give up which causes their armor to grow which is the first occurrence of a very important principle in this show; character development equals leveling up your equipment. Needless to say the Magic Knights defeat her which is also the end of Zagato's patience with her.

Filler, the real silent killer

With Escudo in hand or rather neatly stored in their glove jewels where they also keep their weapons the Magic Knights return to Presea to have their weapons made. While in the manga (which I have read so I can reference differences between the two) the crafting of the weapons is a pretty minor event it would make for a pretty empty episode if something else wasn't added to it. As is the case when screen time needs to be filled a monster is sent in to do battle with the Magic Knights but this monster is different from those seen so far.

This monster is the summoned monster of Ascot the next in a series of mini-bosses in this show. In true magic girl mini-boss tradition he summons the monster, points in the direction he wants it to go (in this case Presea) and then decides to take a nap. The monster proves to be tougher than the previous ones as the spells and weapons of the Magic Knights do little more than make the thing evolve. The monster heads straight for Presea and when it rams the wall of the room she was in causing parts of the ceiling to fall on her. The rest of the episode is good news and bad news. The good news is that she finished making the weapons that the Magic Knights need not only to defeat this monster but also save Cephiro. The bad news is that she doesn't survive the ceiling collapsing. So with heavy hearts the Magic Knights bury Presea and vow to save Cephiro once again. Ascot also makes a vow of vengeance against the trio of girls that killed his precious friend.