October 11, 2007: You're Under Arrest Full Throttle ep 1

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This episode brought back a lot of YUA memories, specifically that famous Natsumi I'm-using-my-feet-as-breaks technique. The animation didn't improve but I wasn't really bothered. It has been that way ever since and it would have really felt weird if the animators decided to change the designs all of a sudden -- after ALL THOSE EPISODES.

What bothered me, however, was the ending MV. The animators finally recognized the yuri involved between Miyuki and Natsumi and they went ahead with it full-blossom. It was a little disturbing, because there was a love story between Miyuki and Nakajima before. I wonder if they broke up during her training in LA.

Natsumi became more masculine too but ironically, her breasts got bigger.

On another note, I'm glad that Yoriko is still in this season. She's really cute and the YUA humor wouldn't be the same without her. I'm also glad that Saori's out of the picture. I never liked her character.

All things considered, I think not much has changed in this anime, considering the period it became dormant (4-5 years). I have always enjoyed watching this series in AXN, and because of these amazing constancies I KNOW I will still enjoy Full Throttle.

PS: The large screenshots were not my intention. I can't make them any smaller. T__T Sorry for killing your dial-up.

Never heard of You're Under Arrest/Taicho Shichauzo?

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October 9, 2007: Rental Magica

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UPDATE: Deleted from ACTIVE LIST. This anime requires more patience and understanding since it deals with a lot of magical terms and customs. Very hard to write and explain.

Rental Magica is a light novel series by Makoto Sanda. The anime adaptation by ZEXCS started airing on October 7.

The main genre of this series, just as what the title suggests -- is fantasy. This reminds me of D.Gray-man, although I can guess that this version is far less-complicated.

Episode 1 does not say much about the main story of the anime so I got something from ever-reliable Wikipedia. Dig in:

Due to his father's disappearance, Itsuki Iba has to take over the family business: a magician dispatch service. Their family basically employs countless magicians and other supernatural beings in order to send them out to help those who need magical assistance. As a leader, Itsuki now has to be tough, commanding, and reliable, but there's one problem, he's a coward. Also, in order to run a successful business, he has to connect with his employees, which is more difficult than it seems due to his personality. But not only does he have to deal with his own employees, he also has to deal with those who threaten the family business.

The animation is not that exceptional. The music may be great but since this is a shounen-related series, visual presentation is considered as most important. I'm actually bothered because ZEXCS made a pretty good adaptation of Sister Princess, and that was way back in 2002. This studio also dealt with a lot of seinen series. I'm really surprised by the overall inferior quality of the first episode.

Story-wise though, I liked episode 1, especially the first four minutes or so when we see nothing but action and lots of spells being thrown. Most of the major characters were already revealed and fortunately, they were all well-introduced in the later part.

Having said all that, I'm looking forward in seeing more of Rental Magica. I hope you find time in watching this series too. ^^

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August 19, 2007: 5 Centimeters Per Second

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5 Centimeters Per Second (Byosoku 5 Centimeters) is a three-part Japanese feature film of Makoto Shinkai (She and Her Cat, Hoshi no Koe), portraying the life of two people separated by distance and space; of falling in and out love, of slowly fading memories like petals falling from a Cherry Blossom tree.

This film aims to be realistic, to focus on that isolated experience some people had in their lives: lovers drifting apart without any chance of getting back together, no matter how one tries to stay in the past.


Part I - Okasho ~ Extract of the Cherry Blossom ~

Thirteen-year olds Takaki Tono and Akari Shinohara were very close friends. However, due to their parents' employment, the two had to transfer often and they eventually drifted apart. When Tono realized that he and his family would be leaving to a place much farther from his best friend, he decided to meet Akari in the station of Iwafune, at 7:00 PM.

The weather wasn't being cooperative though. It was snowing heavily and the train had to stop often. At one point they had to stop for two hours. Takaki felt helpless, hopeless, wondering when he will ever get to Akari.

"I feel that one minute is a long time... Time must have an evil intention towards me... And flowing through me, I just hold myself not to cry..."

It was past eleven in the evening when he reached the station.. He met Akari and they kissed under the skeleton of what used to be a beautiful Cherry Blossom tree.

"At this moment, I feel as if I know where eternity, heart and soul are. I feel that I understand the meaning of living for thirteen years. Then instantly, I feel an unbearable sadness. I don't know how to treat, where to bring, Akari's warmth and soul. I know that in the end we can't always be together..."

Part II - Cosmonaut

Takaki has grown up a little, now a high school student. His classmate, Kanae Sumita, developed special feelings for him, and everyday, she fought the urge of confessing her love for him. Always, always she fails.

"Tono is always looking at something so far away that I can't see. My wish won't be granted. Even so I like Tono even after today, the day after tomorrow, forever. Only Tono is on my mind, as I fall asleep."

Takaki still longs for Akari but he could only stare at his cellphone and write mails which he send to no one.

Part III - Byosoku 5 Centimeters

Takaki has gone to Tokyo, graduated, and landed on a computer job. Day by day he was consumed by sadness that eventually, he left his job. One sunny morning he saw a familiar looking woman walking past him. He turns his head but at the same time a train sped by, blocking his view. She was gone before Takaki can even hope that it was Akari.

Akari, on the other hand, was already engaged to someone else. Only when she had rummaged through her old things did she remember her first love, the snowy path and the kiss under the Cherry Blossom tree.

"The woman that I've gotten along for three years said, I love you even today. But even if we were to exchange mail a thousand times, our hearts would probably not move closer by even one centimeter."

"Yesterday I saw a dream..." Takaki.

"The dream about the past." Akari.

"In that dream, we were still 13 years old." Takaki.

"And we were in a wide, snowy, empty field." Akari.

"The lights that come from the house looked dimmed and so far away." Takaki.

"Only our tracks are on the road that passes us by." Akari. "With that scenery --"

"Someday we will see the cherry blossoms together," Takaki.

"He and I, without a single doubt --" Akari.

"-- feel like that." Takaki.

This film is too short for me to appreciate the characters, but like Hoshi no Koe, 5 cm per second drew a lot of sad emotions that left me breathless and tearful in the end. To say that, love can exist both in heaven and hell; make some people happy and others suffer, leave one waiting and the other moving on -- love has too many faces, moves too quickly and fades like the velocity of a sakura petal falling, that is, 5 centimeters per second.

Length: 1 hour, 3 minutes
Written/Directed by: Makoto Shinkai
Studio: Comix Wave Inc.
Ending Theme: Masayoshi Yamazaki - One More Time, One More Chance [ DOWNLOAD HERE ]
Rating: 8/10

July 15, 2007: Lucky Star EP 14

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I can't help but upload this really funny part!! You can alternatively view and download it here. (the embedded video in this blog takes a while to load)

July 8, 2007: Seirei no Moribito

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Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit) is by far my most appreciated series in terms of animation and storyline. This is not an overstatement. See for yourself and let me know.

Guardian of the Sacred Spirit is the first in the Guardian series of Japanese fantasy novels, authored by Nahoko Uehashi, which has spanned 10 books. It has since been adapted into numerous media, including radio, manga and anime adaptations. [ Wikipedia ]

Total Number of Episodes: 26 (Ongoing), Latest: 13

Impressions: Let me just reiterate that the animation is a jaw-dropper. Every wood, leaf, rock -- everything was drawn with obsessive (??) detail. Impressive storyline, as I have mentioned earlier. If there's one thing to complain about, the pace would probably be it. So far the progress of the story is slow. Still, that can be tossed aside. Be mesmerized instead by the characters and how they superbly play their roles.

Story:

Balsa, the spearwielding bodyguard for-hire, arrived at a land called Yogo, where she impulsively saves Chagum, the young prince of the royal family, descendants of Emperor Torgal. The same night, the queen invited her in the palace. Her majesty bowed her head and 'tearfully' begged Balsa's acceptance of the most difficult job ever: become the prince's bodyguard for life. Apparently, in Chagum's stomach resides the unhatched egg of the water demon who infested the lands of Yogo many, many years ago. Balsa's ultimate enemy is the Emperor himself, the one destined to kill his own flesh and blood.

Will Balsa be able to thwart those who hunt her down and still keep her promise not to kill anyone else?

This series is produced by Production I.G. and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, which premiered in Japan on NHK from April 7, 2007.

At the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007 in March, Geneon announced that they have acquired the license to the anime and Scholastic announced they have US distribution rights to the novels.