Anime 365 Challenge!

“Cooking Master Boy” was my first Chinese anime series and it was alot of fun to watch. It took a few minutes to get used to the Chinese dialogue, as it moved a little faster than I’m used to so in some cases the subtitles went a little more quickly than I could read. But once I managed to focus properly I found the show very delightful. It revolves around a young boy working in his deceased mother’s resturaunt, who finds himself in a cooking challenge to rival all cooking challenges when a master chef arrives to take over. The characters here are sweet and cheerful and an eclectic mix of archtypes. While the animation is old-school looking and a little worn out, the story more than makes up for it. Aside from wanting to watch the next 51 episodes, I also found myself hungry for Chinese food as soon as this first episode was over.

I adore Miyazaki movies. They are such a lovely mix of beautiful animation, complex and in-depth storytelling, and well-crafted characters, that each one has been a joy for me to watch. And though I had a few doubts before watching it, “Porco Rosso” did not let my love of Miyazaki films down. Here we have an ace pilot, cursed to bear the contenance of a pig because of a poor choice made during his youth. Now he lives on the edge, courting disaster, bad guys, and enemy governments at every turn, and hoping in his secret heart of hearts to one day leave his porcine curse behind. This is the first Miyazaki film that did not center around a female character, which I thought would seem strange, but it didn’t. Porco is an ingenius creation - tough but sensitive, driven but haunted. There was humor, there was romance, there was action and suspense. And there were those wonderful Miyazaki touches. I am very happy to add this film to my Miyazaki collection.

“Noir” is confusing and fast-paced and a bit disturbing. In some anime these elements would lead to a show that is nothing more than a giant mess of bad plotting and irritating characters. So far in “Noir” these elements seem to add up to a fascinating series. Two young women with different pasts seem to be set on a path for the same future, as they meet up and become a deadly assassin team. But while at first they can’t think of a reason they would be connected, as they journey together their shared relationship comes into the light. This is a dark series, as any about a pair of assassins would be. There is violence and gun play, but there are also some very moody and introspective moments as well. This is a show that sucks you in with its mysteries, and I am interested to see how well it lives up to them when it finally reveals its answers.

Of the last six shows that I watched, there was one I really didn’t care for, one I only had lukewarm feelings for, one I’m not sure about, one I was very surprised by, one that I liked quite a bit, and one that I loved. Its exhausting going through such a gamut of emotions in less than a week, but I think I have managed to survive pretty much intact.

“Descendants of Darkness: Vampire’s Lure” looked alot better than it turned out to be. The plot was confusing (it had something to do with shinegami, but not “Death Note” or “Bleach” style shinegami, and detectives looking for demons or vampires or something), the characters whiny, and the comedic elements were not funny. I had heard of this show before, or at least thought I had, so it seemed like it would be worth taking a peek at. It wasn’t. I was not amused and I will not be watching anymore of this series.

“Blood+” was the show that surprised me, as at first when I heard about it I thought it sounded awful. I’m a big fan of the original animated movie, “Blood: The Last Vampire” and so when I found out there was going to be a new series based on the main character, but that it was being done by totally different animators in a new style, I was less than thrilled. Why was it neccessary to change something that was already awesome? But when I finally allowed myself to give in and watch the series, I was surprised to discover that it was actually pretty good. In this story the main character, a powerful vampire/vampire slayer, has lost her memory of her real life and is living as a normal girl. At least until government agents and blood-thirsty demons decide that she needs to regain her memories or be eliminated. The animation is different than in the movie, it follows the more modern style, but it looks clean and well-done and it doesn’t detract from the story. I will definitly be watching more of this.

“Mushishi” is the series I’m not too sure about yet. The soundtrack is moody, the settings are rural and serene, and the story is a bit less exciting than I expected. “Mushishi” follows the exploits of a type of ghost hunter who searches out “mushi.” This quest leads him all over the world, to the doorsteps of young men with strange powers, to the forests where spirits hold dark rituals. While this seems like an interesting premise, and while the story told in the first episode wasn’t too bad, the whole thing seemed a little too slow for my taste. There were several moments that seemed to be leading up to something big and exciting, but faded out with no great climax. I might have to watch another few episodes of this show before I can make an opinion on it.

“Vandread” really didn’t effect me any sort of way. I watched the first episode all the way through, as the world populated by men and that populated by women battled against each other in a desperate (and not totally explained) urge to wipe each other out. And I watched as the main character bumbled his way through being launched into space where I’m sure he will wind up a great hero. But I had trouble caring. The characters felt flat and the storyline felt like something I had seen before.

“My Hime” is a series that popped up in the OnDemand menu of my cable service so I went ahead and took a chance on it. It turned out to be very likable. While it does have alot of the same elements as other “magical girl” stories - teenage hottie winds up in a dangerous situation, something strange happens to her, suddenly she is endowed with magical powers and saves the day - it was still alot of fun to watch. There was lost of action and a bit of suspense, and even a teeny slice of romance (though it might not really go anywhere in the end). I could have found alot worse ways to spend a half hour than watching this show.

“Noein” was a strange and wonderful delight to watch. It is another of my new fave anime. The story was bizarre and followed two (possibly) different storylines - that of a desolate future where a man seeks to jump into the past, and that of a recognizable present where a group of teenagers seek to have some fun. Nothing is what it seems in this series, however. The future and the past collide in dangerous ways that will have repercussions for the entire world. The animation here is moody and bold, the music tugs at the emotions, and the story is delightfully twisted and fun to try and figure out. As soon as possible I will be buying the boxed set for this series so I can watch it all.

“Yotsunoha” was not a great anime series. The reason I know this is because a few days after watching it, I can’t even remember what it was about. I had to look up the details just to recall what I had seen. This doesn’t speak highly of a show that is only two parts, with each episode lasting almost 40 minutes. Based on a Japanese “Visual” novel, or basically an erotic video game, this is the story of a group of teenagers who were once best friends but have drifted apart over the years. Now they are coming together for a reunion at their old school, and much talking and making eyes at each other and fighting about the past ensues. The animation was pretty to look at, but the visual elements just weren’t enough to hold my attention. I couldn’t figure out where the story was going, and felt no compulsion to try and follow it there. I won’t be making a point of seeing the other episode of this show.

Now I can remember the next anime series I watched, “Ah My Goddess!.” I have been a fan of the “Ah My Goddess!” universe for many years, having watched and very much enjoyed the original OAV series back in the day, plus having read some of the manga and LOVED the feature film. This time I watched the first episode of the 52 episode TV series, which basically tells the same story as the OAV and manga. A young college boy makes a call from his dormitory one night and it changes his entire life, as he reaches the Goddess Hotline and is soon visited by the beauitiful and delightfully sweet Belldandy. This series is romantic, funny, and very gentle. There are no huge explosions or gun battles here, there are no giant mechas or tanks, and there are no kickass cyborgs or daredevil pilots. Instead there are a group of realistic and sweet characters who muddle along through life the best they can, while surrounded by a touch of the magical and mystical.

In an alternative universe where most of the world is occuppied by an empire that thinks very highly of itself and not so much of everyone else, who has the power to defeat them? Possibly only one young teenage boy, a prince in disguise who accidently winds up with an immense and frightening power. The first episode of “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion” took me forever to watch. It seemed like every time I started to play it, something would come along to interrupt me and I’d forget to finish. Part of this stems from the fact that the first few minutes of the show are kind of boring, and part of it stems from the fact that I’m a little biased against this show because of how popular it is. I don’t always like to watch the popular anime, as I feel enough people are already watching them. But since I’m trying to really get a good variety into my viewing for the Anime 365 Challenge, I relented and decided to see “Code Geass.” Eventually I managed to watch the entire first episode, and it turned out to be much better than I had initially thought. The animation is very slick and highly stylized, the character designs are a part of the ultra-modern anime look, and the story has alot of depth to it. I’m actually curious to see what happens next here.

My new favorite series, of the ones that I watched the last few days, is “Ergo Proxy.” This is a series that looks like it fell right out of a gothic/cyberpunk nightmare. The drawings are dark and surreal, the music is electronic and a bit jarring, and the characters are morbid and interesting. It is future-times and the world is populated by humans and the robots they love. It is a dirty kind of paradise, until something sinister starts a rampage of mutilation and death right through the middle of that paradise. “Ergo Proxy” has a look and feel that is uniquely its own. The characters are not sharp and brightly dressed like they appear in so many current anime. Here they are washed out, with round almost shapeless features swathed in punk/goth threads. Scenes are drawn out and moody, or hyper-fast and violent, with little time in between to ready yourself for the sudden shift. It is fun to watch a series once in a while that strays so far from the norm. I will certainly be catching the rest of this one.