This week in the blogworld, topics of choice include “death of Danbooru”, “successor of Danbooru” and, incongruously, “love” (as in real life, not adult games). What a shame I don’t have anything to say about any of those topics- instead I’ll just have to moan about how ironic it is that I hate filling in forms (to the extent that I always leave them to the last minute) but have somehow ended up doing a load of paperwork for my sister.
Stratos 4: The Admiral
Fat cat fans- rejoice at the release of this new Stratos 4 OVA, starring The Admiral herself! As this OVA reveals, the series’ chubby feline is actually a real admiral, and now it is up to her to save the earth from the largest meteor yet- by going up into space. With General/Shogun as her co-pilot, The Admiral will brave high altitudes in her experimental new ship, boldly going where no cat has gone before! Look forward to it!
Red Garden: Setting the bar for angst
Want to know the best excuses and situations for angst? Look no further.
- Your mother is ill and your father is working away from home, forcing you to look after your increasingly irritating siblings.
- The man you like is actually evil, whilst your HARD YURI sorority fellows are continually checking on your activities.
- You find all your friends irritating and shallow no matter what they do, but in order to get decent conversation, you must drink bitter coffee with your teacher and get accused of having an affair with him.
- You barely have enough money to pay the rent, but pride insists that you quit your job (only to return later), live away from your father (but borrow money from your brother) and skip classes since education and qualifications could not possibly land you a job better than flipping burgers.
- Your previously nameless and generally bland brother has just died, but you must continue to fight despite the hindrance of your oversized lips.
- Your cousin is dead and your sister is dying, but since you are surrounded by an evil faction, all you can do is be evil.
Zipang Pick ‘n’ Mix
The generics sense that a HARD GAY encounter may be imminent.
The named characters remain evasive for fear of having to invite the generics into their bed.
“Your HARD GAY is now most impressive.”
“The only way to find out is to go to the bedroom and try them for ourselves.”
“Before that, I have to know if you are even up to the task of matching me in the bedroom.”
“I would hate for either one of us to die because of improperly performed HARD GAY.”
This one says it all.
Short parody: Escaflowne
Allen: I am bishie and I think I love you, Hitomi- what more do you need?
Hitomi: I’m sorry, but I prefer Van.
(Van: Damn women- the only lover I need is the Escaflowne itself).
A report comes in that a town has been attacked.
Hitomi: Oh no, it’s all my fault!
Allen: Damn, my lottery ticket wasn’t a winning one.
Hitomi: I’m so sorry, it was all my fault!
Van: You know, I never did get that toy sword I wanted as a child.
Hitomi: That was my fault too! Everything that has ever gone wrong in the history of humanity happened because of me!
Van: You know, maybe we should deal with your ego issues before we continue this quest.
The history of the moon in anime
Although it is most often confined to a presence in still shots, the moon has always held importance in anime. From wars between the Earth and the moon in the likes of YoakeNa and Turn A Gundam to visiting bases on the moon in Kurau and Planetes, the satellite remains the closest and more convenient place for off-world activities in science fiction. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the moon has also brought its legacy to Earth in the form of Busou Renkin’s Moonface (aka Lunar Nicholai), a man whose head can resemble any of the phases of the moon.
HARD YURI corner: Red Garden
Thanks to her insatiable love of HARD YURI, Lise took four separate lovers- Claire, Rose, Rachel and Kate. Following her death, the other four turned to each to form a HARD YURI unit, unaware that they were not mere HARD YURI lovers, but resurrected young women tasked with fighting men so that HARD YURI could flourish. Although they were initially scared to become experimental in their intense bedroom encounters, at the urging of their pimps Lula and JC, they learned to become more daring with their HARD YURI, with even the quiet and submissive Rose showing some spirit.
Unfortunately, everyone around them remains jealous of their HARD YURI bond, forcing them to stand up to young men fearful of HARD YURI and the HARD YURI members of the school’s Grace. Can their love survive?
OST Spotlight: Sousei no Aquarion OST 1
Yoko Kanno is certainly one of the most well known names as far as anime music goes, but when it comes to praising her work, the Aquarion soundtrack has yet to receive the attention it deserves. Although this OST is more skewed towards the classical side of her work, Kanno’s skill is still very much in evidence, proving that classical-style anime music does not have to be dull, repetitive or restricted to piano and strings. Alongside the slower and more grandiose themes, there is a healthy mix of catchy faster-paced tracks that carry the listener along for the ride. A strong offering, and one that is highly recommended to anyone who listens to anime music, however infrequently.
Notable tracks: Sousei no Aquarion (onii-sama to), Macho Battle, Max Bomber Girl, Michelle, Kikaitenshi Aquarion, Brown Horses, Dragon Reika, Pride~journey of grief, Omna Magni
Licensing Reactions
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Geneon): Although it’s possible that they also have MariMite, SaiMono and Nanoha, I won’t talk about those until it’s official; however, as the presumable answer to the ANN competition, Higurashi at least must be a sure thing. Although I was temporarily won over by the creepy first arc and the goriness of Shion’s rampage, in retrospect Higurashi simply had too many weak points to be worth investing in.
Mini-rant: What’s my license?
Ah, who doesn’t remember the good old days? Chocolate bars were bigger, the internet was slower, and companies actually came out and told us which series they had licensed. In this new age, however, that is no longer the case- instead we have to be subjected to tedious viral marketing campaigns and “Guess the license” competitions at Anime News Network. Now, whilst this may have been an interesting gimmick to some when it first started, it seems I’m not the only one to be getting thoroughly fed up with it by now. All I care about is what has and hasn’t been licensed, so just announce it already! Do we expect to see “guess where the rapist struck?” or “which crime do you think this man committed?” on the news? Admittedly, anime licensing is less important, but do we really need to jump through hoops just to learn when a particular series is coming out on DVD? Just tell me straight how much to pay and when to pay it (if it is indeed worth buying at all)- that’s all I need to know.
In Your Reflection
This week’s head to head is between Chrono Crusade’s Joshua and Scrapped Princess’ Forsyth. Both are the blond haired brothers of the respective female leads, who are essentially good natured but have been forced by circumstances to live with the leads’ enemies.
Fashion police: Peorth
Ah, Peorth, I like your hairstyle, but why did you have to dress like a bondage queen? No doubt many people like it that way, and I have to admit it doesn’t look too bad if you glance at it out of the corner of your eye, but sadly, it doesn’t stand up to close inspection. The basic black bikini would be fine for a swimsuit episode, but aside from the fact that it looks a little too chilly and revealing for day to day wear, it is only made worse by the hideous orange buckle and strap combination (luckily she’s a goddess so we don’t have to worry about its defiance of the laws of physics). Unfortunately, the fingerless gloves and short boots in the same colour just serve to make the overall effect worse.
Fashion sense: D
Amusing Search Terms
ONE TOO MANY: Better cut back.
how to save in the diary on harvest moon: Sorry, but I can’t believe that someone is so incapable as to be unable to save their game in Harvest Moon.
Summer Days Episode: Ah yes, I remember that exact episode.
mai breast: Coming soon, Mai-Breast- all fanservice and no plot! Oh wait, that was Mai-Otome.
word round up: In the Word Round-Up, I review the most commonly used phrases of the week, such as “Hello”, “I’m fine”, and “I promise it will be done by next week”.
December 1st: A truly great day, December 1st, for it is the first of December. Don’t tell anyone I told you, though.
“Love it or loathe it”: marmite?
sei4C: I wish I could say something witty about this.
NOIR / WE HAD TO LET YOU HAVE IT: This must be a line from the HARD YURI Noir sequel.
game maker sprite flames: Will RPG Maker sprite Robespierre do?
Lolicon: it’s getting popular again, to the extent of 50 searches on some days.
you toube basketball: It’s good to see you toube continuing to evolve.
large boobs: more H-cup.
Busou renkin hentai doujins: No, please…no.
how can use my audition perfect hack: I don’t know.
Harvest Moon gay love: Anton loves his wife, his horse and his chickens, but not other men.
auditionsea cash hack: Did I hear you say cash?
game characters: How specific.
My Meine Liebe Wieder: Yours? Are you the creator?
Dangerous love: Is it worth the risk?
Shocking – A non-RPG character in the Fashion police!
Heh, the search terms always make me laugh. And marmite is obviously “love it”.
Summer Days Episode: are we remembering the same one? Were you the..? I guess not.
You make me look forward to Tuesday (though I say this on a Thursday…)
Um, but as for Peorth – actually I’ve always liked the buckle-and-strap gizmo, sue me. And as for the swimsuit, Fujishima seems most concerned about how it looks from, uh, behind…