So I decided to buy the Region 2 DVD 1, with box, poster, and drama CD.
That’s $53 for 2 episodes, and over $300 for the entire series.
And a season 3 is inevitable.
This might be what you call a bad idea.
Category Archives: anime
You Too Can Be Straight for Oscar
I’d like to design an eroge based on 70s-era shoujo manga and anime, the kind with impossibly sparkly eyes and whispy bodies and extreme melodrama. The sad(?) fact is, that computers simply were not advanced enough in the 70s to pull this off, so we must make up for lost time
The plot would be of that time period, and rather than the stereotypes we get today with the loli, the tsundere, the loli tsundere, and all that, it would incorporate common character types of 70s shoujo as well.
And the sex would involve rose petals flying everywhere and symbolic lightning.
Ogiue, Complex Emotions, Sexiness, such is Genshiken 2 Episode 11
Episode 11 of our illustrious second season of Genshiken covers one of the best Ogiue-themed chapters of the manga, Ogiue selling her doujinshi at Comifes. Watching her relationship with Sasahara further develop is such a joy, even though I’ve seen it all before.
With the introduction of Ogiue’s junior high “friends” though, they’ve set the stage for a Genshiken 3 or at least a handful of OVAs. They absolutely cannot let this plot thread dangle.
Ogiue’s “friends'” names, by the way, are Nakajima and Shigeta. Nakajima is voiced by Endo Aya and Shigeta is voiced by Iguchi Yuuka. Also, with how close those two are, I wonder if Nakajima and Shigeta are, shall we say, pitching for the other team.
Also, Shiro recently made a post about the joy that is a certain tomboyish Gundam SEED character with wet hair (who is also one of my favorite characters), and also the excellence of anime girls with wet hair in general. Good timing, for Genshiken 2 11 also brings this.
Yeah.
I’m done.
A quick summary of my favorite characters
“Slice of Life” they say
This post is inspired by my recently having watched more of Kino’s Journey after a long delay of not-watching Kino’s Journey. Warning: Rambling ahead
I’ve realized how unusual it is that when I think of the term “Slice of Life,” my mind goes immediately to anime. It’s a genre I enjoy immensely, from Azuma Kiyohiko’s works to Haibane Renmei and beyond. You could even consider Genshiken to be “slice of life,” and much of Ogiue’s appeal comes from the small moments in her life. But then, why is it that “slice of life” is so associated with anime, instead of, for example, shows with live actors?
I’ve spoken to friends before about what it is that makes an anime feel like an anime, what differentiates it from other mediums, what makes us come back for more. I think in certain cases, it has to do with this sort of slice of life pacing that’s just not seen as often elsewhere. Of course, I’m not saying that all anime is slice of life, or that there are no slice of life shows outside of anime, but merely that there is a recurring trend that a good amount of people who like anime like it because of shows such as Haibane Renmei. Even if this genre of anime and manga doesn’t occur as often as I think it does, I don’t think anyone would fault me when I say that when it occurs, it leaves a big impression on its fans, perhaps more than even the most soulful of epic tales.
Slice of Life, what does it mean? It means, basically, a story where “normal” life occurs, with less focus on dramatic events and more on the day to day occurrences to which we can relate. I’ve spoken a bit about moe before, and I don’t want to turn this into a moe essay, but I can’t help but feel that there is a corollation between the two. When watching a slice of life show, one desires to live the life of the characters, what tends to be a slow-paced life where the characters involve simply enjoy each passing day. In moe, the appeal is in the “weakness” of characters, the raw, emotional side which is different from stopping and smelling the roses, but also invokes a feeling of realism. If slice of life is “I want to live how they live,” then I think moe is “I feel how she feels.” And of course, the two can co-exist and are often together.
I wonder, then, if animation, as shown through the aesthetics we associate with anime, lends itself to the slice of life genre, much like how moe is associated with anime and manga. Characters tend to be pure and beautiful (though not necessarily attractive). They exist as (seemingly) simple characters leading (relatively) simple lives, no matter what the circumstances. They generally consist of flat colors with minimal shading and black outlines. Due to budget constraints, animation tends to not be very fluid, so still images and animation shortcuts are used, which may lead to slower-paced shows (though that is sometimes called “filler”). All this may lead to why “Slice of Life” as a genre has attracted so many people to anime.
Or maybe I should just talk to Scrubs fans more often.
Ogiue in the heat of passion
Surely she reverts back to Tohoku-ben.
Crossing Gender-oriented Genres and Fan Reaction
I’ve been thinking about those works which cross the line between various genres of anime, particularly those which bridge the gap between “male-oriented” and “female-oriented” labels. Series like Saint Seiya and Cardcaptor Sakura manage to capture an audience beyond their main targets, while others such as Gundam Wing and Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha not only bridge the gap, they cross over and begin to set fire to the ropes.
I know I have some issues with Nanoha, and while I think it’s a fine series overall, it never completely shakes that feeling that yes, this is totally intended for guys like me who love Cardcaptor Sakura (though not in that way personally), and it is kind of creepy for doing so. I know Gundam Wing is often considered far more of a black sheep than G Gundam among male fans of the Gundam franchise, for the way it perhaps overly de-emphasizes aspects often associated with Gundam, never mind that the original series garnered more than a few female fans of Red Comet Char Aznable and his zany (dead) friend, Garma Zabi. It’s just interesting to see this negative reaction in both myself and others pertaining to certain series and our expectations of what a show should entail.
I wonder if it’d be possible for genres to swap almost completely.
Why am I not watching Gundam 00?
I’ve always been a big Gundam fan, and I’ve watched virtually every series. For some reason though, I have not been compelled to watch Gundam 00. I’m not avoiding it because of some bad stigma, nor am I going “ew Gundam Wing 2.5,” but I’m somehow more motivated to download episodes of Shugo Chara.
Not to say anything bad of Shugo Chara.
IN AMERICA
Genshiken 2 10 came and went, and then came back around, and holy crap is it a crazy episode.
I’ve made it a point not to do episode reviews in the normal sense, but I think I need to discuss this one a little more. Genshiken 2 Episode 10 spoilers, obviously.
First thing’s first: Ogiue was incredibly, incredibly cute. And hot. As always. But moreso. Her blushing in this episode is a sight to behold.
Now then.
Angela’s English still sounds a bit awkward, but not in the way you’d normally expect a Japanese person’s English to be awkward. Kaida (her voice actor) does a really good job, but I suspect they didn’t have much of an English voice director to help them through it. Another odd thing is that I always considered Angela to be the one Genshiken character where the doujinshi based on her could most conceivably happen to her character, and it looks like Studio ARMS agrees with me, because wow is she flirtatious.
Sue is incredible too but in a completely different way. I think she’s going to garner a lot of fans after this.
And if those two weren’t enough, we actually get a THIRD character introduction! Hailing from Shiiou University’s Manken, it’s the one with no name, who Naruco Hanaharu calls “Cat-Mouth Girl.” And she finally has a name!
Say hello to ASADA, otherwise known as “Nyaako.” Her name is mentioned in the ending credits, if you’re wondering where I got it from.
I know some people who will be quite pleased with this episode.
And next episode has Ogiue in a public bath.
Mmm.
New York Anime Festival Review in 3 Steps
1) This con was small. The Jacob Javits Center is huge. There may have been a Magic: The Gathering tournament going alongside it, but I hope to see more panels, more rooms, more everything next year
2) Guests were good, not great, but I enjoyed the panels I went to immensely (except for the cosplay competition)
3) Unicorn Table was awesome. Also I picked up all of Votoms for 66% off. Also I got an Anime World Order T-Shirt from Daryl Surat.
OGIUE MANIAX 