Hello again. Given what
happened this month with the recap of “Mega Man! Plug In!”
and my internet woes; I
will be making good on my decision to list anime I'm currently
watching in between recaps. This will be the first of such posts;
while I start work on my
recap of “A Double
Dilemma.” I also plan to have a recap on a Christmas-related anime
episode (yes, the Christmas
holiday does have a following in Japan) out after the recap of
“A Double Dilemma,” and
I plan to both out before the month of December is over. So, let's
get started.
Deadman Wonderland
I've mentioned this anime
in passing a couple times, now I'm officially talking about it.
“Deadman Wonderland”
tells the tale of 14-year-old Ganta, who is wrongfully convicted
of the mass murder of his
middle school class. He is then forced to compete in “Deadman
Wonderland,” an
attraction in the prison theme park where he is residing. The
convicts must
compete for their lives to
win Cast Points and a special type of candy that extends their life
(the outset for death row
inmates is 72 hours before a collar on their neck releases a poison
that executes them). Ganta
must put everything on the line, as well as put his trust in a
mysterious girl named Shiro in order to survive.
While the series was
unsuccessful in its initial run in Japan, “Deadman Wonderland”
has proven to be a surprise
hit for the revived Toonami block. Speculation is now underway
of a second season being
funded (a similar situation happened when “The Big O” aired on
the original Toonami).
Scans of the manga are also popular. I believe the success of
“Deadman
Wonderland” could very
well be linked to its similarities to “Battle Royale” and “The
Hunger
Games” series (especially
with the latter being a bestselling book and a record-breaking box
office hit).
Holic
This is one of the more
peculiar series I've gotten into. I'm frankly not sure how to
categorize it, as it uses
elements of several different genres (horror, comedy, slice-of-life,
drama) to tell the story. Created by ensemble production house
CLAMP, Holic tells of high
schooler Watanuki, as he
stumbles upon a strange shop while being harassed by a group of
dark spirits. He comes
across a woman named Yuuko, who claims she can rid him of the
spirits.
All she asks in return is
that Watanuki become her apprentice. Watanuki agrees; and becomes
enraptured in all the
strange people and doings that revolve around her shop. These include
a pair of twin girls that somewhat resemble the ones found in “The
Shining” , and a creature
that craves expensive food;
much to Watanuki's chagrin. I am interested to see where it goes;
at least. One last thing: I
didn't type the full title because of the problems it causes when
one tries to mention it. If
you see the full title, you will know why.
Shin Chan
This was an anime that I
discovered by accident, when using the Netflix account of a
family friend. It tells of
5-year-old Shinosuke “Shin” Nohara and his day-to-day life of
living
in a small town in Japan
with his mother, Mitzi, his father, Hiro, and his baby sister, Hima.
It sounds innocuous enough,
but I quickly found out how audacious and vulgar it was when I
watched it. Evidently, Shin
Chan is on the same level in Japan as “Beavis and Butt-Head”
would be here. In particular, Funimation took an already
inappropriate series and made it
even more raunchy by giving
it a gag dub; intentionally airing episodes in no particular order
(which becomes clearer as
some episodes are made from footage from older, cel-animated
vignettes and newer ones
made with digital coloring); altering Japanese letters with digital
photoshop techniques that
4Kids would be embarrassed to use, and filling the writing with
coarse language and dead
baby comedy that make sure that no one makes the mistake of putting
this on for their child.
That TVMA sticker on the DVD box is much-obliged, folks.
Episodes are filled with
digs at everyone from Angelina Jolie to the right wing; and a
recurring parody revolves around the merchandise-driven tokusatsu
hero “Action Bastard”.
The animation is gloriously
bad, looking every bit like a child's drawings being used to make
an anime (the series is
even called “Crayon Shin Chan”in Japan). They could even leave
pencil
marks or inkblots in some
of the frames. If you do decide to watch this series; it is the
textbook
definition of “Not safe
for work.”
Durarara!!
I am currently on my
second time around watching this series, and I will tell you why.
“Durarara!!” tells of
teenager Mikado Ryugamine, who had previously lived in the
countryside
before moving to the
Ikebukuro district of Tokyo. He meets with childhood friends Masoami
and Anri; and begins
attending school there. He hears of a mysterious organization known
as
the Dollars and their
efforts to cause chaos and dissent in Ikebukuro. The district is also
home
to a dullahan named Celty;
a sort of black rider that people fear in the city, a super-strong
bartender named Shizuo, a
deceitful young man named Izaya, and a hulking Russian sushi
chef named Simon.
Filled with great art and
a soundtrack that mixes indie rock, free form jazz, and classical
music, “Durarara!!” is
among some of the best series I've ever seen. The stories really
flesh out
the series as it goes on.
The plot blends crime drama, Celtic fantasy, slice-of-life, and
action.
If you've seen this anime
already, good for you. If you haven't, please do so.
One Piece
I cannot tell you enough
how much I love this anime. After Funimation rescued it from
obscurity, “One Piece”
is quickly gaining steam among the anime fandom. “One Piece” is
the grand saga of young Monkey D. Luffy, a person who wants to find
the One Piece and become
king of the pirates, one of
the highest honors that a pirate can earn. In order to do this, Luffy
must travel across the
Grand Line, a place filled with all sorts of dangers and enemies to
battle;
and many friends and
adventures to be had.
Joining Luffy on his
journey are Roronoa Zoro, a swordsman who favors the three- sword
style (one in each hand, and one between his teeth); Nami, a charming
thief who will
steal one's heart along
with their wallet; Usopp, a marksman known for his grand flights of
fancy; Sanji, a womanizing,
chain-smoking chef; Chopper, a shapeshifting reindeer who serves
as the crew's doctor; and
Nico Robin, an alluring woman who has the power to send out dozens
of arms from herself.
“One Piece” is quickly
becoming one of the most deeply-revered anime series of our time,
much like “Dragon Ball” before it. With Luffy's extraordinary
powers of being able
to stretch his body to
incredible lengths and proportions, he battles his way through many
strange and unusual places
throughout the Grand Line. My advice to anyone who wants to
watch this anime; but isn't
sure how they'll like it: watch it up to the end of the Arlong arc.
If you don't like it after
that, it's not for you.
So, that's the first list
of anime I'm currently watching. I'm going to get started on the
recap of “A Double
Dilemma” very soon, and I'm going to be more proactive about
posting
it, so I'm not so behind on
things. In fact, the recap I was going to do after “A Double
Dilemma”
may be pushed back to later
in December or even January 2013. So, that's all for now. Later.
