Anime I'm Currently Watching 12/27/12

Hello again. Well, 2012 is winding down, and I have one more recap I want to do before the year ends. I have decided what I want to do it on. While you are waiting, I will do another list of anime that I'm currently watching.

Arakawa Under the Bridge

This is definitely one of the strangest series I've seen; and with good reason. I've been completely mesmerized by the first three episodes of it. The series is about a young adult named Ko Ichiyoma; a child of privilege attending Tokyo University. His family's credo is "never be in debt to anyone." One day, a mugger takes his pants and hangs them from a bridge above the Arakawa river. Attempting to retrieve them, a beam breaks and he falls in. He is then saved by a mysterious girl named Nino, who may or may not be an alien from Venus. Ko then decides to start dating Nino in order to repay the debt.
Along with Nino, the bed of the Arakawa river hosts many strange folks, which include a kappa, a crossdressing nun, and a rock star that's a real star. As in, the ones in the sky at night. The animation is also well-done; and the writing is full of wonderful nuances about the universe. I recommend this anime.

Claymore

A dark medieval fantasy anime; which is about mysterious beasts known as Youma that terrorize the world. The people who fight them are known as "Claymores", women with large swords and silver eyes that specialize in dealing with them. One such Claymore, Clare, is tasked with protecting a village from them. There is also a danger of the energy known as "Youki", which powers both the Youma and the Claymores. If the Claymore's Youki goes uncontrolled, they become "Super-Youki."I must warn you, this series is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the most violent series you will find; with the Youma being killed in some of the most graphic ways you can imagine. Still, it is a very good series that I think you will enjoy.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Well, it finally happened. I finally decided to watch this series. It is considered to be a huge cultural phenomenon among anime fans, to the point where the eponymous woman's mug is in every bookstore's graphic novel/manga section; is the mascot of most anime websites; and is revered to the point of idol worship. Having watched four episodes of it so far, I am tremendously underwhelmed. While I admit the idea of her only wanting to hang out with time travelers, espers, and other strange individuals is interesting; I personally find the character herself to be manipulative and not all that likable (one of the first things she does is fake an assault on side character Mikuru so she can blackmail the computer club into giving her a computer). The character of Yuki Nagato seems dull and forgettable. I feel Itsuki Koizumi's constant over-optimism to be off-putting; as I'm used to people conveying other emotions in most anime I watch. Currently, Kyon is my favorite character, since he represents how I feel about the series (that he seems confused by Haruhi's antics, but takes them in stride). My second favorite would have to be Ryoko, largely because she resembles Kaname of Full Metal Panic (Kyoto Animation's previous work, which I like better). Even though people suggested I watch the series in broadcast order, I opted to watch it in chronological order since that's easier for me to comprehend. I was also informed of an infamous string of episodes known as the "Endless 8" in the second season, which is essentially a repetition of the same episode over and over (kind of like the movie "Groundhog Day"); and a film entitled "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya." I was told the  Endless 8 are boring and the film is good; but I have had a very different reaction to Haruhi than most that watched it. Part of the reason I'm having a hard time getting into it is because I've gotten used to gritty anime like Deadman Wonderland and Casshern Sins; and seeing such a happy series is unusual. We shall see.

So, that is all for now. I'm going to get started on the next recap. See you space cowboy.

Christmas Special Recap: Holiday Hi-Jynx

Hello again, and Merry Christmas. Since I was put off a bit after my recap of A Double

Dilemma, I am going to switch up my original plans for following it. I am writing the recap

for Christmas first, then I'm going to do the recap for detoxing from A Double Dilemma before

2012 is out.

So, what have I decided to do for my Christmas special? Well, it just so happens there's

a Pokémon Christmas special. In fact, there's more than one. There are several shorts under

the name “Pikachu's Christmas Vacation” and “Pikachu's Winter Vacation”, but those are a

matter for another day. The one I have chosen for Christmas this year is the first of such

a special, “Holiday Hi-Jynx.” So, let's open it up.

Once again, our theme song is the Pokémon theme. It remains my favorite Pokémon song to this day, and it is among my favorite anime theme songs. I may do a list of those later on down the line.

We open on a house on a hill. Well, it looks like the old Addams Family place has been

well-maintained over the years.

You are mean ones, Team Rocket...

It seems that Team Rocket is planning to capture Santa Claus. I don't know, the last

guy that tried to do that ended up dissolving into a bunch of bugs.

We then get our title card. The original Pokémon title cards were simple, yet effective.

James remarks that he feels like a guinea pig in a gunny sack. Probably because we

haven't come up with any guinea pig Pokémon yet.

From that point, we get a flashback that explains why they want to capture Santa Claus.

It depicts Jessie as a little girl. Little Jessie looks cute, almost human.

Anyway, she is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus, She gets so impatient

that she throws her doll at the mantle and it breaks.

This is what happens when you get your kid knockoff Pokémon toys.

Someone comes down the chimney, but it's not Santa Claus, it's Jynx. Ho boy, I'm not

going to avoid talking about her, am I? Well, the reason this special doesn't air very often in

America is because of Jynx. Why? Well, even though Jynx was meant as a parody of the

“ganguro” fashion trend (which was also skewered by Jessie and James in “Battle Aboard the

St. Anne”.); some parties deemed her a stereotype of black people. Jynx would later be recolored to purple because of this.

Three and a half minutes in, and cue Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu. They notice

something on the beach and decide to go check it out.  

The Wii U being in short supply forced the gang to take extreme measures.

Ash attempts to capture the Jynx, and sends Pikachu after it. Even so, Jynx manages

to get the upper hand. She uses Lovely Kiss, which puts the opponent into a deep sleep. You

could probably have them watch A Double Dilemma and it would have the same effect.

Sy Snootles is angry about Disney's plans for the next Star Wars Special Edition.

Misty notices that Jynx is holding a boot, and she suggests that the boot must belong

to the Jynx's trainer. Of course! People are always misplacing their boots! For example, Silver

lost his boot after he had a run-in with a man in a mask. The boot has a picture of Santa Claus in it. So Santa Claus put a picture of himself in his boot.  In the Japanese version, he wrote his name in katakana in the lining.

Jynx then tries to kiss Brock, much to Brock's dismay.

When I said I wanted a girlfriend, this was NOT what I had in mind!

Jynx then decided to mind-meld with them. She shares the experience she had when

she was cleaning the boot and an ice floe broke off and sent her to the sea.

Looks like another one needs Yukon Cornelius' help.

The gang agrees to help Jynx get back to the North Pole. Just don't take the Polar Express. Those CGI conductors are really creepy.  

OK! I'll sign your merchandise and take a picture with you!
Just quit doing this and quit emailing me risqué fan art!

So, they decide to travel to the North Pole by raft. Well, I've seen stranger ways to get

there. They use paddle for a bit, and get tuckered out. It's like how I was this morning (I stayed

up till 4AM trying to beat Marlon in my Pokémon White 2). They decide to use their Pokémon

to pull the raft, and they get tuckered out as well. That's why I give mine lots of Protein, Iron,

and Carbos.  

Still not deterred, Ash strips down to his boxers to pull the boat. Well, ladies, there's

your fan-service for this evening.

Lo and behold, the scene that launched a thousand fan art pieces.

Suddenly, a wave rocks the boat and Ash gets separated from the others. Then, before

him and his underwear, a Lapras appears. It's not the same Lapras that he had in the Orange

Islands, but it's still pretty good.

Lapras takes Ash back to the others, and agrees to help them get to the North Pole.

I grudgingly admit that I'm jealous that Ash has a nicer chest than me. Most anime characters

do.

Team Rocket is in hot pursuit of everyone. It always amused me that Team Rocket

had a pedal submarine. If I had the money, I would fund that for an amusement park

attraction.

Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu reach the North Pole. I also note that this is long before

the newer games started having players dress for the cold. It's anime, so hypothermia won't

happen even in their late-90s street attire.

I should point out how the North Pole looks a lot like the Fortress of Solitude. After

you're done with Santa, tell Superman I'm really excited for his new movie; even if the director

he has struck out with Legend of the Guardians and Sucker Punch.

Team Rocket arrives, but fail to complete their motto due to the cold. By the way,

the thing that Meowth is under is a “Kotatsu”, a type of heated table that people gather around

in Japan during the winter.

Anyway, Jessie is under the impression that Santa Claus is a Jynx because of what

was revealed in the flashback at the beginning of the episode. Ash, Brock, and Misty all laugh

at them. Good one, Team Rocket! Next I suppose you'll tell me that this franchise is just a fad!

We soon see Santa's workshop, which is depicted as a Christmas tree made of ice.

I guess lower overhead helped fund it.

Inside, all the workers are Jynx, making toys for the big night. I guess the elves

got a TV deal with ABC and Disney.

Santa remarks that his boot is still missing, and his toes will freeze if he attempts to

deliver the toys without it. I know. He has to deliver a 3DS to Billy in Los Angeles, some

Bakugan to Wendy in Walla Walla, a Monsuno set to Josh in Rancho Cucamonga, a My Little

Pony to Ariana in Keokuk, some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Tyler in New York, and a pair

of iPad Minis to Gabe and Tara in Chicago. Yes, it's just another typical Christmas.

Team Rocket returns the boot, but they also tie up Santa, Ash, Brock and Misty and

steal the presents. This reminds me of some Tim Allen movie. Not the one with Martin Short,

I don't care for that one.

Now comes the part that's different depending on which version of the special you watch, and I don't mean in the sense of “picture in the boot instead of katakana.”

Jynx mind-melds with Jessie, and Santa tells that Jynx brought the doll to his workshop so he

could fix it. In the dubbed version, Jessie no longer believed in Santa Claus, so he was powerless to visit her again. In the Japanese version, she had moved out of the house she

used to live in. (It's implied that her birth mother was in Team Rocket and went missing,

presumed dead, which resulted in Jessie being shuttled around in foster care until she

enlisted herself.)

Even after Jessie gets her beloved childhood doll back, she still decides to ruin Christmas for everyone else by stealing the presents. Why those Scrooges! This will not

stand! This aggression will not stand!

Ash has his Charmander burn the ropes. About why Charmander is here instead of

Charizard: this episode was produced before the “Electric Soldier Porygon” incident that

caused seizures in nearly 700 people. At this point, Ash still had Charmander, and the episode

did not air in Japan until later.  

The Jynx gather together and use their psychic powers to grab the Gyarados sub and

shake the presents out of it. I think this calls for some dramatic caroling.  

With Team Rocket vanquished, Santa begins his run. His sleigh is driven by a flying

Rapidash.  

With Christmas snow and their gifts in hand, Ash, Brock and Misty have a happy end.

Team Rocket on the other hand, can expect nothing but coal this year. Then, a familiar

Jynx comes in the window. To all a good night!

“Holiday Hi-Jynx” is one of the traditions I took up in recent years. I watch the special

every Christmas and enjoy it heartily. It's one of my favorite Christmas specials. The story

is heartwarming, the winter imagery is nice, and it was a good way to get over “A Double

Dilemma.” My new year's recap will be out soon; and I will begin working on it after

Christmas. Season's Greetings!

Recap: A Double Dilemma

Hello again. Well, the time has finally arrived. I've been telling you about it all year,

now I'm finally going to do it. I am going to recap what is charitably the worst episode of Pokémon I've ever seen, “A Double Dilemma.”

I've always had a fondness for Pokémon. I just feel that it's directly tied to my fascination with anime, being the first series I ever watched. The Pokémon anime has been

a strange bird, changing very little in story structure since its inception; yet remaining popular

despite its infamous reputation for filler in the Johto arc. However, I've always been baffled

how people consider Johto or Sinnoh the worst arc in the series but always manage to give

Hoenn a free pass.

I am in the minority that likes Johto, and also find Sinnoh to be one of the most well- plotted arcs in the show. I feel quite indifferent to Hoenn. Not that I hate it, I just feel that

people talk about how much they like it in comparison to other arcs of the show. In fairness,

it did introduce the idea of contests to the show, and helped Pokémon remain relevant in an age

where to like it was to be ridiculed and belittled by those around you.

However, it did occasionally produce some very bad episodes; almost as bad what you'd

expect from something like Space Thunder Kids or Beauty and Warrior. Therefore, let's open

up “A Double Dilemma.”

We open on Ash, May, Max, and Brock arriving in North Petalburg; a suburb of Petalburg City. Ash expresses his excitement for his upcoming gym battle with Norman.

Once again, the theme song is “This Dream.” I've talked about “This Dream” before.

No need to talk about it again, I have bigger fish to fry.

We get our title card, an indication of the emptiness this episode can leave in a person;

and the void it left in me.

The gang enters into the local Pokémon Center, and Brock once again does his schtick

of hitting on Nurse Joy. Max pulls him away by his ear. I'm not going to talk much about Max,

I have bigger concerns tonight.

A vegetable merchant sees May and Max; and notes that people are going to go crazy

once they find out they're here. The merchant's name is Rosa, not to be confused with the female player character of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.

Sure enough, May and Max are hounded by a mob of people and a couple reporters

as they get out the door. I have a few rants prepared for what they'll do later. For now, I'll point

out this stinker was written by Junki Takegami, who also wrote some really good episodes; like

Bianca's first appearance, the departure of Jessie's Dustox, and two-thirds of the Sabrina arc.

I wonder what the Japanese term for Alan Smithee is.

Is it true that Chewbacca and the other Wookiees do not come from Endor?

The male reporter's name is D. Dunstan, a less-than-subtle reference to Darren Dunstan.

And people thought that Stephen Colbert wanted to get his name on everything.

Anyway, they ask May and Max questions about what it's like to be the children of

Norman; a famous gym leader. Way back in my recap of “Love, Petalburg Style”, I mentioned

how I would need to talk about this. The notion that Norman is famous is incredibly overblown

and unnecessary, and it goes to ludicrous levels in this episode. I shall continue to talk about

how North Petalburg's perception of their idol negatively impacts the episode as a whole.

May replies with her status as a Coordinator; and goes on to say that she's not very good.

Well, you look like any sane person would when mobbed by a gaggle of creepy hangers-on.

Mainly because you're one of the few sane people in this episode. She shows the crowd the two

ribbons she has won through that point. The crowd then stares in awe.

If you look closely, you can see the franchise slipping away!

Ash interjects to show the crowd his badges; as well as announce his challenge to

Norman. It always baffles me how 4Kids demanded that the Poké Ball symbol on his badge

case be turned into a red line. It's the same symbol on his hat, for corn's sake!

The crowd shoves Ash away; talking down to him. All right, folks. The first time I did

an entry on this show, I was criticizing cluelessness of adultery. Now, I'm criticizing the fact

that an entire town appears to be acting like arrogant dillweeds to a person they barely know.

I'm going to keep at it too.

Enter Team Rocket, the resident Wile E. Coyote types; wandering through North Petalburg looking for something to eat. They notice the popularity of Norman and get an idea

about how to exploit this.

So, Team Rocket decides to disguise themselves and sell autographs. James is Norman,

Jessie is Caroline, Meowth is May, and Wobuffet is Max. Oh my god. Even by Pokémon

standards, this is nonsensical. This is going to be a long half hour.

For some reason, the other citizens of North Petalburg bite. They do question how Max

is all blue, but quickly brush it off. Meowth also notes how “she” shrank on “her” journey.

Like the Wii! It lost its Gamecube backward compatibility and online capability when it shrank!

Dunstan continues to hound May about her accomplishments. She shows off a contest

move and Dunstan notes he could use it for his articles. North Petalburg News! Fair and Balanced Towards All Pokémon Trainers!

Max says that they should get out of there. May, listen to your brother. These people

are like shoppers hunting for toaster ovens on Black Friday.

Meanwhile, Ash is approached by a group of kids. They immediately start talking down

to him, saying he isn't worthy to challenge Norman. What's with these droogs? Did I mistakenly

put on my copy of Akira?

Here is what I hate about this episode. The citizens of this town are so blind in their

devotion to their idols that they'll project upon anyone who they deem isn't up to snuff. This

is simply deplorable; given how society in Pokémon has previously been established to accept

any challenge, no matter who it's from.

One of the kids challenges Ash to a battle, sending out a Golduck. Ash counters with

a Grovyle, and beats the kid handily. You know, this episode feels like a bad day at work or school. You just want to get it over with and do something else.

Anyway, more kids decide to challenge Ash. What is this, The Warriors? Why does an

entire town want to fight one 10-year-old on his adventure?

For a moment, it cuts back to May continuing to do things for the amusement of the crowd; such as making her Skitty juggle. Another thing I'm bringing up here- the pacing is

all over the place. Normally, the episodes have a solid idea of beginning, middle, end.

Here, it's like someone's film school project on Adderall.

Soon enough, a whole caucus of kids has lined up to challenge Ash. Well, that escalated

quickly. Why not just have them take place in a crappy parody game while you're at it?

The remake of Oldboy got hit with production troubles right out of the gate.

Oh dearie dear, we're only halfway through this. Even so, Ash decides to take them all

on in a show of courage. Amazingly, he wins.

Rosa catches wind of Ash's display, and proposes that May face Ash. Perhaps there's something I'm missing here. Maybe there's some sort of social commentary beneath all this. Maybe the fact North Petalburg puts their stock in Norman and his family is that their town is an otherwise dead district of Hoenn and having a connection to him brings in tourism money. Maybe their city was ravaged by Team Magma or Aqua and they need something to believe in. Maybe they hold Norman in such a high regard that to sway to anyone else is unthinkable! Maybe I'm just over-thinking this.

So, Rosa-I'm not kidding-actually brings May and Max in on a Palanquin to face Ash.

Rosa, Annie Wilkes called, she thinks you're crazy!

The moment they reach Ash, the townsfolk accuse him of causing trouble solely because

he wants to face Norman. Oh, for the love of Mew-he's not the problem here, you are! Hard to

believe you actually have to resort to Neo-McCarthyism just because the lead character wants

to challenge your beloved Norman! You hear me? Red scare stuff!

Ash and Brock remark on the illogic of the situation. Even the people in the show know

this makes no sense! It's like if you can't have him, no one can!

Dunstan remarks that if May wins, it will make a great article. So now you're bringing

yellow publishing into this? … Look, I know the “Dubya” years were tough, but I just can't

fathom this coming from him!

Max makes a remark about the battle. He points out this whole battle is just feeding

into their ego, and it's already the size of the Goodyear blimp. Rosa is going to be the judge,

which is not what that woman needs. Some estrogen would be of more use.

Ash says he feels all tired out. I'm tired out too. Watching this episode will do that to

a person. The bias the town holds gets no better throughout the battle, constantly jeering Ash

just because he's not May and therefore; not related to Norman. This town needs an enema.

Combusken ends up roasting Ash, and Rosa declares May the winner because of this.

I'm sure on some planet, Rosa's judgment is sound. The only problem is, this is Earth.

They then realize that they've been had; as Team Rocket reveals themselves. Dunstan

exclaims, “who the Pokémon are you?” … That has to be the worst possible thing you could

say right there. Dunstan, if I had my way, you wouldn't be able to get a job reporting on bake

sales in Toledo. Thankfully, we only have three minutes left, so I'm going to get through this.

Ash decides to show them what he's really made of; getting a second wind and having

Pikachu attack Team Rocket. They blast off without much of a hitch, and I like that; it makes

the episode shorter.

The crowd approaches Ash, and it looks like they've finally come around. Instead, they give credit to Pikachu, and write Ash off as “snotty.” … What? You spent an entire day harassing a boy you had just met, and you're saying HE'S snotty? OK, I'm convinced. I would actually be glad if North Petalburg met a foul end at the hands of Team Magma and Aqua due to how absolutely bigoted they are towards Ash. This is like that Avatar: The Last Airbender episode "Avatar Day", only not funny.

Anime fall downs-because this is just too stupid for words.

Yet, as Ash leaves the town, he takes the complete prejudice by these people surprisingly

well. If you ever decide to go on TV Tropes, be sure to look up Unfortunate Implications, and

you'll get a solid idea about why this is the worst episode of Pokémon of all time.

“A Double Dilemma” is among the worst episodes I've chosen to recap this year; and

among the worst I've ever seen. It's needlessly mean-spirited; and the behavior of the North

Petalburg citizens goes against Pokémon's messages of friendship and teamwork. It's also one

of the reasons why I do not understand why people value the Advanced Generation so highly.

So, why even bother recapping it then? Well, by explaining why I don't like something,

you get a solid idea of why I do like something. Pokémon is one of the most venerable things

I've gotten into in my life; but there are always going to be bad episodes of any TV series, and

bad aspects of any franchise. If I had the opportunity to strike one episode from the record out

of the 750+ episodes that have aired, it would be this one. I admit that I don't hate the Advanced

Generation like I used to, and I consider Pokémon to be intrinsically tied to my fascination with

anime, video games, and Japanese culture. Now that I've finally recapped this episode, I'm going to take a break while I ready the next recap. Until then, I leave you with my favorite

Pokémon song of the Advanced Generation, “Unbeatable.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_wHzfKQZ6E