Anime #5

Last year I started posting brief anime reviews to my blog. Since the year has ended, it's time for a final post to cover the remaining anime titles. I think I'll continue to do this though, since it gives me something to blog about, and I like to be able to go back and read my own reviews even if nobody else cares.

Bartender
For a while, I've wanted to go back and watch this show for a second time. I love when someone makes a one-off anime series with a unique subject. This is definitely an anime for grown-ups, and the Japanese take on Western-style "bars" and the bartender-as-psychologist is interesting. I almost wish there was some greater plot or story arc, but it works well as a short episodic series. My only complaint is that a lot of the customers reappear as narrators and it's hard to keep track of who everyone is. I see that a live-action drama based on this series is coming in February, so I might have to check that out.

Working!!
Continuing the trend of shows with exclamation points in the title, this was a neat show. I feel it's more than just a slice-of-life show, in that it has unique and interesting characters rather than just standard archetypes. It was also unique in that it features school kids but almost never shows them at school. It didn't blow me away, but I really enjoyed it. It's too bad it's rather short, but maybe there will be a sequel.

Moyashimon (live-action)
This show was an unusual choice for a live-action remake, but it's an unusual title to begin with. I'm generally not a big fan of the exaggerated style of Japanese live-action based on anime/manga (which is why Bartender may be a better live-action title), but the CGI was well-done and the actors were all pretty solid. The plot was somewhat different than the anime, which makes me think both were picking and choosing from the manga to find a storyline that would fit in the limited number of episodes available.

K-On!!
After watching the first season, I felt I had to watch the second. The all-girl slice-of-life formula is getting rather old, but this show held my attention. In a twist from the usual pattern, the second series is twice as long as the first, and I believe it covers less time as far as plot, so there is plenty of opportunity to flesh out certain characters and linger on particular moments. The leisurely pace really suits this show, and I thought overall it was really well done. One thing that always impresses me is quality; a well-produced show stands up a lot better than a show with interesting ideas but that seems rushed or slapped together.

Black Butler
I stumbled across this show on Hulu and decided to check it out. I used to be a huge fan of occult anime, and shows like this and Xxxholic are leading me back in that direction. This is another quality title, and the plot is also handled really well. What a concept, a show with a nice story arc and an actual ending! I don't know that I'll rewatch it but it was definitely entertaining, and in some parts extremely funny.

Black Butler II
Wait, did I say Black Butler had an ending? Well there's a sequel! I didn't know what to expect with this show, and wasn't sure if the "magic" of the original would be lost with a sequel. I'll say this to any doubters: watch the first episode. It's without a doubt one of the most amazing anime episodes I've seen. The series as a whole didn't quite measure up to the first, but wisely it was shorter so they could jump right into the meat of the plot and kept things moving along at a good pace to the end.

Pumpkin Scissors
This is a Funimation title but it's not on Hulu, so I think I first watched it as a fansub. Anyway, I liked it enough to buy the DVDs, and I recently watched them. I hadn't seen the show in a while but remembered it was somewhat similar to Fullmetal Alchemist. It definitely is, but it creates a unique world with well-rounded characters, and you never feel like you're watching some sort of knock-off. As usual, my pet peeve is that the anime ends before the plot does, since the manga was (and is?) still ongoing. However, there's enough story to provide some resolution at the end, and it's just a well-conceived show. If we're lucky, they'll make more anime.

Princess Jellyfish
I fell in love with this show as soon as I started watching it. That the opening theme is the new single from my favorite band Chatmonchy helped, as did the ending theme by nerdy rockers Sambomaster. Of course, I knew there would be a downside. Even before I watched the eleventh and final episode tonight, I knew the show would only cover a fraction of the ongoing manga. Still, as an introduction to the characters and their world, it's wonderful.

That concludes all the anime I finished watching in 2010. I'd have to go back and count to see the number of titles (I hesitate to try to calculate the number of episodes). There are several other shows that I started and am still watching, including Naruto Shippuden, The Tatami Galaxy, and Shiki (all on Hulu). I also made it most of the way through the Fushigi Yugi DVDs, but I got bogged down in the OVAs and never went back to it. For a show I hadn't seen since college, going back and watching it again gave me a different opinion. I'll try to finish it off soon.

I have a big pile of DVDs that I picked up during end-of-the-year sales from Amazon and The Right Stuf, mostly Funimation titles I'd already seen on Hulu or elsewhere. At the top of the list to rewatch are Toradora and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. I've also flagged a few shows in Hulu that I want to investigate. Their anime library has really been growing. And of course, I'll continue to follow the Noitamina shows and keep an eye out for other shows airing in "real time" on Hulu. I'm still waiting for a fansub of the final Nodame live-action movie, too.