I will be perfectly frank. I don’t know a lick about mahjong, much less the derivative ‘Japanese Mahjong’ that the series is based on. And after watching, I still have no idea what’s up with mahjong or if what I saw even represented legal play or not. But going through the series has supremely reinforced my belief that special effects, dynamic poses and that right camera angles can make anything interesting.

Kan! Tsumo -- Rinshan Kaihou!

The titular character, Saki, is a first year high school student who is minding her own business when she is suddenly dragged off to the mahjong club by her friend, Kyoutaru, who has recently just learned how to play the game. After setting up a game at the club, Saki finds herself competing against Kyoutaru and two other club members, one of which was the junior national champion for singles (Nodoka). After losing a few games, Saki decides to head home as the mahjong club captain, who was asleep in the room during Saki’s stay, realizes that throughout all the games that were played, Saki managed to keep her score at 0, which is apparently even more difficult than consistently winning. Nodoka’s pride is wounded for a moment, especially when she realizes that Saki has no love for the game and can play effortlessly. As the two girls’ rivalry begins, so does a strong friendship that, at times, borders on ‘markedly close.’

As I said before, I know nothing of mahjong, so for a series to be able to grip me throughout its entirety without me knowing a lick about the main topic is quite a feat. It’s all due to great music, distinct character designs and just the right amount of moe to remind viewers that yes, you are still watching an anime series. Though, I will say that one of the characters bears a striking resemblance to Flonne from the Disgaea series. Watch, and you’ll know who I’m talking about.

Saki takes it slow in getting through its mahjong lingo; the entirety of the series only really runs through a single tournament, and the ending is left extremely open-ended for a sequel (one that will likely never come, since a spinoff anime series was recently announced). As slow as the series progresses however, it really manages to express the tension that the characters feel as they fiddle with the tiles on the board. My only real complaint was the ‘powers’ that were used by certain characters. One of these characters has the ability to stay ‘unnoticed’ … it’s practically stealth camouflage at the mahjong table. That’s pretty ridiculous; she was able to draw and lay down tiles without anybody noticing for some reason — and it was never really explained in detail. Another ‘power’ was the ability to lock the tiles down and not let anybody draw anything useful. That one really pushed me over the edge: I’m a very big fan of card games and stuff like Yugioh, so I can understand a power like ‘extreme luck that lets you draw what you need.’ The opposite, however, does not make for very interesting games. Imagine a fantasy TV show based on Magic: The Gathering where one opponent had the ability to force the protagonist to draw nothing but land for a straight 20 turns. Yeah, it was like that.

So ... is there a "heterochromia moe" or not ?

Other than this minor detail (only an episode or two in the series run of 25), the series is very entertaining. Maybe I’m just that easily amused by simple things made ‘epic,’ but I really did enjoy Saki and all of its bells and whistles. You won’t find me at the mahjong tables or anything, but if I did, you can bet I’d flash dramatic poses if I ever got the opportunity to mutter “rinshan kaihou” in an extremely girly voice.

—

Character Ranking – Saki

1. Takei Hisa
2. Fukuji Mihoko
3. Miyanaga Saki
4. Toyoko Momoko (Stealth Momo)
5. Haramura Nodoka
6. Ryuumonbuchi Touka
7. Amae Koromo
8. Kataoka Yuuki
9. Kajiki Yumi

In the world of Dragon Crisis, special items called “Lost Precious” contain varying amounts of magical power and are ranked by class, from F to the extremely rare but powerful A. Given the prevalence of these items in the world, several organizations are dedicated to obtaining and studying them. Little is known about the origins of their power, but it is often considered that dragons play a pivotal role in their creation, as many of the Lost Precious are in fact remnants or artifacts of dragon culture. Kisaragi Ryuuji’s parents happen to be two of the most influential hunters in the world, and Ryuuji himself is no slouch as he is one of only seven Breakers that have reached Level 10. When Ryuuji reunites with his cousin Nanao Erika after years of separation, he finds himself hunting a Lost Precious that is purported to be of Class A and possibly even S status. After successfully finding and obtaining the container that holds the treasure, the two make their getaway as the box bursts open, revealing a mysterious girl with long blond hair, a strange tattoo on her hand, and the ability to breathe fire. Turns out that Rose, named for her tattoo, is a red dragon princess and Ryuuji is the only human that she can tolerate.

You left your watch, too?

I will admit that the series started off rather exciting. A bit of history and exposition was offered in the first episode but the proper elements were left unsaid to build a satisfying amount of mystery to the world’s magical nature. It jumps straight into the action as the two protagonists swipe a Lost Precious under the cover of night from a heavily guarded organization. After this strong opening, however, Rose really dumbs the series down. She can’t speak a lick of the human language for the first two or so episodes so much unnecessary time is wasted trying to develop her skills and not her character (which is ruined early on since all she can do is say Ryuuji’s name while glomping him 24/7). Somehow this childish character reminds me a lot of Index from To Aru Majutsu no Index but the difference is that Dragon Crisis treats this irritating character as a primary romantic interest. Rather, the only romantic interest. It just doesn’t seem to fit. For many episodes she’s treated as a child and after a while we’re just supposed to click and believe that a serious relationship could bud between humans and dragons just because the plot is saying they should. It’s not like Rose goes through a transformation a la Rydia in Final Fantasy IV; Rose stays extremely loli and if Ryuuji had been any older I probably would’ve found it more than a little creepy (like Astarotte’s Toy).

That isn’t to say that there aren’t any good qualities of the series. The concept of magical items is a boon, as are the other dragon royalty. But most of it is kept in the shadows; the questions that the first episode fails to answer are never given answers throughout the entire series. I want to believe that the novels are a bit more specific but it’s still disappointing to see a series fret around for 12 episodes and accomplish close to nothing when it doesn’t pretend to even be a slice of life. One of the most baffling questions to me is “what is a breaker?” It was never explained in detail — you’d think that such an overused ranking trope (power levels, esper ranks, spirit energy, ki, soul power) would at least be detailed within the story to give it its own unique spin.

It’s a real shame that such a potentially interesting world is wasted on a shallow series like this. Again, I want to believe that the novels are better and if they are, Dragon Crisis as an anime series really does the author a disservice. I can sense so much potential here that is never explored, and it’s baffling. Definitely not Studio DEEN’s finest hour.

—–

Character Ranking – Dragon Crisis

1. Nanao Eriko
2. Marga
3. Ai
4. Etou Misaki
5. Kisaragi Ryuuji
6. Bianca Alexandra Lou
7. Sapphi
8. Rose
9. Kai
10. Onyx

Murasame Sumika and Kazama Ushio are best friends and share a very close relationship. Ushio outwardly displays her affection for “cute girls,” which labels her as a bit of an oddball in the eyes of her fellow students with the exception of a select few. Ushio seems to fall in and out of love at first sight as a daily occurrence, much to the dismay of Sumika who often finds herself cleaning up the mess or being the shoulder to cry on. This is complicated since Sumika secretly has a crush on Ushio, who remains oblivious. While Sumika struggles to be the friend that Ushio will always need, she also finds herself trying to win Ushio’s heart for her own, despite constant affirmations on Ushio’s part that Sumika ”isn’t her type, but [she's] glad that Sumika is [her] best friend.”

Ushio and Sumika - Just sharing a smile.

This series is hilarious. The story mainly follows Sumika, who is the top student in her class, is extremely athletic and is very tall. This puts her at odds with many of the boys because her height and athletic ability give her a reputation of being “decidely uncute.” This, unfortunately, is also to her disadvantage in Ushio’s eyes since Ushio primarily has a thing for “cute” girls, which Sumika does not consider herself to be. Personally, I think that Sumika is about as cute as a girl could get: she’s bashful and timid, extremely naive and (for those that favor some moe) wears glasses. In many ways, Sumika reminds me of Kyon (Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) and the narrative does lend itself to that idea; a lot of time in the series is told through Sumika’s inner monologue. With the depth of personality diving that you do into Sumika’s head, it’s hard to not like her no matter how pathetically pressed she may be over Ushio. Ushio however is considerably less interesting. She’s the trophy girlfriend that doesn’t seem to know what she really wants and the way that it affects Sumika is a bit irritating, but the comedy elements that are often thrown into the mix seem to lessen the ill will I have towards her, especially since many of the scenes leave off with a big smile on Sumika’s face.

Sasameki Koto focuses on a group of six girls, and all but one of them are in some way linked to girl’s love. One of the more notable characters in this group is Aoi Azusa who, with the help of Sumika, writes yuri doujinshi. A yuri convention is present in the series, and I had to smirk to myself when I realized how the production team was spinning the typical “anime convention scene” that is present in many series. I appreciated that one.

As expected of a romance comedy, the serious “lovey dovey” scenes are kept to an absolute minimum, and barring the outlandishly off-hand remarks and inner thoughts of the cast in regard to their feelings for other girls, you could definitely just view this series as one that focuses on strong friendships and not romantic relationships.

I was very impressed with Sasameki Koto and didn’t find any elements of it overwhelming, so I do think that it was a good (if timid) way for me to dip my toes into the whole yuri thing. I am definitely a fan of watching relationships grow, especially under hardship so I’m certainly up for watching more series that focus on the emotional than sexual aspects of the relationships. Though I would have to say the same for any romance series, regardless of cast genders and the like.

Now I have to find a similar yaoi series and see how I feel about that. Immediate availability is a bit lacking, and I don’t want to get into anything that hasn’t finished airing yet.

—-

Sasameki Koto – Character Ranking

1. Murasame Sumika
2. Torioi Kiyori
3. Aoi Azusa
4. Akemiya Masaki
5. Hachisuka Tomoe
6. Taema Miyako
7. Kazama Ushio

Tale of memories follows the stories of twin sisters Shindou Chihiro and Shindou Kei who prior to the series lived and played together as children, often with a boy named Hirono Hiro, who Kei affectionately refers to as “Onii-chan.” After a terrible car accident robs Chihiro of her left eye and leaves her with a short term memory that peaks at 13 hours, the two sisters separate, with Chihiro going to live with a different guardian, Himura Yuu. Though unable to remember things for longer than 13 hours, Chihiro manages to live her life by keeping a detailed diary. One day, she meets a boy named Asou Renji, and the two soon become close friends intent on fulfilling Chihiro’s lifelong dream: to write a novel, despite her case of anterograde amnesia.

Do you have memories that you don't want to forget?

On the flipside, Kei finds herself taking care of Hiro-niichan, who is struggling to divide his life between school and his secret job as a mangaka. When Hiro suddenly meets the beautiful and outgoing slacker Miyamura Miyako, he finds himself in the middle of a love triangle that will not only decide which girl is right for him, but what lifestyle he will embrace as he enters adulthood.

As another visual novel adaptation, tale of memories is extremely main character-centric. You rarely see characters other than the main characters interacting with each other, a great way to suck you into the drama. The fact that the series is only 12 episodes long and follows two storylines means that this is a very justified approach to the storytelling, though setting’s ambience is somewhat lost as a result. Not that I was particularly interested in the setting, anyway. Typically, each episode is split into two halves, with one focusing on Chihiro and the other on Kei, though as the arcs reach their respective climaxes near the end of the series, there will be entire episodes dedicated to one group over the other.

What’s great about tale of memories is that even though it is so pressed for time, it is able to use it well enough to have many ‘creative liberty’ moments, such as spending an entire five minutes of an episode on answering machine messages from one person to another, and really portraying the sense of urgency that the characters are feeling. I am usually not a fan of having things drag out unnecessarily (again, I have to reference Family Guy and its oft drawn-out humor) but the feeling that this technique generated, coupled with the wonderful voice acting left me in a perpetual state of anxiety. I liked it a lot.

I just didn't want to let go of what I treasured.

While Kei’s story has the more traditional love triangle angle, the dialogue is very strong, especially near the end as the girls and Hiro are coming to terms with their true feelings. Chihiro’s story, however, is one of a never-ending longing for acceptance and familiarity, which becomes paramount to the relationship between her and Renji. In both arcs, memories and nostalgia are at the forefront of what tugs at the heartstrings, and so I would say that the series is aptly titled.

Though the two sisters are connected by both the memories they share and the messages they send each other, there is a separation between the two that feels a bit awkward. I was unsure just how far away they actually lived from one another, and I questioned if the separation was really necessary. Considering how Kei was able to care for Hiro in a way that required her to wake him every morning, I was very confused about why the two sisters could not live in the same household, especially considering how well the two seem to get along by their texts.

I was also very impressed by the music, especially the OP’s theme. The OP itself is also extremely stylish, riddled with english text excerpts from the novel being written by Chihiro. The song is in ‘engrish’ for many of the episodes, but the last episode is in Japanese, and it sounds sublime.

There’s a second series to ef called a tale of melodies. It came out a year after tale of memories, but is a prequel (though from what I understand there are cameos from several of the mains in tale of memories). I’ll definitely be watching it sometime in the near future, but I have this inkling that it won’t top the greatness that is ef – a tale of memories.

—-

Character Ranking – ef: a tale of memories

1. Shindou Chihiro
2. Hirono Hiro
3. Shindou Kei
4. Miyamura Miyako
5. Asou Sumire
6. Asou Renji
7. Amamiya Yuuko
8. Hayama Mizuki

After a catastrophic event melted the polar ice caps, global sea levels have risen and weather patterns have shifted dramatically, leaving many areas of the world underwater and crippling human civilization. But humanity was not extinguished. After years of technological advances, the world has returned to a sense of normalcy, albeit under the rule of more zealous caretakers. Unknown to many, the catastrophe was not the result of a meteor impact or natural disaster, but because of a secret event dubbed “Second Impact.” A “Third Impact” is possible, and the mysterious alien beings known as “Angels” are directly involved. In order to combat the Angels, the mysterious organization NERV dispatches special mecha known as Evangelion, which can seemingly only be piloted by young teenagers. Ikari Shinji is one of these children, and his cowardly nature is constantly at odds with his wish to both protect the people around him and to impress his indifferent father who heads the shady organization.

New pilot Mari makes herself known to Shinji. As if he wouldn't notice.

If you’ve seen the original series, Evangelion 1.0 follows the episodes very closely. You’ll basically be watching an HD adaption of the first third of the series. More robust CG animation is included, which looks magnificent. It was a real treat see several of the more surreal angels come to life in a format that does them better justice than animation of the past. From the scenes that already appear in the original series, it seems that the original voiceovers were used (I played scenes from the original and this remake in tandem and unless the seiyuu have an uncanny knack for mimicing exact voice patterns, the voices were the same), while new scenes obviously offer new lines of dialogue. In Evangelion 2.22, the series diverges greatly from the original material. A new pilot, Mari is introduced, and a much more relaxed Asuka makes her debut. The end, to say the least, is a complete 180 from the first series, and leaves at a spectacular cliffhanger that the next movie will pick up on.

My only real gripe between the two films was the use of the english language. Naturally, you have foreigners who are “fluent” in the language, but most of it was just painful to listen to. Strangely enough, the computerized english voices were just fine. Maybe they should’ve made some characters robots just so they could use a voice modulator to pitch out lines. It’d probably save the production house a bit of their (I assume) massive budget.

The third movie as well as a fourth are supposed to be released next year (2012) simultaneously to continue and end the new storyline introduced in the first two films. I’m extremely excited to see how everything plays out, and if you love Evangelion or just anime in general, you should be as well.

Nichijou primarily follows two groups throughout the episodes: the Nano group and the highschool group. Nano is a robot that was built by and resides with a child professor. She looks and acts like a completely normal highschool girl other than the giant wind-up key attached to her back and other ‘features’ that were added to her design that even she does not know about (such as a CD player in her forehead or a corn kernel-gun planted in one of her arms). With the highschool group, the three friends Yuko, Mio and Mai live the usual comedy slice of life routine. Yuko is the genki girl, Mio is somewhat tsundere and Mai is the quiet girl with a twisted sense of humor and outwardly apathetic attitude and appearance. Somewhere near the middle of Nichijou’s 26 episode run, the two groups collide when Nano transfers to the local school, which heightens the hijinks and entertainment to an obscene degree, especially since Nano has the awkward task of trying to convince her classmates the she is definitely not a robot.

"Yaoi te nani!?"

Nichijou lives at its own pace. Moreso than Minami-ke, Azumanga Daioh or any other yonkoma slice of life comedy I’ve ever read or watched. Put bluntly, this is the epitome of anime ‘stupid humor,’ and I ate it up like a Thanksgiving turkey. This comedy is extremely hit or miss, but if the humor meshes well with your personality, it’s going to be a blast. Some scenes tend to drag on, which I am normally not a fan of (Family Guy is a huge culprit here), but somehow the humor stays fast-paced and entertaining irregardless. The seiyuu cast, though composed of mostly newcomers and unknowns, does a phenomenal job delivering the fast and witty dialogue.

Another thing that really stands out is the art and animation quality. I don’t think I’ve seen a smoother, sleeker style this entire year, and the animation runs like silk. Really, it has to be seen to be believed. As typical of gag and spoof series, the art style will shift to meet appropriate parody requirements but overall you’ll be sucking down hours of moe. I don’t think there’s any way around that in most comedy series anyway.

This is definitely one of the funniest series I’ve ever seen. It’s right up there with Hayate no Gotoku, which says a lot. Pick it up if you can, since from what I’ve read the DVD sales were rather poor in Japan which was some bad juju since this thing obviously had very high production value. I’d hate for such good work to go unrewarded.

—

Character Ranking – My Ordinary Life

1. Aioi Yuki
2. Shinonome Nano
3. Naganohara Mio
4. Professor / Hakase
5. Sakurai Izumi
6. Sakamoto
7. Annaka Haruna
8. Minakami Mai

Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev continue their ongoing quest of ridding the world of evil bandits by pilfering the stolen treasure for themselves. Through a set of circumstances, Lina and Gourry find themselves among the company of old friends Zelgadis and Amelia as they chase after a mysterious creature named Pokota who, for some reason, is capable of casting the powerful Dragon Slave spell. Turns out, Pokota is the prince of a kingdom long under an eternal sleeping spell. The only person who can break the spell is the Legendary Great Sage, Rezo the Red Priest. Unfortunately for Pokota, Lina and her buddies off’d the mad priest some 50 episodes ago back in the first series. According to Lina, however, the sleeping spell should have dispelled upon Rezo’s death, leaving everyone to wonder just what is happening with the Great Sage.

Darkness beyond twilight ...

Little has changed in the Slayers universe. Lina is both feared and reviled by good and bad alike and she’s always getting herself into situations where the only real solution is to fire off a Dragon Slave that somehow levels nearby mountain ranges. It’s good to see that some things never change. Slayers’ comedy is also back in full force, with newcomer Pokota taking the spotlight for most of the series. Strangely enough, Gourry is probably the least seen of the main cast, which is surprising given his preferential treatment in past series.

The plot itself proceeds well. I was very surprised that it didn’t feel padded in the slightest. It covers quite a bit of ground in only 26 episodes and ends just as abruptly. But it wraps up pretty well, so I won’t complain there. By the end, the cast is ready for more action if another story arc is looming on the horizon. My only reservation is that the second half of the series places too much emphasis on the legacy of past characters and not introducing new content (which the first half of the series seems to do with reckless abandon).

A majority of the original cast returns as well, with the most notable being Hayashibara Megumi, the premier seiyuu of the 1990s. Lina never sounded better, whether she’s worried, rude or just plain irate. Hearing her recite the first words to the Dragon Slave incantation after such a long time gave me the shivers. Another fistpump moment came in the last episode. During the climax, the music cuts to Give a Reason, the opening to Slayers NEXT and arguably one of the best anime OPs of all time. I was inwardly cheering in my seat when the intro music began playing.

If you liked Slayers, then Revolution and Evolution-R are a must-watch. It’s more of the same but in widescreen. Some of the lesser cast gets drowned out by Pokota, Lina and otaku heartthrob Xellos, but I’d wager that most Slayers fans are just fine with that. This definitely isn’t much of an evolution and definitely doesn’t revolutionize the magic-action genre, but Slayers Revolution / Evolution-R bullseyes its target audience, and hits it hard.

—–

Slayers Revolution / Evolution-R – Character Ranking

1. Lina Inverse
2. Xellos
3. Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun
4. Zelgadis Greywords
5. “Nama”
6. Pokota
7. Gourry Gabriev

Nitori Shuichi is a young, feminine boy that is just entering his first year of middle school. He tries his best to keep his interest in crossdressing as discreet as possible, but circumstances forced the information out into the open during his earlier school years, which alienated him from the rest of his class. He managed to make friends with two other girls, Takatsuki Yoshino and Chiba Saori. Takatsuki is a tall, tomboyish girl that also enjoys crossdressing, and Saori is also supportive of Shuichi’s choice of wear. At some point, Shuichi confesses his feelings to Takatsuki, only to be rejected, at which point Saori confesses to Shuichi and is similarly rejected. As a rift forms between the two girls over Shuichi, the confused boy finds himself being torn from his two closest friends at a time when hormones are raging, voices are changing, and gender identities are muddled.

"This is how I am, so it might make you uncomfortable."

Wandering Son starts out extremely strong with an interesting hook and a well-established love triangle from the get-go. Shuichi and his group of friends are all a little awkward in their own way, and it’s easy to paint them as the oddballs of the entire school. But that isolation is something that forces the characters to band together and showcase a level of understanding that is appropriate for the group’s collective uncertainty and timidness. The only character that seems to break this mold is the genki girl of the series, Chizuru “Chii-chan” Sarashina, who is not above crossdressing herself if she feels like it or picking fights with those who would belittle her friends. She keeps the group on their toes and out of a persistent level of sulk that would probably have ruined the anime.

I was surprised to find out that the author of the manga originally wanted to do a story about a girl wanting to crossdress and not a boy. After watching Wandering Son, there’s really no comparison from a societal point of view: being a guy trying to crossdress seems a lot more difficult than being a girl trying to crossdress. I was really awestruck by this simple difference; media typically seems to focus, prejudiced or not, on stereotypical female roles. To actually see a male lead struggle where a female lead would trek through more easily really enhanced the pressure felt when Shuichi struggled to come to decisions.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. There are a few darker moments that Shuichi has to overcome, particularly when he is at the mercy of other junior high kids. Nothing too bad, though a few choice words are thrown around that might make some feel a little uncomfortable. It may just be a translation or adaption issue, though.

Wandering Son cruises along at a very relaxed pace, which is uncharacteristic for series of its length (11 episodes). Yet, the time is used perfectly and manages to create conflict and resolve them at a leisurely rate. I was quite appreciative of the pacing, since it allowed me to focus a lot more on the characters and their inner workings. And believe me, there’s a lot going on.

This series touches on a lot of real life issues and can really make you think. For that reason alone I would recommend it, but it’s supplemented by absolutely fluid animation and a clean art-style a bit reminiscent of Bunny Drop. While the soundtrack isn’t anything special, the production team really seemed to know how to push just the right amount of silence to create a heavy, dramatic atmosphere without making it overbearing.

This drama might not make you cry, but it’s a definite eye-opener, and I doubt we’ll see anything like it for at least the next few years.

—–

Character Ranking – Wandering Son

1. Suehiro Anna
2. Chizuru “Chii-chan” Sarashina
3. Sasa Kanako
4. Nitori Maho
5. Nitori Shuichi
6. Takatsuki Yoshino

Pantsu! Pantsu!

Young Astarotte “Lotte” Ygvar is the princess of the Monster Realm, a dimension separated from the human world by the magical tree Yggdrasil. Though she is only ten years old, she is also a succubus that must feed upon “a liquid exclusive to males” to maintain her youth, livelihood and magical power. As she quickly nears the age of maturation, her vassals struggle to convince the princess to assemble a harem of men. Unfortunately, Lotte hates men and to disrupt the harem’s creation, will only agree to a harem that has a human male, which are extremely rare in the Monster Realm. By chance, the Yggdrasil tree activates suddenly, allowing Lotte’s most trusted vassal, Judit, to enter the human realm and return with the human male, Naoya. Though Naoya is over twice Lotte’s age, he is commissioned to be the first member of the harem and make sure that Lotte’s magical power never leaves her.

So the plot lends itself to the ecchi perversion, but other than hilariously large bosoms and a never-ending stream of panty-shots, the series remains timidly PG-13 at best. Which is a good thing, because the loli characters are all extremely adorable. There’s a strange suspension of disbelief that I was never really able to get past after a small twist early in the story: Naoya actually has a daughter, Asuha, that is the same age as Lotte — and the mother is none other than the Queen, Lotte’s mother. This makes Asuha and Lotte half-sisters that are nearly the same age (succubi give birth faster, apparently) while Naoya is expected to fulfill certain perverse duties on Lotte’s behalf. Not sure what to think about this, and it gave me a mental block throughout the rest of the series.

The relationship between Lotte and Naoya is nothing spectacular, but only because the series tries to push the romance issue too strongly where it just isn’t believable in the slightest. On another note, I swear that I’ve seen this kind of relationship before. Let’s see here.

Lotte is: A blond, pigtailed, princess loli girl with green eyes voiced by Kugimiya Rie.

Naoya is: A blue-haired, soft-spoken male servant.

Yeah, I think you know where I’m going with this one.

There isn’t much of a plot to speak about, and the agenda of pushing the relationship between Lotte and Naoya is incessant but never strong enough to really get anything going. So what you end up with is a series that has no real conflict and focuses too heavily on a single pairing to make the “well, it’s slice-of-life” excuse even remotely valid. If you like pointless ecchi fanservice, this one might be right up your ally but for me, not even Kugimiya Rie, the Tsundere Queen could salvage this one for me. Lotte didn’t seem like much of a tsundere anyway, just a whiny crybaby.

—–

Character Ranking – Astarotte’s Toy

1. Tohara Asuha
2. Mistrune Asgrim
3. Mercelida Ygvar
4. Ingrid Sorveig Sorgrims
5. Astarotte “Lotte” Ygvar
6. Judit Snorrevik
7. Tohara Naoya

Okumura Rin is the delinquent son of a world-famous priest, Fujimoto Shiro and the older twin brother of Okumura Yukio. He frequently gets into fights, much to the dismay of his guardian, especially since he possesses unnatural strength and endurance. After getting into another random fight, Rin discovers that he can see tiny black creatures, which are actually devils from Gehennia, the demon realm. After Rin’s brother leaves to begin attending the prestigious True Cross Academy, Rin finds himself in mortal danger. Father Shiro bestows a mysterious sword to Rin and claims that it is more important than his very life, as the sword is actually a magical object that is sealing away Rin’s demonic powers. Turns out, Rin and Yukio are the sons of Satan, the most powerful demon in Gehhenia. Fortunately for Yukio, all the demon power was taken by Rin at birth. After Father Shiro is suddenly possessed by Satan, he ends his own life to save Rin, but not before Rin is able to draw the sword from the sheath and unleash his demonic powers. Yukio returns home, stunned, and it is revealed that both Yukio and Father Shiro are powerful exorcists who live to combat Gehennia.

If there’s a relationship that I felt was awkward in this series, it was between the two brothers, Rin and Yukio. Although Rin is older, Yukio is the mature one. It’s a pretty standard plot device, but it just seemed a little too out of left field for me. Yukio supposedly had been an exorcist for a several years and is now an instructor for the Academy’s exorcism classes, despite only being 15 years old. I know it’s not all that farfetched for a TV series, but this was probably the most mind-blowing thing for me. The series introduced Yukio in the first few minutes of the first episode as weak and nerdy, but to have it only be a ‘farce’ and suddenly transform him into a series cool-guy (while retaining his lame appearance with glasses and three moles) felt really forced. I didn’t like it.

The supporting cast is a bunch of haughty kids as expected, but they all band together when necessary to face demons and other trials set before them. Standard fare, but their antagonism towards each other (especially after a certain plot event) is a little unwarranted and overdone. They don’t really make much of an impact in the series and actually seem to serve as a hindrance for exorcist heavy-hitters like Yukio and Rin. They’re completely outclassed by the latter half of the series. Not quite like Dragonball Z or Naruto secondary characters, but you can see the futility of including them in fight scenes.

The "Cute" Joushikousei of the Series . . . ?

Did I mention the characters are ugly and unappealing? Really, I don’t think I’m that deep into the moe fandom — these characters were just painful to look at. The demon designs were interesting, but when the series tried to throw a few small curveballs and ‘subtly’ inform me that I was supposed to be looking at a handsome young man or a cute girl, I couldn’t help but shake my head at it. The best-looking characters are the demons, and they’re the ones with the weird eyes, ears, tails, moustaches and the like.

The series is still ongoing and only at 7 volumes for the time being, so I was surprised that Blue Exorcist got a full 24+ series run so soon. It ends at a decent, believable point that could serve as either an end to the whole thing or an opening for a second season. We’ll have to see, but I wouldn’t be all that excited if this series came back in the next year or two.

Blue Exorcist – Character Ranking

1. Okumura Rin
2. Mephisto Pheles
3. Amaimon
4. Kirigakure Shira
5. Kuro
6. Moriyama Shiemi
7. Fujimoto Shiro
8. Okumura Yukio
9. Kamiki Izumo
10. Suguro Ryuuji