January 2010 - Recaps

So if you saw my last post, you may have noticed that I watched several titles at the end of last year, but didn't bother to review them. I may never get around to long reviews, so I thought I'd do some short blurbs about them.

We'll start with Berserk. I loved this show until the final episode, where the series just...stops. Right in the middle of a storyline, and in fact, right in the middle of a huge battle. It just ends, and there's no resolution. You can read the manga to continue the event, and I certainly recommend reading the manga anyway, but I wonder if they had thought they would get another season, and then didn't. Because it really ends unreasonably. Otherwise, the show is fantastic. Perfect for fantasy fans (if you like shows like Record of Lodoss War, specifically the first series, you should enjoy Berserk). It is a mature title as well; lots of blood, gore, sex, dismemberment, demons, pedophilia...adult visuals and adult themes. Don't watch it with your kids, basically.

Romeo x Juliet...it was probably my favorite title the season it aired (spring/summer 2007). I really adored it. It's Romeo and Juliet without being Romeo and Juliet. All the characters are there (at least in name), the very basic theme of family rivalry is there (so you can have your star-crossed lovers)...but the similarities end there. There's a boy named Romeo, and he's in love with a girl named Juliet. After that it's a whole new ball game. It does get a bit weird near the end, where the story ventures off into some bizarre, mystical, apocalyptic fantasy mess.... But it holds together with gorgeous animation, a superb score, strong characters, and a tender love story.

Nodame Cantabile Paris Chapter (S2). It's almost over, and while I can't wait for the story to wrap up, I'm also saddened that it's going to end because it's one of the best shows out there.

The Daughter of Twenty Faces was another favorite of mine in the season it aired (spring/summer 2008). This smart, well animated, intriguing story gets rather loss in a mass of moe titles, but it's worth searching out. It's a little Lupin III, and little Detective Conan; toss in some steam punk, old fashioned character designs with modern animation, a strong female lead, and a suspenseful story. It goes from warm and fuzzy to totally brutal in a finger snap, then back again.

Hayate no Gotoku S2 veers a bit from it's focus on Nagi and Hayate, and focuses more on Hayate and Hinagiku. Nagi practically becomes a background character. As such, the show switched focus from a heavy gag comedy, to having more serious character and relationship development. It's still good, but I miss the feel of the first season.

Gakuen Heaven. All-boys school, all pretty boys, all gay boys. Whoopee. Implausible, absurd, and with a totally uninteresting lead character. Story wasn't much either.

Piano. Slow and dull. Should have been warm and cute. Watch Nodame instead, or even La Corda d'Oro.

Zettai Kareshi live action special. Unnecessary and a little annoying, but it's hard to say "no" to more Hiro Mizushima.

Think that covers everything that I lumped on there. Oh, and PS - Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is awesome.