11.16.09
Posted in Fandom Tags: After War Gundam X, Blade of the Immortal, Ekkusu, fans on fans, Galaxy Angel, Gundam 00, Hayate the Combat Butler, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Maison Ikkoku, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Ouran High School Host Club, preferences, Saber, Tenchi Muyo, Turn A Gundam, X/1999, ∀ガンダム, ひぐらしのなく頃に, めぞん一刻, エックス, ギャラクシーエンジェル, セイバー, ハヤテのごとく!, 天地無用!, 桜蘭高校ホスト部, 機動戦士ガンダム00, 機動新世紀ガンダムX, 無責任艦長タイラー, 無限の住人 at 8:50 pm by reversethieves
Apparently I am easier to read than a picture book. It seems that people are rather easily able to tell which characters I like from series that I watch. This revelation led Narutaki and I to have a long conversation not only about what types of characters we liked but what did it say about us as people. Do your favorite characters give you and others insight into who you are? Do they reflect any pattern in the types of friends you make or people you date? Do they say anything about how you view yourself or others? Narutaki and I are going to share three different charters that exemplify types of characters we enjoy and one oddball character that does not fit our standard categories. We then have a little challenge for all of our readers.
A good deal of us put a lot of love into the characters that we like and there is no denying that sometimes it can go over the top. But that is neither here nor there in this case. There are grand ideas abound! Specifically, I am constantly wondering just how much the characters people like actually say about them. And I move in wide circles from thinking it is the window to someone’s soul to convincing myself it means absolutely nothing, and then back again. It would be egregious not to mention that I am thinking about the personalities of characters rather than looks. Frankly, looks tell me nothing about anyone, sure I may be able to pick out another character they enjoy on the surface but it doesn’t delve very deep. Now who a character is, there there might just be something to be learned about someone. To further matters along in a fun way, we will be giving you a glimpse at some of the characters that are near and dear to us. Happy analyzing!
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06.26.09
Posted in Anime, Manga, Ongoing Investigations, Toys Tags: Colony Drop, Gundam, Gundam 00, Gunpla, Hatsukoi Limited, Hi-Speed Jecy, Monkey High!, Quest for the Missing Girl, サルヤマっ！, ハイスピードジェシー, 初恋限定, 捜索者, 機動戦士ガンダム00 at 7:56 am by reversethieves
Quest for the Missing Girl is a mature manga. Not in the sense that it has cursing, violence, or graphic sex; Missing Girl deals with topics such as missed chances in life, settling down and moving on, relationships between parents and children, and compensation dating. Even compensation dating which could easily be used for a gratuitous sex scene is discussed as a subject of serious weight and importance but is never shown. The story begins when the mountaineer Takeshi Shiga is informed that Megumi, the daughter of one of his old friends, has gone missing. Shiga soon finds himself playing the part of detective in Shibuya, which is just as unfamiliar to him as the mountains would be to most other people. As the story goes on we learn about what lead up to Megumi’s disappearance and how it relates to the lives and decisions of all the other characters involved. Except for the climax there is not much action. In fact, the climax is mostly Shiga VS inanimate object. The draw to this book is as a fascinating character study and tightly plotted one book story. It’s never going to have a huge fan base in the manga community. The story is excellent but it won’t pop for younger manga fans. It is not mature due to excess. It is mature because it’s a well told story which deals with matters that only those with life experience will care about.
I was really glad I had a chance to read Quest for the Missing Girl which is nominated for an Eisner this year. The plot of Megumi missing actually brings to the surface many underlying mysteries in the lives of the characters. The strained relationships also make for thoughtful scenes. This really gives the book a hefty amount of weight that is woven in and out of this not so complicated missing person’s case. All culminating in a daring rescue attempt that is very “a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do”-esque. There is something very passionate about Shiga who literally comes down from the mountains to find this girl. He isn’t a super over the top seinen hero but Shiga is definitely a manly dude who does some manly things. Jiro’s artwork is far from simple but it isn’t very stylized which compliments the story perfectly. So while on the whole it doesn’t come off as gritty it still seems gaunt at times especially with his way of shading. This book begs to be picked up and read in one swift sitting. Quest for the Missing Girl was my first encounter with manga-ka Jiro Taniguchi and it was an overwhelmingly positive experience. So much so that I ordered up a few more of his books immediately.
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02.09.09
Posted in Anime Tags: analysis, Berserk, Bleach, Claymore, Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Eureka 7, Evangelion, Full Metal Alchemist, G Gundam, Gundam, Gundam 00, Gundam SEED, Gundam Seed Destiny, Gundam Wing, Gurren Lagann, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Kekkaishi, Macross, Magic Knight Rayearth, Nadesico, Rurouni Kenshin, spoilers, Story of Saiunkoku, Trigun, Twelve Kingdoms, るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪漫譚―, カウボーイビバップ, クレイモア, ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 ファントム ブラッド, デスノート, トライガン, ファーストガンダム, ブリーチ, ベルセルク, 交響詩篇 エウレカセブン, 十二国記, 天元突破グレンラガン, 彩雲国物語, 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, 新機動戦記ガンダムＷ, 機動戦士ガンダム00, 機動戦士ガンダムSEED DESTINY, 機動戦士ガンダムSEED , 機動戦艦ナデシコ, 機動武闘伝Ｇガンダム, 結界師, 超時空要塞マクロス, 鋼の錬金術師, 魔法騎士[マジックナイト]レイアース at 7:50 am by reversethieves
This is obviously going to be filled with spoilers. Series: Cowboy Bebop, Macross, Gundam, G Gundam, Gundam Wing, Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, Gundam 00, Death Note, Gurren Lagann, Trigun, Nadesico, Full Metal Alchemist, Bleach, Magic Knight Rayearth, Berserk, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Claymore, Evangelion, Eureka 7, Kekkaishi, Story of Saiunkoku, Rurouni Kenshin, Twelve Kingdoms.
Sometimes characters die in anime. Sometimes characters you have grown to love die in anime. Sometimes character you have grown to hate die as well. This was always one of the selling points people brought up on how Japanese cartoons were different than American cartoons. Anime was supposed to have greater maturity and greater suspense because anyone could die. People could tell that there was something different about Robotech when Roy Fokker died. People loved Roy and then he was gone. Roy was truly gone and it effected the viewers who were not used to it. But are such powerful deaths the norm or an anomaly in anime?
What I thought about anime when I first encountered it, among other things, was that it held an element of surprise. Knowing a character that you have traveled the length of a story with could be killed kept you on your toes. It is not wholly unknown in American entertainment, but at the same time they love to fake you out. Movies, television, and comic books love the affectionately named soap-opera death. It is used so frequently that I, along with countless others, can’t believe a character is gone without a body and even then sometimes they aren’t really gone! Anime does this too, however we have all actually seen them kill a favorite character at some point, it makes the odds different. And it honestly made me love and appreciate a good death scene. Heck, I look forward to such moments not because I want to see them go but because it can be a crowning moment for a character.
While I have to agree that many an anime is willing to kill off characters how effective it is can be another story. Sometimes when a character dies it can be shocking, heartbreaking, or even amazing. It makes the narrative more real and unpredictable. It is an organic part of the story that moves the audience with genuine emotion. Other times it’s nothing more than a cheap way of trying to manipulate the audience. Death in anime can be little else than killing someone as a crass attempt to pull at the heartstrings or to invoke sympathy for a character who never warranted any beforehand.
A good death hinges on good characterization. A character doesn’t have to be around for a long time in order to make you feel the weight of their demise. Some deaths can effect you on multiple levels as well. You yourself might feel a great sadness to see a character go or you might feel the resonance of their death to the characters left behind. But once again this is about creating a connection and a bond between the audience and the story. The ability to write a good death separates the boys from the men.
“You gotta carry that weight” hangs on the screen for a few seconds and then it sinks in that Spike is in fact dead. Spike’s death has a tremendous emotional resonance on the viewer and on the series itself. The whole series builds slowly builds to Spike’s final moments. Spike’s death is a classic scene of anime that in many ways defines how Cowboy Bebop is remembered. This a the perfect example of how to do a death in an anime correctly. It is hard hitting and poignant. It sticks with the viewer and enhances the show. Even if Spike’s death was preordained it is still quite resonate with the viewer.
Spike’s death was a crowning moment in storytelling. Even knowing everything you did watching up to that point, it was still an unbelievable few minutes. You thought, “No, he’ll get up.” You thought, “Someone will come at the last moment.” Or a number of other things. And then after you accepted it you really felt it. We were on a journey with Spike that ended with definite finality. Whether or not anime has no qualms with killing characters, it is still rare to see the death of the main character. It forces you to admit that the adventure is over. Cowboy Bebop was amazing for a lot of reasons not the least of which was the unforgettable loss of Spike Spiegel.
There are many categorizations of death, let’s take the mentor death like when Roy Fokker dies leaving behind his student to take up his mantle. Roy Fokker’s death is just as hard hitting. His forthright charm made him one of the most popular characters in the series because he was so easy going yet still so badass. His final meal that he never gets to taste of became a famous meme for the death of a character and even comes up in Macross Frontier. Will A. Zeppeli’s death in the Phantom Blood section of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was just as epic. He dies saving Jonathan Joestar going into the battle knowing that he was destined to die then but has no hesitation in doing so. He also gives his remaining life energy to Jonathan so he can defeat Dio Brando. He is one of the first well done noble sacrifices in a series know for both its high body count of named characters and quality deaths of main characters. The mentor character often has to die to let his student become his own man. It can also give the protagonist an even stronger reason to fight, be it for revenge or his desire to make his mentor proud.
The mentor death is universally popular, it can be seen in many places including Star Wars, Harry Potter, and The Lion King. It forces our young hero to embark on the journey with more responsibility than they may be ready for. Kamina’s death came as a shocking blow, to the cast and the viewer, in Gurren Lagann. He was a gung-ho, manly manic of energy! Not only did he constantly push everyone against the odds, he didn’t believe odds existed! And his death was made of manly passion. Kamina wore who he was on the outside and you couldn’t help but be fond of the guy. His death pushes Simon towards things they wouldn’t have occurred had he always been in Kamina’s shadow. Theresa’s death in Claymore seemed inevitable since we were in flashback mode, but nevertheless Theresa proved herself to be smart, resourceful, brave, powerful, and human in our brief stint with her. Everyone mourned her death as Clare did. So their deaths are tragic, and as the audience we may truly not want to see them go, but their sacrifices are essential to the movement of the hero.
There is also the death of the beloved side character. Kittan death is the other famous one from Gurren Lagann. His noble sacrifice recalls elements of Kamina’s death yet is its own noble passing. After his battle with Chapel, Wolfwood knows he is mortally wounded and goes in front of the alter to confess in his last moments. He tries to come to peace with his life but is unable to do so. I remember thinking that some sort of miracle would occur in the next episode and Wolfwood would somehow not be dead. To many viewers this was a much the climax of the series as Vash’s fight with Knives. Then there is Maes Hughes. He was a popular comedic character known for his over the top declarations of love for his wife and super-proud-love of his daughter. I remember reading on a forum about a girl being teased my her mother when she cried after Huges died. I also remember people saying they dropped Full Metal Alchemist after Hughes died.
A side character can be more than the sum of his screen time, they can come to mean just as much to the audience as their heroic counter-parts. Perhaps sometimes we see ourselves more in the side role or maybe they display lovable characteristics that the lead lacks. Whatever the case, many the mourning of a side character goes to show that the length of an acquaintance has little to do with the impact of it. Gai Daigoji is an incredibly well-known and still mentioned side character from a series that had a passing moment in the limelight, Martian Successor Nadesico. He had all the manly robot passion one could muster! He was us, the people who dream of piloting giant robots. And his death was surprising and sad. The utter massacre of the Band of the Hawk in Berserk was many things including disturbing, heart-wrenching, and unforgettable. Goodbye lovable Pippin, farewell good-natured Judeau, au voir Guts’ arm! Gen’s selfless demise in Kekkaishi came as quite a shock. The slow friendship between him and Yoshimori enhanced that and to him lose his friend so quickly was very hard. Gen wasn’t an easy guy to get along with but we had come to understand him and to accept him. Maybe we don’t feel destroyed at the thought of our own demise but to lose your best buddy, a comrade, brings many emotions to the surface.
Tomoe Yukishiro was only introduced in the first set of OAVs for Rurouni Kenshin after the TV series had ended but her death was powerful and a defining moment for Kenshin’s character. While her phony marriage to Kenshin had helped him regain much of his humanity, it was her death that solidified his vow never to kill again. We slowly get to know Tomoe and her secrets so that when she finally makes her sacrifice to save Kenshin it not only has the emotional impact of a character who feel for but also shows us why everything what lead up to the TV series. We see why Kenshin loved her and why her death had a profound effect on everything he does after that.
The death of a lover can be a catapult for a character to begin a journey whether it be of self-reflection or the pursuit of revenge. They are quite often heart-wrenching and sometimes senseless and as with any important death make us look back on what had come before it. Speaking of heart-wrenching Kaji’s death in Evangelion was just that. Not that Evangelion was much of an upper in the end. But his seemingly devil-may-care attitude made it all the more devastating. And when Misato listens to that phone call you want to fall apart in just the same way. Her pain was my own.
Even if they were villains I don’t think anyone who watched Eureka Seven was not effected by the deaths of Charles and Ray Beams. There deaths start the second half of Eureka Seven in a profoundly depressing and shocking way yet very effectively. After watching Renton bonds with Charles and Ray they essentially become his loving, goofy foster parents for several episodes. Their deaths are as powerful as the deaths of any protagonist in the show. Both Charles and Ray die in a gruesome manner. Despite them dying opposing the crew of the Gekkostate, you cannot help but feel for them. But it’s just like Holland says, there could have been no other way.
The death of a villain can mark the end of a series in a monumental way. In many instance we have followed the journey of the villain and learned about what makes them tick just as we have our warriors. It is possible to get just as attached to the antagonist and mourn them just as you would anyone else. While I thought the later half of the Magic Knight Rayearth anime had problems, Zagato’s death and reasoning behind his destruction of Cephiro is wonderfully tragic. A villain who can love deeply is very gray and his defeat makes you question which would you choose. A final battle is epic, it is what all the roads are leading to but sometimes it is hard to see the story end.
Gundam is famous for often being a bloody and brutal series. The original series director, Yoshiyuki Tomino, gained his nickname Kill ‘Em All partially due to his work on the original season. Tomino kills the two most popular characters in the Universal Century time line in their final battle. Considering how insanely popular Char and Amuro were this is no casual decision. He also killed off large percentages of the cast in almost every other Universal Century series. Characters could die heroically defending their ideals just as easily as dying pointlessly. The Gundam franchise has continued the tradition by making sure you never know when a character will die. Lockon’s death in Gundam 00 was so surprising because they faked you out. You assume in the back of your mind that he was protected because they would not kill him so soon after almost killing him. But two episodes later he dies. Lockon’s death was so powerful because he was easily the most likable of the Gundam meisters. Even the goofy G Gundam is able to turn the death of Domon’s traitorous mentor, Master Asia, into an epic manly death.
Gundam uses the many ranges of death from beloved side character to hero. Obviously they are killed with varying degrees of importance to the audience. Lockon’s death was a really difficult blow because you had to go through the anguish twice! They left you hanging just enough to believe he was dead the first go around, then when they finally kill him you think it is another fake out. In Gundam Seed, Mu La Flaga’s death was all the things it should have been. He went out defending the Archangel and a woman he loved. Mu was a minor character that made his way into the memories of the audience. Seeing his helmet floating there in space was sad indeed. Of course this awesome piece of emotional work was destroyed by reediting the footage and bringing him back in Gundam Seed Destiny. And who could forget the elegant villain from Gundam Wing, Treize Khushrenada. He was intelligent, clam, rational, and persuasive he could almost make you believe anything he said. He was also brilliant strategist and lethal in the combat. And he didn’t even die without having a hand in it. Gundam has made a business of giving us character deaths across the board and many to great effect.
Just as a epic death can make a series, a lame death can derail a series just as quickly. It can take what was supposed to be a dramatic scene and turn it into comedy. How many times have you seen this scenario? A character is introduced suddenly then we quickly learn a good deal about him unlike any other character we have previously met. Maybe we learn that he has family waiting for him or a pretty girlfriend. Then later in the episode he is killed usually in a major battle. This scenario is supposed to show the horrors of war or battle. I remember toastyfrog aka Jeremy Parish mentioning the perfect example of this back in the day. In Record of Lodoss War, Parn meets a random young soldier before a major battle between the forces of light and dark for the fate of the land. The young soldier tells Parn about his family at home and his young daughter who gave him a locket. After the bloody battle Parn finds the soldier’s body and the locket. We are supposed to feel horrible for this young man. Really you just see him as some random schulp who was destined to die the minute he whipped out the locket.
It became a running gag in Tower of Druaga. Random characters that started talking about getting married when they got home were going to the chopping block. The other version of this is to take a background or side character and suddenly start giving us way more story than ever before. In some attempt at making us connected to them and to make it seem like the creator isn’t afraid to rid the canvas of characters. These attempts are mostly transparent and completely forgettable until someone on a forum starts talking about how no one dies in such and such series. These are cheap ploys and they rarely work because connecting with a character isn’t simply knowing their back story. After experience really well done deaths, you start to pick up on poorly done ones.
One of the most recent famously hated deaths was L from Death Note. People who liked Light kept with the show but L fans were devastated. Many had been reading the series assuming/hoping that L was the main character. I know many a person who gave up on Death Note with the passing of L. Then again not killing anyone isn’t necessarily any better. A show where battles are supposed to be tense and exciting can be drained of their energy if there is no chance of death. Bleach is good example. How many people who were not minor allies or throwaway villains have actually died? With all the battles it seems like no one can bite it in Bleach. Momo looked like she was dead as a doornail when Aizen runs her through but it turns out that she was just merely seriously injured. Chad and Renji should both be taking dirt naps but are still around and Rukia is not much better. Also Tite Kubo keeps adding characters while not removing any leading to many characters not getting developed but still sticking around.
Shonen fighting shows are variable in their love of fake death and their willingness to actually kill characters. People in Saint Seiya are constantly getting punch in the heart, like through the skin and directly on the heart, but survive! Dragonball Z is notorious for characters dying 2, 3, 4 times and constantly being resurrected. On the other hand, Naruto seems perfectly willing to kill off the older generation. Maybe I like a good death because it ensures that the characters go out on a noteworthy, memorable scene instead of thinking they will fade into obscurity and die of old age one day. Does anyone really want to see a hero go out that way?
In the end what makes a good death and a bad death comes down to two factors. Did you ever really care about the character who is dying? And was their death significant to the story? If you never had any connection to the character then the death means nothing. People die everyday but it is so commonplace that you would go insane if you mourned for everyone who died in real life. In some series people die all the time. You can’t feel bad for everyone who dies in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. The creator’s hope is that you care about the few characters whose death is meaningful. No one wants those deaths top serve as plot filler or tedious melodrama. A valiant sacrifice or a brave last stand always works well. Dying to finish a mission or expend a little more energy to push something or someone else ahead can also be dramatically effective. Even a random seemingly pointless death can be strong if it is done in a way to support the narrative as opposed to exploiting it. It just has to be done for a higher reason.
Top 5 Characters I was glad to see die
5. Sivil (Macross 7), damn she is still alive. King of Kou (Twelve Kingdoms)
4. Rau Le Creuset (Gundam SEED)
3. Light Yagami/Misa Amane (Death Note)
2. Sakujun Sa (Story of Saiunkoku)
1. Flay Alister (Gundam SEED)
*When making comments, please use a spoiler alert with the name of the series you will be spoiling if we haven’t mentioned it in this post!
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10.24.08
Posted in Anime, Manga, Ongoing Investigations Tags: 7th Period is a Secret, 7限目はヒミツ。, Code Geass, GaoGaiGar, Genius Party, Girl Who Runs Through Time, Gundam 00, Otogibanashi no Fude, Shakugan no Shana, Shiro no Keiyaku, おとぎばなしの筆, コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ, 勇者王ガオガイガー, 時をかける少女, 機動戦士ガンダム00 セカンドシーズン, 灼眼のシャナ, 白の契約 at 9:24 am by reversethieves
Narutaki and I both lost our Internet connections so oddly enough it has led me to watch MORE anime than usual. Without the World Wide Web there to distract me it has left me some time to catch up with my unwatched anime.
I picked up the first Girl Who Runs Through Time manga released by CMX. I’ll just take a moment and mention how much I like CMX’s manga line as they consistently pick up over looked but good series many of which are short. After seeing The Girl Who Leapt Through Time I have been anxious for this manga to come out. While the movie clearly pays homage to its predecessor, they are still different entities. It was quite good with a fun and spunky heroine. Our two romantic rivals and the all knowing friend to round it all out. Though I am not sure how it can be resolved in just one more volume. This also reaffirms my hope that someone will pick up the original novel.
I can now understand why AWO says that GaoGaiGar gets better and better as the series goes on. The next to the last battle in the series is so epic and satisfying. The last battle is a little more of an emotional climax than any world shattering climax but it is still fun. I am still pretty sure that no one is going to like this show that is not in it to win it from the beginning. The final episodes are definitely better but I don’t think they would ever win over anyone. Still it is manly robot anime with fiery courage and bravery saving the day. I am going to take a little break before I throw myself into GaoGaiGar Final and/or Grand Glorious Gathering. I might also go out and pick up Betterman before that for the minor connection. Because I am a nerd like that.
THANK GOODNESS GUNDAM 00 IS BACK! I am truly enjoying every minute. It is great to see all the storylines converging. It was great seeing Sumergai back in action! And with the return of my beloved Allelujah, well I’m happy! The next episode looks to be just what I wish for, too. I have been itching to watch the first season over again. I’m really looking forward to the DVD release. P.S. Black Haro is clearly the big villain, not sure why no one else sees it.
Shakugan no Shana ends pretty well. I was a little surprised that the final fights are mostly inconclusive and short. I suppose it was better that they worked on an emotional climax rather than a physical one but I wanted some more melee. I was also a little disappointed that we never see this supposed sword vs. spear fight between Shana and Sydonay as promised in the second opening. I suspect they don’t want to kill off the Bal Masque either because they realized it was popular enough to get a second season and/or they wanted to stick closer to the original light novels. It’s another series that while I could watch more of I am in no rush to download it when I am trying to catch up on watching what I have legitimacy purchased. Plus the second Shakugan no Shana has a decent chance of getting licensed especially if the box set sells well enough for Funimation.
Watched some more Code Geass and am happy to report the last couple of episodes on the first disc were not a fluke. The show is indeed good. I also found it great to be enjoying a fluff episode like 6 where the cat steals Zero’s helmet. It gave the series a nice uplifting episode but also reestablished the friendship between Lelouch and Suzaku. This disc made me really liked Shirley as she wanted to befriend Suzaku despite everyone else. I am also really loving Shirley and Kallen’s friendship. Still waiting for C.C. to really show some of her powers although she does prove usefull in this disc. Oh and apparently me and Kohaku are the only people on the internet that really like Suzaku.
I saw Genius Party with Kohaku and Scott from Anime Almanac. It is seven short animated shorts by different artists. Like most anthologies you are going to like certain stories more than other. The first eponymous titled Genius Party is a quirky little short about the creation and spreading of ideas. It has very striking visuals which is a necessity since there is no dialog. It has little stone coconut heads who create and transmit little heart shaped ideas and the scarecrow bird that preys on them. The second short is Shanghai Dragon which is a fun little story about a snot nosed kid who has to save the earth from alien invaders with a magical pen. The best part for me about this short was the two cyborgs that defend the boy and his female friend until he can come into his role as savior of the earth. Their seinen manly heroics against impossible odds were stylish and cool. Deathtic 4 was a odd little piece that was all 3D CG reminiscent of Gregory Horror Show or Reboot. I was entertained with the story of a team of self-proclaimed super hero zombies that try to get a frog back to the world of the living. It had a amusing little nod to the Fantastic 4 and filled with kids humor (aka fart jokes) in a macabre world. Doorbell is the story of a student who finds that another version of him has started taking over his life. Whenever he gets somewhere and his duplicate has arrived before him the people there seem to take the duplicate as him and can no longer see him. So a race starts between the two to see who can claim this existence. An odd little story with a seinen feel to the character designs. If I ever watch Genius party again on DVD I am sure to skip Limitcycle each and every time. Limitcycle is a rambling soliloquy about mans’ relationship to God. It basically has no plot and often times bewildering cyberpunk visuals that incorporate alchemical diagrams and seemingly random numbers. It was the most self indulgent piece I have seen in a long time. I don’t mind a little navel gazing but this meanders in such a unabashedly personal manner that it is incomprehensible to anyone but the author. Happy Machine is clearly by the man who directed Kaiba. Everything from the character designs to the relentlessly disturbing feeling under the pastel coloring. It is the second short in the anthology to be almost completely without dialog. It is the story of a baby who lives in a child rearing machine until is starts to break down and he is forced to survive in a hostile alien world. I say without hesitation that Baby Blue would have been Narutaki’s favorite story had he gone to see Genius Party. A warm little story of an almost love. A boy invites a childhood friend of his to skip school and go on a little adventure with him to the beach. They have a fun little bittersweet adventure as they spend the day together.
I have been reading a lot of one-shot and one book shojo manga of late. It’s actually quite a challenge to make the reader engage with the characters and at the same time tell a complete story. So I’ll just mention a few that did the job. A manga-ka who is quickly becoming a favorite is Tsukuba Sakura and luckily just about everything she has done has either been licensed or scanlated. I read two shorts by her but the one that stuck out was Shiro no Keiyaku. It is about a pure white crow who is ostracized by his flock. One day after being injured he falls to earth and is fixed up by a girl; he immediately falls in love with her. The story takes him to a devil to make him human and spend his time with her. It has the fairytale aspect down pat complete with happy ending. Sakura does a great job of combining a dash of fantasy with a sweet love story. Another fairytale one was Otogibanashi no Fude in which our lead male is the keeper of a sacred tree. He stumbles upon the secret of the tree which is a beautiful water goddess kept inside of it for hundreds of years. He is the only one able to summon her and as he continues to spend time with her he inevitably falls in love. This story has more of a bittersweet under score to it but still makes you smile in the end and be hopeful. This story also made me immensely interested in reading more by this author, Akizuki Sorata. I also re-read 7th Period is a Secret which deals with that ever popular taboo, teacher x student. Shun has transformed herself but she doesn’t truly feel at easy with her friends. Her young teacher Jun sees right through her and she finds him understanding her better than anyone. So beings a romance! Even though our guy is supposed to be older, it exudes the first love sweetness for both of them. It also doesn’t have any real tragic ending, in fact we are lead to believe they will stay together. I just picked up another series by Chiba Kozue and I am reading more short stories as I write this so I’ll be talking about them a lot in the coming weeks.
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