Welcome to the first of what I hope is many Weekly Highlights where I’ll be giving the rundown of all standout things in anime and on the ‘sphere (at least to me) for that week. And yes, the latter subject matter is a combination of anitations, ani-nouto and ghostlightning’s Favourite Blog Posts of the Week, but I don’t care.
Anime Highlights
Shows mentioned this week:
Jigoku Shoujo as of episode 11
Chaos;Head as of episode 11
Xam’d as of episode 18.
Macademi Wasshoi as of episode 8.
Casshern Sins as of episode 11.
+++++
Jigoku Shojou is stupidly funny.
This show is so hilariously retarded that it’s terribly awesome. It keeps flip flopping between being okay and (purposefully?) crap. I mean, episode 8’s about an old bitch’s woman’s crusade of vengeance against an unimaginably dense oujo and her bitch chihuahua in a dress. And then we move on to a lonely child wishing to maintain her populartiy by “cursing” people to death. The standard in the quality and impact of each episode is just plain pathetic. What the hell are the creators trying to do, provide a sequel to a great episodic series which, though it might not have succeded, at the very least attempted to pose a questions regarding morality and revenge to the viewer, or dumbfound their audience with huge plotholes, logical absuridites and ridiculously shallow cases? Well, it’s entertainment at least.
At least the show had one brief highlight (quadruple revenge ftw) but that doesn’t make up for the fact the 10 EPISODES PRECEDING IT SUCKED and that next time we have a nose-bleeding otaku taking revenge on… well, everyone.
Challenging Code Geass for emo facial contortions, I see.
Chaos;Head has too far gone for complete redemption
Pink swords and brains, the two best things about the show at this point.
Xam’d Lost Memories includes fanservice?!
Triple Hiruko Side-Boob. Hot or not? You be the judge.
Delicious Macademy
(^^)bb
Terminator SINS
Since half of the people who read this blog probably aren’t watching Casshern (FOR SHAME) and hence won’t have read the other post, here’s another chance to see the startling similarity between Terminator 2 and Casshern’s music. Music thievery or simply coincedence?
Casshern – From 1:50
Terminator 2 – From 3:20
Blogging Highlights
Acceptance Through The Replication Of Mistakes.
ghostlightning – Miao On My Mind
We now end up with a meme “coming harder than omo” that means what exactly? Not quite sure yet, but I’m very interested to find out.
ghostlightning tracks the birth of a meme and how it seems to squeal and cry to be put out of it’s misery only to be forced to walk and run rampant throughout the entire one corner of the blogosphere that just won’t let it die.
The Resurrection of Epic Win.
0rion and Guff – Epic Win
Sheesh, I leave for a couple months and all the anime bloggers start dying off faster than the cast of a Key game. Or perhaps Higurashi would be a more appropriate metaphor, since true bloggers never really die, they just go nuts every once in a while and then eventually everything resets.
They’re back… and I love it. PLEASE DON’T LEAVE AGAIN!!!
Unfulfilled Expectations or a Drastic My Anime Blog 2008 Primer
TheBigN – Drastic My Anime Blog
I decided to write about what I thought were the best posts on DMAB this year, even though December isn’t over yet. Of course there’s bias involved here (yay self-horn tooting!), so if you have different favorites than I do, please feel free to say so.
I don’t know how he managed to do it, but TheBigN managed to sort through an entire year of posts and find what he believed to be of true quality in Drastic’s archives. Follow him on this truly EPIC chronicling of the best posts (at least in his opinion) of the 2008 year for Drastic. Just don’t try to read them all at once, as you shall mostly likely be crippled from awesomeness (or simply get a headache).
Minor Anime
gaguri – Ha Neul Seom
To speak in minor language is to take the form of major language, displace (or de-territorialise) it and replace (re-territorialise) it with something different. The power of Minor language does not lie in standing opposed to Major, but subverting it from within.
One of the most insightful posts I’ve seen in a while, finally giving a suitable name for something I’ve seen in anime for so long. Also, Franz Kafka reference!
Webcomic Project: Anime Bloggers Manga-fied
kanzeon – [:METANORN:]
An entertaining couple of comics from kanzeon, which I am very proud to star in ^^. Give some encouragement for her continue and to help her come up with a name. (You never know, perhaps you may be next…).
Xam’d Lost Memories: YES.
OGT – Anime wa Bakahatsu da!
The pacing of Xam’d is perhaps one of its strongest assets: the deliberate pacing and careful attention to detail belie the careful planning that went into the series.
A nice look back over the latest happennings in the Xam’ world, which helped me develop some of my theories about the plot and also to rectify some queries, even if presented through slightly tinted fanboy glasses.
Toradora: The First Fight
OGT – Anime wa Bakahatsu da!
The actual series itself follows the contrast: the comic situatiuons the characters find themselves in frequently lead to not only immense mirth but a nigh-obligatory episodic Downbeat Intropsective Moment, and the Moment is made all the better by its genesis in and divergence from the silliness.
A very interesting look a the nature of contrast within the Toradora! series. It seems the two-facedness I mentioned before isn’t nearly as limited as I thought it was (although not with nearly the same negative connotations).
ANN’s reviewers are critics? What makes an anime critic?
Impz – THAT Animeblog
So, what is an anime critic? I do not clearly know, but there are some things that are not how anime critics should portray themselves. If you hate to listen to high horse rhetoric, you can stop now.
A latecomer post arising during the writing of this post, I’ve already said part of what I wish to say in the matter and buried the rest of my tl;dr comments in the depths of the indignant parts of my mind. For anyone with less restraint or more integrity than me, dive into the discussion now.
And that’s it for this week. Perhaps if enough people comment on this post, I’ll finally get around to watching Kara no Kyoukai.
Grand Punk Railroad 
Don’t bother with Kara no Kyoukai. It doesn’t make any sense.
Wow my name’s in there O.O Thanks 🙂
Just watched Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae episode 12 in raw (yeah, don’t have the patience to wait for subs anymore…) and it was disgustingly awesome (and the punishment scene in episode 12 is the best one I’ve seen yet) it’s really funny because JS became fanservice/parody but it’s really good imo.
Yo omisyth, check the article on Miao on
My Mind. You’ll notice something different about the writer.
Also, you made my list this week: http://ghostlightning.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/favorites-of-the-week-blog-posts-3/
^_^
“Slightly tinted”? They are sunglasses coated with a specially developed filter that only lets Haru through!
@blissmo
Since when has “sense” been a reason to watch anime, when there’s violence in it :P?
@kanzeon
No prob. Perhaps I am taking the show to seriously and should just accept the fact it’s a mere shadow of its former self. Or keep RAEGING.
@ghostlightning
Fix’d. Also, I’ll say it here as well W00T second mention get!
@OGT
No filter for Nakiami ;_;?
Thanks man! I appreciate it ^_^
@omisyth: She slips in, and I do like her, but I find myself identifying far, far more with Haru than I do her. I feel bad every time I do that, because I’m always like “hey, Nakiami’s got some stuff going on that I’d like to talk about….but my head hurts too much and I need to get up and not sit here, :(” and forget to ever address anything that happens to her. I am totally loving what she’s done post-ep. 14 though.
@Omisyth: Don’t listen to blissmo. KnK is great.
Also, into the metabloggery thing now eh? I LIKE THE WAY THIS IS GOING.
“I don’t know how he managed to do it”
To be honest, I don’t now how I managed to do it either. I’ve been feeling quite lazy nowadays.
I’m happy that you think the post is good, as I feel it also recognizes the other co-authors of the blog as well.
@xephfyre
BRACE FOR IMPACT.
@TheBigN
Wha? There are
twoother bloggers for Drastic?!Wow, that girl has a lot of hair, looking at that screen. It’s like a wall.
Also, FUCK YEAH, EPIC WIN IS BACK.
@Zan
*dances due to awesomeness*