It must be video day, ’cause I keep getting passed links to awesome videos. Now, I know there are only like, four of you out there who have actually watched Kaiji, so let me explain the name of this video: “zawa” is a noise that appears in the background of dramatic moments in the show. Azumanga Daioh is absolute required watching for all anime fans and if you haven’t seen it you should go watch it right now (or shrivel up and die, whichever you prefer).

So, allow me to present: Zawamanga Daioh.

Posted by gia in Misc, Videos • Comments (1)

So we’re up to ~episode six in most series, which is the halfway point for the Fall season (though not necessarily the halfway point for each show). I figured I’d check in and talk about where I am with each show these days.

• Bamboo Blade: Miya-Miya owns the ass of every female character this season, hands down. Then again, it’s not like she’s up against a lot of competition. Status: Watching regularly.
• Blue Drop: The pacing is sooo slow, it took until episode three or four for anything to actually happen. But the promise of lesbians keeps me going. Status: Watching regularly.
• Clannad: I maintain that this show would be so much better if they would just ditch Nagisa entirely. Beyond that, I’m liking it better than I expected to. I do still wish that anyone looked somewhat close to how old they actually are / sound…but eh. Status: Watching regularly.
• Dragonaut: The Resonance: I can’t explain why I keep watching this show. I’m not really fond of the art style, the plot is pretty mediocre…and yet, I keep watching. I blame the boobies. Status: Watching regularly.
• Genshiken 2: Ogiue’s Sasahara x Madarama FTW. That is all. Status: Watching regularly.
• Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun: GOOO REIKA! GO GO GO! Mayu’s cute, but boring. Status: Watching regularly.
• Jyuushin Enbu: Story-wise it’s gotten better, but the art and animation are still incredibly mediocre compared to FMA, and the characters aren’t as cool either. Status: Watching every so-often.
• Kaiji: I’m interested in seeing where this goes, but running out of space on my anime plate for watching it. Status: Dropped for watching later.
• Kidou Senshi Gundam 00: Major improvements in terms of developing characters, but I think I still like the ending theme better than anything else about the show. Status: Watching regularly.
• KimiKiss: I like this show, and I think it’s because it’s a dating sim but not one that focuses on one guy and a dozen girls, but rather a group of friends (male and female) and their love lives. Status: Watching regularly.
• Kodomo no Jikan: Epic yet uncomfortable win. But I’ve ranted about this show being undervalued as mere pedo fodder enough, so suffice to say Status: Watching regularly.
• Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro: I would totally be watching this show IF ANYONE WOULD FREAKIN’ SUB IT. I’ve actually already seen people cosplay from the manga, and yet no one will sub the anime? Am I missing something? Status: Watching…if it ever comes out.
• Minamike: I like the show a lot, but almost all the comedy comes from either crazy middle sister Kana, or crazy Kana-like characters (Chiaki and Haruka each have a classmate with a similar dynamic). And Kana is never given the opportunity to have any redeeming features. Hmph. Status: Watching regularly.
• Moyashimon: This one’s a little behind, but I like it…though the agriculture 101 bits can be a little dull, the rest of the batshit insane stuff makes up for it. Status: Watching regularly.
• Night Wizard: I’m getting a little tired of Eris being the sweet, cheerful, flock-of-birds attracting Mary Sue, and annoyed at Renji being the show’s whipping boy with, like Minamike’s Kana, no real opportunity to redeem himself. Status: Considering dropping.
• Prism Ark: …One episode was really enough. Status: Dropped.
• Rental Magika: It got so boring in episode three I just couldn’t continue. Status: Dropped.
• Shinrei Kari / Ghost Hound: I still have some issues with the art style, but the pacing has picked itself up nicely and I’m curious to see where it’s going. Status: Watching regularly.
• Shion no Oh: Mmm, delicious trap, must eat. Status: Watching regularly.
• Shugo Chara! Mmm, delicious magical girl, must eat. This is probably one of the more solid shows of the season, IMO, though it’s obvious not for everyone. Status: Watching regularly.
• Suteki Tantei Labyrinth: Looks cute, but pretty dull– I’m more interested in the dolls than in anything to do with the main character. Status: Dropped.

Posted by gia in Commentary, Fall '07 Series • Comments (8)

• Title: Kaiji
• Studio: Madhouse
• Genre: Drama

Ratings (out of 5):

• Story: ♥♥♥♥

• Animation: ♥♥♥♥
• Characters: ♥♥♥
• OP/ED Themes: ♥♥♥♥
• Overall: ♥♥♥♥ (You’re ugly as hell, but I think I like you anyway.)
  

Thoughts:
Kaiji– and its predecessor Akagi –are not really very attractive shows. The art style, featuring super-long pointy noses and other exaggerated (even by anime standards) body parts, is off-putting to a lot of people. But the world Kaiji depicts isn’t supposed to be very pretty. In fact, the world setting is decidedly dingy, full of sad, desperate people.

Now, while the art may or may not be your cup of tea, the actual animation quality is actually pretty good, and the OP and ED themes are pretty good too– I particularl liked the OP. But then, on to the show itself.

Kaiji is an unemployed 20-something who wants to make a shit-ton of money but doesn’t want to work for it. I think we can all relate to that somewhat. But it’s a bit hard for me to stick with Kaiji as he slashes the tires of a fancy import car as his vengeance on the rich– and then to watch him get suckered pretty blatantly into the first arc of the story. How dumb is he? Well, dumb enough to co-sign a desperate friend’s loan, only to have that friend disappear, leaving him responsible for a large debt that has accumulated 14 months of interest– and that’s yakuza-level interest; 20%. Yipe.

Now, I have to say that the yakuza in this show feel more interesting than Kaiji does to me at this point. I mean, come on– the yakuza guy, Endou, picks up Kaiji and makes him an offer: get on this boat with a bunch of other people in major debt to us. We’ll loan you some money to gamble– at an even more insane interest rate, by the way –and you can win enough back to pay off your loan, right? But if you don’t, you get dumped into a couple of years of indentured servitude somewhere.

…What the hell kind of criminal organization has the time and energy to set up a giant cruise ship complete with game room to arrange this kind of nonsense? I mean, seriously, is the crime boss just really bored, or what?

But I think it’ll make for an interesting first arc, at least…