Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Night Parade: Artwork from Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan — Demon Capital Steropony, 「Tsukiakari no Michishirube」 (Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor) Spoiler Monoral, 「Kiri」 (Ergo Proxy) Spoiler LM.C, 「Hoshinoarika」 (Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan ― Demon Capital) Spoiler Sawano Hiroyuki, 「Into the Sky」 (Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn) Spoiler Rookiez is Punk'd, 「Complication」 (Durarara) Spoiler † That might be a sort of countdown list. 「Hoshinoarika」 ("Where the Stars Are") is the current earworm; it recalls Van Halen, from the Hagar years, and while the video depicts something entirely different than the anime it opens, the organ line just feels nearly perfect for the idea of a Night Parade of 100 Demons. But it's also true that aside from 「Tsukiakari no Michishirube」 ("Moonlight Signpost") being a candidate for the all-time greatest anime OP, it's only a five song list.
Have you watched any of the series streaming now on Netflix such as Yona of the Dawn? It started as a manga series, and then a TV adaptation was created a few years ago. (I haven't seen it yet, but I've been noticing more anime coming to Netflix/Hulu and this plot sounds interesting.)
Rise - Origa / Kanno Probably my favourite opening theme to an anime. And Tank! from Cowboy Bebop really does its job of setting the tone.
Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! österreich, "Mounou" (Tokyo Ghoul √A) Spoiler Paradise Lunch, "Guns & Roses" (Baccano) Spoiler Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, "Paraiso" (Michiko & Hatchin) Spoiler Seatbelts, "Tank!" (Cowboy Bebop) Spoiler † It is only in recent months that it truly sets in how lucky my anime experience has been. Or, wait, that's the wrong bit. Oh, right: So you know you're officially fuddy-duddy when you up and walk out on the episode not because the oversexed obsession is somehow offensive, but because the script is so agonizingly terrible. Oh, hey, they're the same bit. But it's true, if Sekirei and Mahoromatic were as bad as a particular acquisition period got, they were still leagues better than the harem disasters currently running on Hulu. It's not so much a matter of life choices; some of the Netflix-branded excrement I forced myself to sit through is the stuff of legend. But the above: Bebop is Bebop; it should be watched. Tokyo Ghoul and √A are extraordinary, and there is actually a lot to say about a show like that; I haven't actually watched Re, yet, but there is a story that goes with me and Tokyo Ghoul, so whatever. "Mounou" is a musical experience. Baccano is an adventure in storytelling, and if you're me there is a joke that starts in Darker Than Black, runs through its fellow Baccano!, and shows in Durarara!!, directed by the guy from Baccano! It's even more ridiculous because the actual Darker Than Black overlap runs through its sequel, Gemini of the Meteor and at this point it starts to sound as disjointed as a Baccano! episode. But if you take a joke from DTB, about anime as an art form, Baccano! and Durarara!! would be exhibits in favor of the rant about the power and flexibility of a superior art form. And while it is well enough that there would be references to Baccano! in Durarara!! one blatant nod occurred onscreen immediately next to the blatant nod to the DTB sequel, Gemini of the Meteor. Never mind, I'll have to go get the screen shot. Anyway, yeah, I'm sure there is some sort of philsophical reflection to be found. Planning meetings for the Kazutano incident (ep. 6) or the interstitial adventure (ep. 12.5), or the stitching of episodes 1 and 2 around Shizuo's introduction, and, oh, right, episode 5—don't get me started—must have been extraordinary. Storytelling in DRRR is a refinement of what they did in Baccano! But Baccano! has the better OP. It stands out in contrast to a particular genre of school harem adventure that involves multiple planning committee meetings in which a group of men argue about what girl should be wearing what underwear. And here I though thought Precure was insane. Never mind. Don't get me started. And, yeah, see Michiko & Hatchin. It's just one of those; there is nothing quite like it. And it has a fantastic OP. (If you have YouTube Music, it's on Soil & Pimp Sessions, 6, which in turn is its own absolute gem.)
Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Click for ED: Trust me. Also, note the movie posters from Baccano and Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor. (Detail of frame from Durarara!! ep. 7, "Bad-Ass Dude") So, yeah, turns out I have that image already. And, yeah, so not "immediately next to" each other. That's Kasuka in between. He's Shizuo's brother. I mean, the guy standing there looking up. Never mind.
Freedom, Consent, and Destiny: Akatsuki no Yona Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn) — ***½ One important point to observe about Yona of the Dawn is its structure: The first four episodes of the show are nearly intolerable, but the best way to look at them is as an eighty-eight minute, underdeveloped movie. It's one thing if epiosodes five and six manage the significant turn to advance the story, but most series don't try that kind of contiguity through six episodes, running over two hours as a movie. The bottom line is that Yona of the Dawn is worth enduring the setup. The twenty-four episode run is a compelling series easily undersold by its description as a romantic adventure. The main cast for the English dub is Monica, Christopher, Micah, and Clifford; while it is easy enough to trust the voices, as we always do, there might be some benefit in following the original Japanese script. Perhaps in the mix of Asian influences, some cultural implications make more sense in Japanese, such as what felt like a poorly delivered line when Yona reminds Hak of her rank. With Clinkenbeard on ADR, though, it's not a miss.¹ Akatsuki no Yona has the sort of story potential that takes a hundred twenty episodes to play out, with the twenty-four we have barely suggesting the shape of what is possible. While questions of romance are a perpeutal plague in anime, the underlying story is rife with considerations of principle and history. As a protagonist, Yona is still a princess choosing to fight for a proprietary claim over land and people. A transformation from a Disney-style brat in the opening minutes to a legendary hero who saves a decaying kingdom simply needs more than twenty-four episodes can afford. What does it mean to be both hereditary nobility and the so-called good guy? The first four episodes suggest a hint toward that story, which in turn never really materializes in the twenty that follow. There is more to tell, and with thirty-nine tankōbon on record, it would seem at least some of that tale existsl. In the over seven years since the television series ended it's first run, though, the project has managed only three ova episodes. General fan sentiment seems to be that Yona of the Dawn needs a second season, but at its pace Mizuho Kusanagi's story needs about four more. It is, for anime fans, more than simply a worthy contribution. Viewers new to anime countenance a different risk, which is the potential disappointment of asking, "What, that's all there is?" No, actually, there's over twelve years of manga, but if we were all reading Flowers & Dreams (Hana to Yume) every other week, the television series would have run longer. ____________________ Notes: ¹ For instance, I will neer understand her decision in Tokyo Ravens to make such a point of pronouncing the u in Natsume, but she's Clink, and I don't argue.
