Genshiken Chapter 56 Manga Review (One Shot)

げんしけん: 二代目

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Genshiken president Ogiue calls a meeting of club members Ohno and Kuchiki to discuss the failures of the last membership drive and to avoid those same mistakes, she orders no cosplay during the forthcoming. Sue walks in, in closplay, and Ogiue's plan is pretty much flushed as Ohno dresses up as well. Ogiue wants more male members in the club causing Ohno to tease her on what Sasahara would think. Yabusaki from the Manga Club calls Ogiue to inquire how they are doing but doesn't want to stop by because of Sue.

Ogiue has a large sheet of paper on a large whiteboard and proceeds to draw manga/anime poster in real time. This does attract a lot of attention. Kuchiki, who's secretly dressed up in cosplay, attempts to leap out of the spot where he's hiding but Sue manages to thwart his antics before they can even get started.  Two girls decide to join based on Ogiue's drawings.  The heavy-set Yajima was impressed with what Ogiue drew and the petite Yoshitake immediately saw the yaoi elements of Ogiue's drawing even though Ogiue wasn't drawing anything purposefully yaoi.

Ogiue accepts the fact of why the two new members join as Kuchiki is happy for a larger harem. Ohno starts talking about Oguie, telling of her acceptance as a pro manga-ka and how she not only has a boyfriend but he's a manga editor as well.  As this goes on, another girl named Hato comes in and asks to sit in. Ogiue notices that Kuchiki recoils from her.  The introductions begin with Yoshitake bringing out her favorite doujinshi titles.  This leads Ogiue to fear that the group will go from a normal circle to a fujoshi one.

Kuchiki grabs some of Hato's hair and reveals that this is a wig. In a panic, Hato has a male voice before switching back to female. Hato is still panicked as Ohno examines him but makes Hato feel welcome before revealing her massive cosplay plans for the entire group. Hato tries to explain that he isn't cosplaying while Kuchiki seems happy that the group has a "boy-girl" potential member. Ogiue mutters about the group being a bunch of wierdos when Sue stands up and loudly repeats Ogiue's introduction to the group years earlier.

Sometime later, Sue stops by Madarame's apartment and starts reenacting a scene from an anime/manga when her cell phone rings and she hands it, unanswered, to Madarame. It is Ogiue, inviting him to a new member's party.  He attends and is asked to pick which of the three new members is actually male. As Tanaka and others look on, Madarame cannot decide but seeing Madarame causes Yoshitake and Yajima to discuss him in a yaoi sense. With Kugayama and Sasahara not there, Ogiue is using Tanaka and Madarame to help balance the male-female ratio.

Ohno decides the party is to be held at Ogiue's apartment and she's pressured into accepting. Sasahara arrives with snacks.  He too is challenged to "find the boy" but cannot.  Saki and Makoto arrive and without even being asked, Saki spots that Hato is in fact a boy in drag.

Thoughts/Review:

Egad! I'd forgotten all about this until Lady D pinged me the other day and asked me if I'd blog this.  Well, considering how much I loved the original Genshiken manga series, there was no doubt I'd start blogging this immediately and so sought out the published chapters to date.  I've read that the first volume of this new Genshiken series will still be called "Genshiken" rather than Genshiken Nidaime and will be classified as "volume 10," so hopefully, Kodansha Comics will BRING THIS TO THE U.S!

And now, allow me to express my feelings about reading this "one shot" (which then turned into a limited edition run, followed by a full series run) in a true, manga style.  KYAAAAAAAA! >_< ♥

Whew!  I feel better now. ^_^

I have to say that Kio-sensei made a really good chapter.  On one hand, he made sure to get all of the Genshiken members (sans the first president, who just disappeared from the manga early on and never returned save for a mention by Saki much, much later) at least a cameo.  It was really great seeing Sasahara, Madarame, Tanaka, Kugayama, Saki, and Makoto.  ^_^  It was nice seeing Madarame's attraction to Saki still touched on.  It was nice seeing Saki and Makoto are still a couple as well as Ohno and Tanaka, and Sasahara and Ogiue.  Even Sasahara's little sister got a small cameo.

 As to the new members, having a cross-dressing member is a little freaky, especially since every time I see Hato looking like a normal, attractive manga girl, I hear Admiral Ackbar scream, "IT'S A TRAP!" *lol* However, with Ogiue, Ohno, Sue, and even Kuchiki, I think I could be down with this new Genshiken crew.

Still, returning to Genshiken for a new story after so long is like returning to your old neighborhood after many years.  Sure, there are things that are still familiar but there are changes all around.  There might be new stores up that didn't exist before.  Your old home may have a different color scheme or may be covered in ivy.  It may not be the same place I left at the end of volume 9 of the manga but it is still "home" (in a manga sense, of course).  ^_^

Speaking of Sue, I can't say that I remember being very excited about her when she was introduced but I found that her spouting lines from anime/manga, even if I had no clue what she was referencing, was actually amusing.  I guess she's grown on me as a character.  Of course, Kio-sensei having her quote his own manga with Ogiue's introduction to Genshiken was pure gold as far as I was concerned.  ^_^

When the story discussed Sasahara being the editor boyfriend of Ogiue, I couldn't help but remember the chat between Akamatsu-sensei and Takekuma-san on the current state of manga in Japan, including the future of manga editors.

Finally, Ogiue Maniax blogged this chapter back when it came out in late 2009 (yeah, that's how far I'm behind) and have notes on the various stuff Sue spewed. ^_^

There are several more chapters of the new Genshiken manga series, so I'm off to read and blog them.  ^_^

Mobile Suit Gundam - 34

機動戦士ガンダム /Kido Senshi Gundam episode 34

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Having returned to Side-6, Bright has maintenance being done on White Base and wants to leave as quickly as possible due to administrative pressures to get them to go. Amuro has permission to go ashore and visit his dad, but a scheduled rain forces him to stop at a nice home to wait out the shower, where he meets a dark skinned girl who's sitting on the porch. After the rain, Amuro drives to his father's home in the junkyard but his father is still mentally unstable. Having in essence said his goodbye, Amuro leaves. Meanwhile, Zanzibar docks at Side-6 right next to White Base and Char disembarks. He and his driver Lalah, the girl Amuro had previously met, encounter Amuro's vehicle stuck on the road. They tow him out and Amuro wonders how he know this was Char when they've never met. Char wonders about Amuro, but Lalah says Amuro was probably frightened of the infamous Red Comet, Char.

On White Base, Cameron offers to escort out of their territory since Conscon's fleet is waiting. Mirai rejects his offer but is slapped by Sleggar for being inconsiderate and scolds Cameron for letting Mirai speak that way. Cameron still offers to help and his shuttle leads White Base out. Conscon dispatches Rick Doms, authorizing them to violate Side-6 space since they won't engage until they are outside the zone. The mobile suits menace the shuttle and White Base as Amuro and the others prepare for battle. A Side-6 TV crew in a ship records the battle as soon as it starts, which is seen by Amuro's father as well as by Char and Lalah, the later predicting Gundam will win. Amuro takes out several Rick Doms and the remaining ones change tactics but to no avail as Amuro destroys them all.

As White Base destroys all of Conscon's Musai-class ships, he orders his Chivvay command ship to ram White Base since he's sure Char is watching this and laughing at him. Amuro sees the desperate tactic and also sees how to destroy the Zeon warship with his two energy swords.  After stabbing both weak spots on Chivvay, it is destroyed.  Amuro's father sees this on TV and celebrates how his new part made the difference in Gundam's fight.  Lalah sees her prediction come true and notes to Char that this is why he hangs around her.  Meanwhile, as Amuro returns to White Base, he tears up and says farewell to Side-6 and his father.  At the same time, Cameron orders a return to Side-6 and says his tearful farewell to Mirai to himself.

Thoughts/Review:

Amuro has been shown to be good with Gundam from day 1 but back then, the causes were that he was a genius combined with Gundam having such incredible computer systems that even a novice could fight and win.  Over time, Amuro's skills have improved but with this episode, Amuro seems to be developing some sort of special intuition or something.  He immediately knew Char, whom he'd never met before, when Char and Lalah pulled over to help him. Then in the battle, he was not only able to predict the Rick Dom normal movements but the abnormal ones they made as well and thus took out every Dom solo.  Then he was able to "see" the weak spots on Chivvay and destroy that ship as well. I don't know what this means other than as a plot device to excuse Gundam from doing even more incredible things down the road.

Speaking of Char and Lalah, I guess they might be a couple or something. I was surprised that when Char docked at Side-6, it was apparently to see her.  Certainly, the implication was that the two have known each other for quite some time and Char appears to visit her frequently.  I suppose she could be a spy but then again, there may be more to her than meets the eye based on Char's comment on her perception skills and her prediction about Gundam winning the fight.

Oh, while I'm thinking about it, this episode was referenced by a School Rumble chapter when Tenma got caught in a rainstorm and mentioned not being given a weather schedule. The remark was explained as a Gundam one in the translator notes but it is cool to actually see the scene referenced and in context. ^_^

It was kinda sad seeing Amuro visit his father for one final time to basically say goodbye without saying goodbye.  His father is insane and as I recall, his mother is unhappy with him making Amuro a kind of orphan.  I suppose something positive could happen by series end but the way things felt, I don't suppose Amuro will ever see his parents again.

Speaking of farewells, I felt kinda bad for Cameron. I know his choosing work over Mirai pissed her off and I appreciate that. However, I guess she's just going to be with Bright now, which is fine with me. I'm kinda surprised Cameron didn't get killed in the fight but then that would make a Bright-Mirai romance kinda morbid.

Then, there was Sleggar slapping the crap out of Mirai, this coming after last episode where he punched Cameron. I guess back when Gundam was made, you could still get away with physical violence against a woman. Today is another story as only men may be physically abused, especially by women. ^_^;

Hayato's reaction to Zanzibar seemed odd to me. He's never shown being angry when they've encountered other Zeon ships so why is he all of the sudden angry when a Zeon ships docks next to them?  Why are they suddenly the ones who killed Ryuu?  Didn't make sense to me.

So, an interesting episode with all kinds of stuff happening.

Urusei Yatsura - 159

うる星やつら episode 159 (TV anime)
Urusei Yatsura Ep. 159 review


SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

After much flair, Fujinami announces to Ryuunosuke that he has finally saved up enough money for them to build their dream hamajaya -- a real beach teashop called "Umi ga Suki" (I Love the Ocean).  Shinobu, Lum, Shuutaro, and Ataru join the pair down in at the pair's home in the school and mention that it is too early to build a shop at local beaches, so they'll have to go south, where Ataru notes that the girls go topless. Ryuunosuke and Fujinami head south where Ryuunosuke finds they are incurring quite a bit more expenses thanks to her father. Eventually, they end up on a cargo ship in the cargo hold with the pigs it is carrying.  Shinobu, Lum, Shuutaro, and Ataru decide to take a trip south themselves to look for the pair. Eventually, they find the shack of a teashop in a well off the beaten track location.

After eating their fill but having no money, Fujinami eventually agrees to let them round up customers. Lum and Shinobu round up guys who immediately realize they've been tricked when they arrive at the shop. Shuutaro and Ataru think they can gather girls but fail as Ryuunosuke has better luck and attracts lots of girls when she beats the pair. Meanwhile, Lum and Shinobu are furious at how Fujinami is treating the male customers until he reminds them that they ate up all his food. Shinobu decides she's waitress while Lum gathers more customers. With the negative word about the hanajaya spreading, Lum invites her alien friends over, which then frightens off the human female customers. A storm causes all of the alien ships to crash into the teashop, destroying it but it doesn't destroy Ryuunosuke's love of the sea.

Thoughts/Review:

Well, it seems only fitting that after the tedious Kitsune episode that we'd have one devoted to the annoying Fujinami. *_*  I gather the production team knew they didn't have much of an episode so they front-loaded it with topless female fanservice during Ataru's fantasy about southern Japanese beaches. 

Pretty much, things go as expected. Fujinami refuses to acknowledge Ryuunosuke as a girl. Ryuunosuke attracts tons of girls while Ataru and Shuutaro attracted none.  Lum gets jealous as does Shinobu. The hanajaya is a crummy place rather than something decent. Fujinami is going to frighten off the customers. The only unexpected element was Lum bringing down her alien friends but who cares about that?

Sadly, this is another "meh" episode of the series. I really wonder if this series could make it today with stories like this.

Mobile Suit Gundam - 33

機動戦士ガンダム /Kido Senshi Gundam episode 33

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Admiral Dozel would like nothing more than to take out White Base and discredit Char for good but the Tianem Federation Fleet at Luna II takes priority.  As White Base advances on Side-6, Amuro and Sayla in the G-Armor discover a Zeon mobile armor unit in the asteroids. The Braw Bro commander is unhappy when one of the crew opens fire, forcing them to go into combat even though they've not finished their work on the unit. Amuro has Gundam extracted from the G-Armor so that he and Sayla can both attack the Zeon Braw Bro.  However, during the fight, they discover they come under attack from a new source. Amuro manages to destroy part of the Braw Bro but the command module manages to get away, its commander frustrated at their mission having been thwarted.

Inspector General Cameron Bloom and an aide arrive on White Base to seal her weapon ports as fighting is prohibited in Side-6 territory. As White Base begins docking procedures, Bloom sees Mirai on the bridge and is happy to see his fiance.  Bright is not pleased by this and asks that Bloom not distract Mirai while she pilots the ship. After docking, Bloom tells Mirai that he'd sent men looking for her but since he didn't go himself, she's not happy by that. Sleggar happens by and punches Bloom for harassing Mirai since she's the "mother" of the White Base crew.  Meanwhile, Zeon commander Conscon dresses down Char for his failures in eliminating White Base and says he should be embarrassed to now serve Kycilia. After Char leaves, Char orders his aide to send Kycilia a message as Conscon wonders why Char never removes his mask.

On Side-6, Amuro, Frau Bow, the orphans, and an escort do some shopping at one of the cities inside the station. There, Amuro sees his father across the street and goes after him, catching him finally at a bus stop. His father takes Amuro to a junkyard where he now resides in one of the buildings. However, Amuro's father appears to be suffering from the after effects of oxygen deprivation and hands Amuro a piece of junk, claiming it will boost Gundam's power. When Amuro mentions meeting his mom, his father simply says that when the war is over, they will return to Earth. He then has Amuro leave and Amuro cries as he throws the junk away.  Back on White Base, Bright contacts Amuro and chastises him for wandering around alone and delaying their departure to a commercial docking facility for repairs.

As White Base leaves Side-6, escorted by Gundam, Guncannon, etc., businessman Bergamino assures Bright that the use of his facility is fine as it is officially outside of Side-6 territory and that he does business with both the Federation and Zeon. White Base is spotted by a hidden Rick Dom that reports this to Conscon, who orders 12 Rick Doms to attack. Bergamino sees his docking station take multiple hits as the Rick Doms engage Gundam while Conscon's fleet engage White Base and assault the dock. Cameron is shocked by this but races out in a shuttle to stop the fighting. Amuro destroys nine Doms and the other three are destroyed by Sleggar, Sayla, and Kai while White Base destroys a warship. Char arrives in Zanzibar and orders a cease fire so that no one hits Cameron's ship. After White Base returns to Side-6, Cameron attempts to get Mirai to leave service but she won't run from the war as he has done.

Thoughts/Review:


Well, it only took them 33 episodes to explain how one of the Side space stations work in terms of gravity and how the surface becomes Earth-like and can even support cities.  It has been hinted at in other episodes but here, time was actually spent explaining the concept.

Its sad about Amuro's father, who's clearly lost it.  I can't remember what happened to him after the attack on Side-7. I wrote that Amuro's father was trying to get the Gundam units out and told Amuro to get to safety but I didn't note what happened to him after that. I guess he must have been injured or something, considering the state he's in now.

We've returned to the, "Char, you're an idiot for letting White Base elude you all this time and I'm going to show you up" plot device. Naturally, that comes with the standard bluster from the one making the statement, the attack that the statement maker feels certain will remove Gundam and White Base, the statement maker's defeat, and then Char being vindicated. It appeared that Conscon was of higher rank than Char but it was Char who ordered the cease fire to prevent them from destroying a Side-6 craft and causing more problems for Zeon. I can't imagine Side-6 being that powerful, so aside from violating some treaty, who'd enforce said treaty?  Who'd be powerful enough to go against Zeon or the Federation?  There's got to be something I'm missing here.

Interesting that Sayla took an interest in how Amuro treats Frau Bow. I got the feeling that Sayla was speaking from a romantic sense and considering that Frau Bow and Amuro go way back to their friendship on Side-7 (where it was clear even back then that Frau Bow had a torch for Amuro), I suppose it is natural for her to think they should be a couple. Romance hasn't been a big part of the series, though there was Amuro's unrequited feelings for Matilda and Frau Bow's unrequited love for Amuro. Kai liked that Zeon spy girl Miharu. There have been indications that Bright and Mirai have feelings for each other. I've never sensed that Sayla and Amuro ever had an interest in each other beyond comrades at arms so I wonder if the writers are trying to fuel a Frau Bow-Amuro romance.

With Bergamino's commercial dock apparently destroyed and Cameron apparently working to fix things regarding White Base returning to Side-6 with broken seals on its weapons ports, I wonder if they will now be allowed to make repairs.

I understand Conscon's dislike of Bergamino and his profiteering from the war, but considering that Bergamino's base did stuff for Zeon as well as the Federation, the attack on the docking facility seems short sighted. Not only does Zeon's attack happen so close to neutral space that it could have caused problems with Side-6, it also risks alienating Zeon from other neutral businessmen. Further, why destroy the station when you can simply take it and accomplish the same thing, only with benefits?

So, an interesting episode with Mirai encountering her fiance and Amuro having a sad reunion with his father.

X-Men - 04

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

The U-Man cyborg doctor attacks Hisako, who is saved when Emma knocks her out of the way, taking the blast and then being about to deflect it. Cyborg-Doc continues in his insanity to screech about organs and to attack.  He is eventually taken down for good when Hisako kicks him off a building for Cyclops to blast and then Wolverine to destroy.  Emma apparently has a new power, which Beast describes as a secondary mutation that came because of her love for Hisako. However, there's a risk it could go out of control, something known as Daemon Hall Syndrome. Concerns noted, the group returns to Hisako's home to her happy parents and best friend.

Beast wants to take Emma back to New York for a vaccine against Daemon Hall Syndrome, something Cyclops isn't keen on. However, Wolverine reminds him that Emma underwent secondary mutation just to protect Hisako and Cyclops agrees to bring Emma with them. Hisako wants to go with Emma to New York and her parents hesitantly agree since Emma will be with their daughter.  On the flight out of Japan, the Blackbird craft of the X-Men is attacked by a mutant that begins attempting to smash the cockpit glass. Wolverine goes out and has a pitched battle with the thing, eventually defeating it and bringing it inside. "It" is a mutant boy with Daemon Hall Syndrome, whom Emma recognizes from her days with the Inner Circle.

After landing at the Xavier Institute and being greeted by Xavier, Beast has the boy brought to the infirmary but he soon dies and turns mummified. In the X-Men recreation room, Cyclops asks Emma about the boy and his time with the Inner Circle. Emma says that all they did was train him and enhance his abilities. While the Beast examines Emma, Scott and Logan play some pool. Xavier comes in and reports that he still cannot telepathically scan the Tohoku region. Xavier asks Hisako, who's waiting for Emma, if she remembers a Sasaki Institute but she does not. Emma's exams are over and though she has the same level of mutation that killed the boy, she will be OK. Emma takes Hisako to go get some food while Beast reports to Xavier. Xavier feels that with two secondary mutations coming from Tohoku and his inability to scan there, more is going on.

Thoughts/Review:

The whole "Secondary Mutation" and "Daemon Hall Syndrome" are new concepts to me.  I don't know if they are Marvel creations or not but I'm going to assume they probably are (I'm loathe to look it up lest I read something spoilerish).  Regardless, having Emma have a secondary mutation apparently gave her a new power but I've no clue what it was other than she could block the energy blasts from the Cyborg-Doc and appeared to have ice on her or something. Maybe she has some kind of ice ability to go with her surname "Frost."  *lol*  It sounds cheesy but I could see it happening since Ice Man isn't here.  Then again, would ice, even if constantly formed, be able to block an energy blast?  Probably not.

I did like the combination moves whereby Cyclops and Wolverine took over after Hisako attacked the Cyborg-Doc. Teamwork was often a hallmark of the X-Men and so it was nice to see here. 

On the other hand, Wolverine's solo fight with the mutant boy was terrible as far as I was concerned.  Madhouse appears to have performed a cost-cutting maneuver by having the scene dark and foggy so that it is nearly impossible to follow the fight.  That way, they can get away with almost anything but the results were not satisfying for this audience member.  ^_^;

So, if the U-Men have bugged out of Japan (or at least the Tohoku region), then what is causing telepathic scans to detect mutants to be blocked?  What is causing the secondary mutations? How does Mastermind ultimately fit into this equation?  These are things I guess we'll learn as the series progresses.  For now, I guess Emma and Hisako join the X-Men.

Ultimately, I was rather ambivalent about this episode. There were some mildly interesting bits and some mildly uninteresting bits.  Well, we'll see how next episode goes.

Some "Angel Beats" Love (Why not?)

Well, I'm off gallivanting with some British cousins and so I'm behind on me blogging.  That said, this does give me a perfect opportunity to share these cute, if somewhat suggestive, Angel Beats images that were sent to me by Lady D. ^_^

 

I also had this one in the archives, which I found amusing and so thought I'd share this as well.

Should be back to regular blogging tomorrow, depending on how late I get back tomorrow morning. ^_^;

Urusei Yatsura - 158

うる星やつら episode 158 (TV anime)
Urusei Yatsura Ep. 158 review


SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

It is evening and Shinobu wakes at her desk and pulling out a book, finds a letter Kitsune had left her. Meanwhile, the little fox "Kitsune" observes the summer festival before going to animal school and learning to draw what he likes, which is Shinobu. The cat teacher says that if they don't, he'll destroy whatever it is they like. This worries Kitsune a great deal, so after class, he races through the night to see the scarecrow Sanshiro to get directions to the bus. After a few failed attempts, Sanshiro finally gets Kitsune on the bus.  Kitsune tells the cat driver that his destination is Tomobiki.  The bus takes off and as morning dawns, the bus is literally flying to its destination as Kitsune is awed by what he sees.  The bus finally drops Kitsune off in an ally and he takes off for Shinobu's house.

At Tomobiki High School, Onsen-sensei is about to punish the whole class since the boys didn't do their homework, something the girls find intolerable. Meanwhile, Kitsune arrives at Shinobu's house as Cherry is fleeing, having stolen a fish. At his camp, Cherry hears the details and Kotatsu-neko agrees to help. Arriving at class, Kotatsu-neko has to battle "Hokuto-kun" before Kitsune, in a pseudo principle disguise, tells Shinobu she's in danger. The class decides to go along and Onsen-sensei can't stop it although he grips Ataru the entire time. They walk to the back ally and get on the flying bus to Kitsune's neighborhood. In the clearing where Kitsune goes to class, the teacher has already forgotten the assignment, meaning Shinobu is safe. As such, everyone attends the final evening of the festival and has fun.

Thoughts/Review:

NOOOOO!  Kitsune episodes are so dreadful to me.  *_*  This one was no exception as there was just an insane amount of time killing that had to be done for such a terrible story.  The whole first-half of the episode was dreadful and slow.  In the second half, as much time as could be wasted was wasted just so that there would be enough materials to fill a thirty minute episode. Kinda like what I'm doing with this paragraph. Notice how I'm just writing and writing but saying nothing as I fill time to get a paragraph written so that it looks like I have something to say when in fact I had nothing to say.  However, I won't stop because you see, I have a full paragraph to fill with an image, just like the anime had a full episode to fill, with whatever.  Fortunately, there were some things to interest me.

There were two cameos I noticed.  The first was an extended cameo of Kenshiro from Hokuto no Ken, better known in the U.S. as Fist of the North Star. In this anime, he was called "Hokuto-kun" rather then Kenshiro. Since Kenshiro's seiyuu, KAMIYA Akira, also does the voice for Shuutaro in the series, it is not surprising that he would do both voices.  I've only seen one episode of Fist of the North Star but the iconic image of Kenshiro and his fighting style are known to me, thus when he appeared in the classroom, I was amused.  I actually laughed when "Hokuto-kun" and Kotatsu-neko broke out into a fight with "Hokuto-kun" actually losing.  So I give the production team one there.

Many of the chase sequences are the funniest parts of Urusei Yatsura. Cherry stealing the fish and then making a fast get away, much of which was shown from a first person perspective, was marginally funny.  Things flew by at a rapid and insane manner but I did immediately spot Lupin and Jigen from Lupin III on the freeway.  Too bad their car wasn't the trademark yellow but it was close enough.  ^_^  I'm sure that there were other cameos because there was a guy with some sort of energy attack and a mobile suit, which looked like it could have come from Starship Troopers.

I think what I've described in the last two paragraphs are about a combined total of maybe five minutes of the episode, max.  That shows you how much "meh" the rest of the episode was.

Mobile Suit Gundam - 32

機動戦士ガンダム /Kido Senshi Gundam episode 32

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

A Zakrello mobile armor unit launches from the damaged Zanzibar to exact revenge for a fallen comrade in the previous battle with White Base.  Char is angry at the unauthorized launch and annoyed that he was unaware of the Zakrello unit but does not stop the pilot. He warns the officer who allowed the launch to happen that he will be court-martialed next time this happens. The Zakrello pilot is engaged by Hayato in Guntank but Guntank is no match. Amuro launches Gundam-Sky but finds his shots have no effect. Gundam-Sky takes a couple of damaging slices before Amuro manages to brandish his energy sword and puncture the units armor and engine, destroying it.

Returning to White Base, Amuro and Sleggar have a chat about Char when Sayla arrives to relieve Amuro, quietly noting to herself how everyone talks about Char. She takes a nap at the desk in the room overlooking the bay where Gundam is being repaired and remembers Char's words on taking revenge on the Zabi. Meanwhile, Char contacts Dren and orders him to take his three Musai-class warships to attack White Base while on White Base, Sayla decides to chat with Amuro. She wants to know what it takes to be a good pilot and go up against Char, something Amuro advises against. Sayla says she just wants to survive. It is then that the Swamel, Camel, and Tokmel each launch their two Rick Dom units to attack White Base.

With repairs to Gundam still ongoing, Bright has Sleggar man the spare G-Fighter. Hayato launches in Guntank and Kai in Guncannon as Amuro helps Sleggar into the fighter and has some last-second tips. Sleggar launches with something to prove as Amuro moves to assist Sayla in her launch, noting that she's been acting odd of late. The four engage the enemy with Sayla having to take command as Sleggar's actions could get them killed. The three Musai-class warships enter White Base's firing range and while White Base makes a hit on one, Bright is not happy that the gunners aren't targeting engines.  Sayla and company take out three Rick Dom's before beginning a returning to White Base to help protect it.

Gundam finally manages to launch as White Base destroys the Tokmel. Dren is worried that Gundam has not been sited on the battlefield. White Base takes a big hit but concentrates its fire on the Swamel as Gundam approaches the Camel. White Base destroys another Rick Dom unit before destroying Swamel.  The lone Rick Dom engages Gundam but can't stop it from using its energy sword to slice open Camel's bridge. The Rick Dom re-engages Gundam and Amuro loses his shield but destroys the mobile suit. He then takes an energy trident and hurls it at the damaged Camel, destroying it. On the Zanzibar, Char is disappointed that Dren wasn't able to hold out while on White Base, Bright orders a course change to the neutral Side-6 station.

Meanwhile, as the Zeons were engaged with White Base, the Federation launches a fleet on a direct course to Luna II.

Thoughts/Review:
 
Maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't remember gravity being an issue for White Base early on in the series when they were in space. This episode, a point is made of at times showing that there's no gravity on the bridge or the hall leaving the bridge and that the observation desk room overlooking the giant bay where Gundam is has no gravity, nor does the bay itself. I don't know if the production team suddenly thought of that or if they decided it wasn't obvious enough.  While I don't object to a no-gravity environment in White Base, what technology allowed them to hover in Earth's gravity?  It seemed like anti-gravity to me and if they had anti-gravity, then they should have artificial gravity.

Sorry, but Guntank as a space weapon looks awful and a fail and a half. It just doesn't belong in space and wouldn't seemingly have much maneuverability. Naturally, they have Hayato magically move out of the way of incoming fire but it just doesn't seem natural at all. Not sure why regular mobile suits don't bother me as much.

On the other hand, using Gundam with the jet-half attached kinda worked for me.  I'm not exactly sure why, but while it looked odd, its faster speed with the Gundam top-half's ability to aim a gun in any direction is what I think appealed to me.

Well, a character from earlier in the series is now gone.  Dren had been in for a long time and I didn't think he'd bite it here but when it happened, I wasn't surprised. That's what happens when characters are routinely killed off. Makes the series certainly have a more realistic feel and it is nice to know that from episode to episode, one doesn't know who might buy it and who might survive.

Speaking of which, I did think Sleggar might die in this episode after he didn't get to talk to Sayla like he wanted, combined with his reckless behavior in combat. He didn't die so I guess he's around for a bit.

With White Base heading for Side-6, Mirai must be worried about running into her estranged fiance. A bigger question for me is what will Char do now that White Base is going to neutral territory?  With him so obsessed with White Base, does the Federation get their fleet to Luna II without Char knowing about it?  Does Char take the Zanzibar to Side-6 even though combat there is forbidden?  Considering how this is an action series, it doesn't seem likely that the series will take an episode off, even to do some character work for Mirai (assuming she and her fiance run into each other).

So, an entertaining episode with White Base and crew getting better and better.

X-Men in Japan Circa 1983 -- Wolverine's Wedding and the Seeds of My Love of Japanese Honorifics, Terms, and Culture

A few days ago, I wrote a piece on the 1982 4-issue comic strip series called Wolverine, which the recent anime series used as a foundation for their own story.  Considering how different the comic and anime stories end, combined with the current X-Men anime series which sees the villain character Mastermind lurking around, I thought I would take a second exception to my normal anime/manga blogging and write a piece on the 1983 2-issue Uncanny X-Men sequel to the Wolverine series.  Again, I'm thinking many readers of the blog are unaware of the X-Men's involvement with Japan (and this isn't the first time) and may not be aware of some of Mastermind's ties with Japan.  So, I give you issues #172 and #173 of the Uncanny X-Men for review.

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

With Logan having defeated Shigen and Yukio having killed Mariko's husband, Mariko and Logan get engaged and invite the current X-Men team (Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Kitty Pride with the mini dragon Lockheed, and new member Rogue) to Japan well in advance of the wedding. Since Rogue had been a former foe of X-Men combined with what she did to X-Men member Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel at the time), Logan doesn't trust her but Mariko welcomes Rogue into their home. However, the Yashida estate is being watched by Silver Samurai and he's being watched by Yukio, who attacks him. Logan hears this, so he and Nightcrawler head out to investigate.

Logan engages Silver Samurai to help Yukio and after they exchange pleasantries, Silver Samurai manages to toss Logan off of the roof of the building they are on.  Nightcrawler saves Logan by teleporting him to safety. Silver Samurai has escaped and Yukio takes off, only to have an accident herself and nearly fall to her death except that Storm is there to save her. Storm finds Yukio's carefree attitude amusing.

Meanwhile, Mariko receives word that her half-brother, Silver Samurai, wants a meeting. Silver Samurai's boss, Viper, infiltrates the Yashida estate and disguises herself as one of the servants, poisoning the drinks. Logan detects it before Storm drinks her tea but the others are out, including himself. Yukio replaces Mariko's limo driver to take her to the meeting.  At the meeting, Silver Samurai, Viper, and the elderly Oyabun of a rival yakuza clan are there. Silver Samurai states that Shigen promised him the role of head of the Yashida Clan but Mariko rejects this. Incensed, Silver Samurai attacks and when Mariko demands the Oyabun keep his part of the agreement for safe passage, the man states that his agreement was to Mariko, not the person talking to him.

Yukio reveals that she had been impersonating Mariko and as she and Silver Samurai clash, Viper races to Mariko's limo figuring Mariko to be there. Instead, Storm is waiting and blasts Viper with a massive gust of wind, slamming her into a wall and knocking her out. Storm had not intended for that to happen but as she witnesses Yukio's fight with Silver Samurai, she tries to help by blasting him with lightning. Her power is too great and she nearly kills him, forcing her to take the lightning back into herself. Lighting shoots everywhere and Yukio uses Mariko's kimono to wrap up Storm and get the two into the water as the warehouse explodes.

Yukio gets Storm to safety while Silver Samurai emerges from the flames to help the injured Viper and vows to make Mariko pay. Logan, who's now recovered in a secluded wing of a local hospital, dons his Wolverine costume. Rogue has also recovered and though Wolverine doesn't trust her, he allows her to go with him on the hunt for the Oyabun Nabatone, who'd arranged for the meeting with Mariko. The plan is to find the Oyabun, then find Viper, which will lead to Silver Samurai.

Meanwhile, Yukio finds she's been marked for death by the Oyabun and so she and Storm have no shelter. They come under attack by thugs out to get paid for taking Yukio out but Yukio and Storm defeat them.  Yukio's carefree attitude, even in the face of death, causes Storm to "embrace the madness" and go with the flow.

Wolverine and Rogue track down the Oyabun at his estate but discover he has been dead for more than a week. Since Mariko had supposedly seen the Oyabun earlier and the Oyabun had arranged the meeting between her and Silver Samurai, Wolverine is angry that they've been tricked as Silver Samurai now has an open shot on Mariko. Rogue flies them back to the hospital just in time as Viper leads some ninja who kill Mariko's guards in the wing where the rest of the X-Men are recovering. Rogue takes on all the ninja while Viper escapes.

Elsewhere, Wolverine encounters Silver Samurai and the two fight. Wolverine beats Silver Samurai badly but is prevented from killing him by Mariko.  Viper arrives and is horrified to see what has happened to Silver Samurai. She attempts to blast Wolverine and Mariko with her beam gun but Rogue takes the blast instead, using her stolen invulnerability powers. The gun eventually shatters from continuous use at Rogue so Viper teleports away with the injured Silver Samurai. Wolverine, in appreciation to Rogue for saving Mariko's life, kisses Rogue so that his healing factor ability saves her life.

The wedding approaches and other former X-Men and allies arrive in Japan. Storm, having shed herself of her "goddess" mentality, now sports a mohawk and wears leather pants and top. Mastermind, who'd been disguised as the Oyabun, implants a suggestion in Mariko's mind so that on the day of her wedding to Logan, she rejects the unworthy gaijin instead.

Thoughts/Review: 

I have a very special connection with these two issues of Uncanny X-Men.  I actually started reading the comic book series with issue #170. However, it was this story in Japan (and the continuing story of Mastermind manipulating the X-Men into thinking that Dark Phoenix had risen again in the form of Scott Summers current girlfriend Madelyne Pryor) that not only gave me a love of the X-Men as a title and group, but also implanted seeds that would affect me greatly some twenty years later when I began my journey as an anime and manga fan.  What were those seed?  A respect of Japanese culture in Western literature, starting with Japanese honorifics but also working with appropriate Japanese terms when applicable.

Back then, my 13-year old self had no clue what "Logan-sama" meant nor "Mariko-san" (as examples).  I didn't know what "gaijin" meant either and I certainly wasn't "pronouncing" it correctly in my mind as I read the term nor any other Japanese term used.  However, I could tell that "gaijin" was an insult of some kind and that "-sama" and "-san" were important ways of addressing Japanese people even if I didn't understand exactly how they were significant.  Marvel should have had a page defining terms and such but Chris Claremont's story was allowed to carry things in such a way that the extensive usage of Japanese terms and honorifics wasn't a hindrance, even if not properly defined.

Regardless, this became a favorite story arc of mine and I can't tell you how many times I reread these specific comics, starting with the trip to Japan and through to Scott's own wedding.  In an odd way, this prepared me for my own 2-year stint in Japan by having the seeds of how honor and respect were so important to the Japanese people.  As such, I had no problems adapting to life in Japan and as you guys know, Japan is still a big part of me and a part of me is still in Japan.

Anyway, when I became a fan of anime and manga and started switching from watching anime in English to watching it in Japanese with subtitles, the seeds these two comic books planted further germinated so that as I became more conscious of Japanese honorific usage being ignored or force-translated, the more irritated I became about it.  It wasn't until a few years later when I bought and read the graphic novel X-Men: From The Ashes, which also covers issues #172 and #173, that I realized why I was so angry with Western publishers of anime and manga for rejecting Japanese honorifics and often downplaying Japanese culture aspects.  After all, if Marvel Comics could be so hardcore when it came to Japanese honorifics, terms, and culture in 1983 (and actually earlier, as I mentioned in the 1982 Wolverine comic review) and the result was a very popular story, then why were Western publishers in 2002 so afraid when fansubbers and scanlators were not?  Why are so many STILL afraid today?

Now that I'm done ranting, onto the actual story review.

When the Wolverine anime came out, I was really hoping Silver Samurai would be a part of that because of my experiences with the character in these two comic books. Silver Samurai wasn't just a typical villain. He truly believed himself to have been wronged when Mariko took over as head of the Yashida clan.  He was extremely loyal to Viper. To me, he would have been a better choice of opponent in the Wolverine anime than Kikyo was.  Plus, he had a family connection to Mariko and Shigen which would have been more interesting to pursue IMO.

Mariko's rejection of Logan served as a means by which Chris Claremont could get Wolverine back into the active X-Men rather than be stuck in Japan enjoying the good life.  Issue #175 dealt with the aftermath of this story by having Logan return the sword Mariko had given him at the end of the Wolverine comic book series and though Mastermind's plot was revealed and Mariko again found her love for Logan, sadly the two would never marry from what I understand.  I'd hoped for something similar in the Wolverine anime but alas, those writers went for a completely different kind of tragedy which didn't set well with me. 

This is also where Storm went from being a "meh" character to actually being a real leader and fighter.  I never really knew the character of Storm prior to her transformation here.  Later, when I went back and back-collected many older X-Men comics to get more of the stories prior to when I started collecting the comic book, her transformation took on more significance to me but at this point in time when I didn't know that history, Storm was just a bottom kicking, take no prisoners leader of X-Men and certainly not wishy-washy like Cyclops could be.

Finally, there's Mastermind.  I don't know if the current X-Men anime will have Mastermind be an illusionist or not. I'm guessing they will based on how we've seen him to date.  Assuming he is an illusionist, I'm guessing he will do things in the anime that he did here, namely disguise himself as other people and manipulate the situations as best he can to force the X-Men into some sort of trap.  I was never really a fan of the character, but I do admit that his character certainly helped this story be interesting.

As I said, this part of the Uncanny X-Men has a special place with me on a number of levels.   If you've never read this part of the history the X-Men have with Japan, you can buy the Wolverine graphic novel or the X-Men: From the Ashes graphic novel.  I recommend both to get full stories.  ^_^

RIN-NE Manga Volume 05 Review

境界のRINNE/Kyōkai no RINNE

BUY RIN-NE Volume 05 FROM RIGHTSTUF! ^_^


SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Ageha discovers her older sister is dating the head of the Damashigami company and that he is also Rinne's father. She's angry and feels betrayed and attacks Rinne while his father and her sister sneak off.  Going in pursuit, Ageha falls for every damashigami trick but doesn't want Rinne's help. Rinne is about to give up on her when she's attacked by a giant damashigami that she can't handle. Rinne saves her and she's grateful, gripping him from behind. Sakura sees this and naturally assumes there's something romantic going on between them.

Ageha makes a giant bento for Rinne, further causing Sakura to believe that Rinne and Ageha are a couple now despite Rinne's protests. However, the lunch is possessed with a spirit that looks like an octopus-shaped mini sausage. Rinne is thinking of how he'd really like to be alone with Sakura and the thing grants his wish. After Rinne gives his third wish, it will take his soul. Rinne wants it to shut up (wish 2) and talks to Sakura to explain things but she appears not to care. Outside, Ageha and Tsubasa are frantic to get back into the classroom and eventually she makes it and attacks the spirit.

Sakura and Tsubasa hear talk of tracked library shelves that will no longer move. They find the spirit of a grand champion tosa dog there. Further investigation leads to the ghost of a dead female student, whom Ageha finds. It turns out she had placed a love note for a boy who was in love with another girl into a book but then was killed in an accident and never retrieved the note. The dog, who's still alive, had been sent to find the book but not being able to find it, its spirit guarded the place instead. With the note found and destroyed, the girl passes on.

Injured track star Shu has a request for Rinne to help his kohai Riku, who has taken over for Shu on the track but now suddenly is tripping all the time. Riku is frustrated, more so because he blames himself for Shu's injury, having tossed a banana peel aside which Shu tripped on. Rinne discovers that Riku's tripping is due to Shu's spirit gripping Riku's ankle and lamenting having slipped. Shu is unaware of his spirit doing this so Rinne and Sakura come up with a plan to have Shu's spirit race Riku. They do and Riku wins but Shu's spirit doesn't return.  Further investigation reveals that Riku's spirit has been haunting Shu, filled with regret over the accident, which Rinne gets them to resolve.

In the final story, Tsubasa finds his spirit stone, buried under the Haunted Tree to gain power, has become corrupted. The ghost of a boy named Yota, with a giant yo-yo, is there. Sakura remembers him and at the mention of her name, Yota turns angry and attacks, forcing Rinne to get involved. Turns out that when Yota was alive, he used a yo-yo to do tricks and try to lift girl's skirts. However, Sakura was better than him at the yo-yo and could thwart him at every turn. Rinne expels the evil spirit affecting Yota's ghost and purges it. Sakura sees Yota still at the tree and discovers her old yo-yo buried there. When she tells the regretful Yota that she'll give it to Sakura, he departs for the other side.

Thoughts/Review:

While I've liked Sakura for mostly being a steady character not given to emotional outbursts, I seriously dislike Takahashi-sensei's having Sakura's character purposefully assume things and hear what she wants to hear when it comes to Rinne and other girls, especially Ageha.  Naturally, explanations don't work because Sakura only sees and hears what she wants to in order to fit into her assumptions, in this case that Rinne and Ageha are a couple. I don't like that at all, no sir.  However, I guess this was the only way Takahashi-sensei could get her much beloved, multi-layered love triangles into the story.  *_*

As to the stories themselves, they are fine and entertaining for what they are worth.  However, I wouldn't want to live in whatever town/city Rinne and Sakura live in, or at least have children there.  Seriously, how many dead students has Rinne and company run into since this series started?  All of the accidents and whatever else that's slaughtering all these kids must mean this area that they live in is a death trap.  I guess Takahashi-sensei must have sensed that all of the student ghosts were a bit much so she had the two male students have their spirits leave their bodies without their bodies knowing it for a change of pace.  ^_^;;;

While this manga series isn't anything to write home about, I plan to continue reading it and supporting Viz here, especially since they are adapting it the way I like -- full Japanese honorific usage (well, save for the brother/sister honorifics but I guess we can't have everything). 

Urusei Yatsura - 157

うる星やつら episode 157 (TV anime)
Urusei Yatsura Ep. 157 review


SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

A hospitalized teen girl named Nozomi sees a boy running down the street daily and though she does not know his name, she dreams of him and his energetic, cheerful way and wants to speak with him if only once. She knits a muffler, gloves, cap, leg warmers, and starts working on a sweater and learns his name is Ataru. However, she dies several months later at Christmas. The following summer, Nozomi's mother needs Sakura-sensei's help as Nozomi's spirit can't go to heaven until she has a date with Ataru. Sakura-sensei arranges it and though Lum initially does not approve, reading the girl's diary changes her mind. When Nozomi's ghost appears, she's able to give Ataru her gifts and despite the heat, he wears them all, including the unfinished sweater, pleasing Nozomi a great deal.

Ataru and Nozomi go on their date, Ataru still wearing her knitted items and she dressed in her hospital attire, trailed by Sakura-sensei, Cherry, and Lum. However, Ataru's cheerful, flirty attitude is making Lum jealous so when they pass Megane and company and she hears them discussing her dumping Lum, she fries them in frustration. Nozomi, having been stuck in the hospital for years, is very happy to ride a train, walk in a crowd, take an elevator up a tall building, etc. Sakura has to remind Lum to be patient as they go to see a horror movie and then go to an amusement park. Nozomi's final wish was to be with Ataru in the snow but the fireworks are close enough and she goes to heaven after taking his arm. Despite the heat, Ataru leaves, still wearing Nozomi's outfit.

Sometime later, Nozomi's mother heads to the sea-side graveyard at the top of a hill as Ataru and Lum depart it. She finds that they have left flowers and incense at Nozomi's grave and so turns to where they have departed and bows in thanks for all they did for her daughter. Ataru walks on the beach with Lum hovering alongside. No longer jealous, Lum is proud of Ataru and tells him he is a kind person. Ataru tells her he is always kind and that he didn't want Nozomi's dream to go unfulfilled.  Ataru has a terrible itch and so Lum decides to help him scratch it. The two have a flirty, couple-like time of her scratching him and him laughing at being tickled by her.  Lum wonders if she should turn into a ghost (so that Ataru will pay as much attention to her as he did to Nozomi), which is an idea Ataru finds foolish.

Thoughts/Review:

Man, could this episode have started out any more depressing? Seriously, the second you see the teen girl in the hospital in a room that has been well-lived-in and she's knitting to boot, that is an AUTOMATIC DEATH FLAG! Ugh. I've grown to hate this plot device but I admit that it almost always works to pull on the heart strings.Having such a sad story combined with the wacky humor Urusei Yatsura is know for at times was really an odd combination. One moment it was "fight the tears" and the next was laughter followed by more "fight the tears!"  That's how it was for the whole episode and frankly, I loved every second of this emotional roller coaster of an episode. I also loved the ending with Ataru and Lum seeming like a real couple enjoying each others' company.

There was only ONE bad moment and I have to think it was because the story came in just a tad short on time and needed a little filler.  While they were in the theater watching the horror movie, Cherry, who'd been pretty tolerable as a character unlike his normal appearances, briefly got to be his annoying self by loudly munching on rice crackers. Two thugs sitting behind him brandish a gun and a dagger and tell him to shut up, so he turns his head 180º like was done in the horror movie and the two thugs freak out. One starts shooting his gun all over and the other can't brandish his long dagger from its sheath.  It was not only unfunny, but it was so out of place considering how the rest of the episode went in terms of humor, sadness, and overall story. 

Other than that one scene, this was a great episode, perfectly melding the wacky humor with the tragic story of Nozomi.