Sunday, May 23, 2010

Working!!



Working!!'s opening theme brings back memories of Azumanga Daioh! and the anime isn't far off in content.

If you are new to anime or japanese culture, here is a good introduction to something you see in anime all the time: family restaurants. Similar to Denny's or Shari's in the USA, the family restaurant or "famiresu" as its shortened is a community staple as common as the "combini" (short for convenience store, like 7-11 or AM/PM). Famiresu is your regular sit-down restaurant that serves the same sort of menu no matter which one you walk into.

I hope you don't mind famiresu, because this anime spends most of its time focusing on the staff that work at one called Wagnaria. During the first episode we meet a bubbly worker who is tasked to recruit a new part-timer and manages to bring a level-headed middle school student who is charmed and obviously doesn't mind picking up work on the fly. We meet the other staff members and soon get an idea of what bizarre events are in store for the new worker. I won't spoil what his other coworkers are like, but do want to mention that we aren't stuck with a dull and plain main character at the mercy of his opportunistic, abusive and fickle coworkers. We can see soon enough that we aren't dealing with the run of the mill young man.

We also get a few episodes where the pace is switched up and we get a peek at his family life and story lines that can only happen in this anime because of the unique set of characters. After a few episodes, you might be tempted to look forward to this upbeat, sometimes zany and always grounded anime that uncovers what goes on behind the scenes after a customer orders a B set lunch and milk tea.

Recommendations:

  • Hatarakiman >>...there is working, but it's about a career-ambitious salary woman journalist who fights the urge to strangle her undeserving male coworker while deadlines and stress spread humor and dispair like only a salary job can
  • Azumanga Daiou >>...a little more zany, but it's got daily life stuff
  • Wagaya no Oinarisama >>...this anime has a level-headed young man keeping everything in life in check even after the introduction of gods, demon attacks, his appointment as a clan head and a fox demon that drives up the mischief quotient
  • xxxHolic >>...don't be scared by the title, this anime is kept at ground level by an overreacting main character that manages to keep his kind spirit in harmony with otherworldly encounters and a demanding mystical employer that loves sake and homecooked meals
Video Sample:



Do you plan to watch Working!!?


See the description for Working!! on AnimeDB.net >>

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Durarara!!



Durarara!! has resuscitated an otherwise comatose few months of anime. It provided mystery, intrigue, excitement, action, all grounded with substantial characters that drove each episode in their own ways.

In the beginning, there is a lot of flipping around to different storylines and the questions just start piling up. What is this chatroom about? Whoa, what's going on here? Who are all these people? Okay, what's this high schooler's story? Now we are following these other people? This guy is dangerous. This other guy's even more dangerous.

Later on my thoughts were all about connecting the dots, and it just seems to get better from there. Characters start to shine, layers of story fall together creating the big picture, you get interested in what's going to happen in the next episode. And the realization that you now know the large number of characters in the opening theme.

Does it get boring after that? Don't worry, there is a new opening theme later on, with plenty of new faces to shake every character's world a little.

If you've seen Baccano, just be pleased that you are being treated to second serving from the same group. If you've seen anime, listen closely for some fun references from the otaku characters. If you are a restless high schooler looking for the something that will change your life...you can live through Mikado.

Favorite characters so far are the smooth-talking best friend and the bursting-with-emotion black rider. But there are still quite a few mysteries, and a few new ones introduced in the mix. I can count on this anime to give things a little spin.

Watch 2 or 3 episodes, so it can set the roots for this anime that has fun waiting behind every turn, before you decide to run with Durarara!!!.

I really like the ending theme, so I might put that in the sidebar soon.

Recommendations:

  • Baccano >>...an obvious must if you like intertangled stories of a dozen characters colliding and congealing with a splashy violent jazz era backdrop
  • Black Lagoon >>...organized gangs bump shoulders in a city full of criminals with comedic violence in chaotic finishes
Video Sample:



Do you plan to watch Durarara!!?


See the description for Durarara!!! on AnimeDB.net >>

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Konnichiwa Anne (Before Green Gables)

Konnichiwa Anne (Before Green Gables)

Konnichiwa Anne (Before Green Gables) is a prequel to the story of Anne of Green Gables. I haven't read anything from the series. This prequel stands alone just fine. There aren't any unanswered questions that leave you wondering. You share Anne's experiences: her daily routine, the daily wonders she sees through her imagination, and her encounters with people.

The story introduces us to an adopted orphan with red hair, who brings life to her grueling chores by escaping through imagination. She does the laundry, prepares food, cleans, and takes care of the reckless and useless children of the family who tease and make trouble for her. The couple that adopted her have their own share of problems that affect Anne heavily. Early off she is used as a scapegoat for their mistakes as they try to shake off poverty with a too-often-drunk father at the helm. Even though they are in the poor house, the series doesn't try to depress you, but show the hope that Anne brings to this family and many others.

Watch this if you are tired of anime main characters that are spoiled, jaded, and cynical.

Recommendations:

  • Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi >>...a child and her parents stumble into a strange empty town where the spirits fill the streets after the sun sets, leaving her to muster the strength to win back her parents and freedom
  • Kemono no Soujo Erin...challenges and heartbreak only make Erin stronger as she grows and learns to become a caretaker of beasts that reign the waters and the skies >>
  • Les Miserables Shoujo Cosette...when abuse and struggles keep a young girl wishing to see her mother's face, a mysterious man with a troubled past comes to her aid, and they begin to run from the law >>
Video Sample:



A special treat, compare the opening scene with the 1979 series Akage no Anne, based on Anne of Green Gables (to which the above anime is a prequel):
Watch the opening theme for Akage no Anne
(Embedding the video isn't possible.)

After seeing some of Before Green Gables, I'm interested in checking out the 1979 series, Akage no Anne >>, too.

Do you plan to watch Konnichiwa Anne (Before Green Gables)?


See the description for Konnichiwa Anne (Before Green Gables) on AnimeDB.net >>

Friday, January 15, 2010

Aoi Bungaku (Evergreen Literature)

Aoi Bungaku (Evergreen Literature)

Aoi Bungaku is the anime I was waiting all last season for and had somehow overlooked. I picked it up after the season ended, and was taken by surprise. At first I met a fellow who appeared to be hanging out afterhours in a library, and he began to speak of famous japanese authors and their works, a bit of their personal history, and some observations to spark intrigue and curiosity before the animated part of the episode began. I can't say I've read any of these stories or their translations, but hearing this guy's intro really put my mind in a hungry mood. I wanted to think about the story and what the author's life had brought to it.

Don't think this anime will bore you. There is plenty of good animation to keep you satisfied and a few unanswered questions to keep your brain hungry for the next episode. The series covers a few stories, written by different authors. A single story may take two to four episodes. The first story spans four and gives you a taste of what the anime can provide that most of the other anime this season cannot. For the mind, there are deaths, twisted happenings, and inner turmoils. For the eyes, the stories seem to use different anime styles that bend and flex to accent the story or access it from a different perspective. By the second story, you'll see that this anime has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. Though each story stands alone, we have the host to guide us through an animated tour of some of Japan's famous works.

I'm currently nine episodes in, but after the first, I realized I had almost missed out on a great series. If the first four episodes, you are still unsure, try that 5th episode which begins the second story and it might get you hooked. Leave the high school dramas and slapstick actions behind and delve into a series that has anime chops to draw you in, and literary classics that will entice you to have more.

Recommendations:

  • Himitsu: The Revelation...peering inside criminal minds and the minds of victims, the team called Section 9 suffers more than just sleepless nights >>
  • Genji Monogatari Sennenki >>...this take on the Tale of Genji brings to light the sadness and tragedy of a character that was dazzling and loved by many women
  • Bokurano...it's easy to be dazzled by the giant robot, but what really shines is the character struggles that lead up to the deaths of each controller as each chair is emptied >>
  • Jigoku Shoujo: Futakomori...the outcome is being ferried to hell, how the characters' grudges came to grow and grow until the cursed red string is pulled is worth the watch >>

Video Sample:



Do you plan to watch Aoi Bungaku?


See the description for Aoi Bungaku on AnimeDB.net >>

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