Check-in Station: AniWednesday? (BlazBlue, Ars Nova, Ms. MONOCHROME, & Tokyo Ravens)

Alright!  I’m gonna do something a tad different this time.  I’m gonna squeeze a bunch of shows into one not-so-big post.  I’ve been told to give a few shows a fair shot, and this is how I’ll do it.  After this, there shouldn’t be much else I haven’t tried aside from the Noitamina shows.  Her we go!  BlazBlue, Walkure Romance, Ms. MONOCHROME, Tokyo Ravens and Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Ars Nova!

And then sleep!

BlazBlue: Alter Memory

Episode 1

AHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! I have no idea what’s going on! And the show just doesn’t give a sh*t!  Normally that would make me say that this is a terrible show from jump, but given that BlazBlue is an anime based on a game that’s very anime, I can see how things could get a little weird.  I can also understand how something like this may be hard to translate back into the format that inspired it.  BlazBlue is a fighting game after all.  And there’s a lot of crazy stuff thrown in together to make up the semblance of a coherent story.  So when you have to figure out how best to bring a bunch of everyone’s favorite characters together, the actual execution can be a bit of a mess.  Hell, the Street Fighter cartoon is a good enough example of how padded and ridiculous this kinda thing can get.  So…

Moving on to what I actually watched.  I can’t say I have much to say.  It was really an elongated introduction to a bunch of characters more often than not seem like typical anime character archetypes.  The only other things that really were interspersed throughout this episode were pretty cool action sequences and (yay), and recurring flashback scenes to the hero’s tragic childhood (BOOOOO).  I will say this though, of all the anime I’ve watched this year.  This is the most anime.  Take that for what you will.  I suppose I’ll keep watching this.  Though I can’t really justify why.

NEXT!

Walkure Romanze

Episode 1

Yeah, I was trying to give the show a fair shot, until this happened.

#WalkureRomanze 1: Oh ok cool. A show about jousting. That could be interestAAAAAAAAAAAAND the horse is ripping the girl's clothes off.

— Doctor🎤 (@ssaapodcast) October 9, 2013

I’m done, good day.

Tokyo Ravens

Episode 1

OY!  I think this show wants me to pay attention to it!  I suppose I better do the usual thing where I focus and take notes.  Where’s my tea…?  * steps into kitchen, returns 10 minutes later*  Mmm!  Earl grey.  *ahem*

Well this certainly seems to be a quality show!  It does all the things I’d expect, laying the ground work for the story, setting and characters .  It really does give you the feeling that each and every encounter will be important later.

What seems to be going on is that our main protagonist, Harutora Tsuchimikado,  is living a somewhat lazy, carefree life in the country with his two friends Touji Ato (he’s a cool guy), and Hakuto.  The problem is that he’s living this life in the shadow of his family and talent.  Hakuto is constantly badgering him about making the choice to be a professional/licensed shaman.  Though Harutaora’s excuse is that he has no talent for it, after all, he says he can’t even see spirits.  His obliviousness to her desires (for his body and for his future) are a constant source of disagreeable conversations between the two.  There’s also the desires of his relative and childhood friend, Natsume, who he when he comes across wastes no time also getting into an argument with him, but also telling him that she’s lonely taking up the mantle for their family alone.  Though all of these petty worries come to a screeching halt when one of the twelve shaman generals from Tokyo shows up to snatch him up.  Though it appears she’s doing so against the best wishes of the state.

This was an enjoyable watch.  I can’t say I have high hopes for his show just yet, but I like what I see and how it’s being presented so far.  Unlike some other shows, it’s at least showing its best face for its debut, with very smooth high quality animation, though I’m no fan of the CG.  CG used for the giant hummer the government stooges were using?  Really?  I guess everything not human, but moving is going to get the CG treatment.  And like I said, I’m very fond of the pacing of this show as well, as it gave us time to at least get to know the main character, his predicament and his friends somewhat during the course of the episode.  And though I’m no fan of repeated flashback sequences to a character’s hidden past, at least it’s not something so dire and such a roadblock to the understanding of the story that I can’t grasp the show fully without it.  I just hope it’s not repeated three to four times every episode.  Please spare me that labor.

When it comes to the world this show is taking place in, it’s the standard manga type of world that seems to revolve around one magic thing, in this show’s case – MAGIC.  And it appropriately warps the world and its problems around it.  Right now, the show hasn’t taken the slightest peek at the outside world, and that doesn’t seem to be very important at the moment anyway.  For now, the show is pointed squarely at Tokyo.  It’s portrayed as a busy, important and dangerous place.  We can tell this by the scene shown on the news where a group of powerful shaman take down an evil tree (I think).  It appears to be something that’s almost a normal occurrence, like a bank heist or a high speed chase on the highway.  So at the very least, I find the world interesting, while I still need the appropriate amount of time for the characters to do the same.

I’m quite interested to see where this show goes from here.  The first episode has done well enough to make me think I’ll pick this show up weekly.

Note: what the hell was up with that omake at the end?!  What the hell??!  That was actually pretty funny, though it does make me a little nervous to see a little demon person sharpening their knife and practicing their stabs…!

NEXT!

Arpeggio of Blue Steel – Ars Nova

Episode 1

Damn!  Another interesting show to watch.  And here I thought it would be OK to completely dismiss this show based on it being all 3D animation and the silly idea of embodied battleships as bishoujo.  But deep down, I think I’m liking the naval tactics, the mystery and scandal.  Plus I kinda love the idea of this lone ship with this crew of junior officers taking on the world.

The world of Ars Nova (that’s what I’m calling it from now on) is an isolated defeated world.  By this point in the 21st century, global climate change has already stricken man of some of its precous land, and not long after, this mysterious alien force of ships has taken the seas from humanity and isolated the nations of the world through the near complete destruction of humanity’s ability to communicate with itself electronically.  Yup.  That means they’ve stuffed our precious internet.  DAMN YOU MONSTERS!  DAMN YOU!

Seven years ago in the story’s time, mankind lost a final massive navy battle against the Fleet of Fog (really guys, that’s the best you got?) and this was when mankind was effectively sealed off from itself.  For an island nation like Japan, this is especially bad.  But it appears something good did happen during that battle for humanity.  After that battle, one of the Fog ships simply showed up and docked at a Japanese port, effectively surrendering to Japan.  But during this time none of the military or science personnel have been able to crack its electronics or take it apart.  All its secrets remained intact until a junior officer named Gunzou Chihaya made contact with it, effectively starting their whole journey.  Now the two of them, and Gunzou’s friends from the academy travel the seas taking jobs and fighting the Fleet of Fog, all while evading the humans that consider them traitors.

It’s been two years and now they’ve been given a job by the Japanese government to deliver a valuable weapon to the Americans, that if it can be mass-produced may give the humans a chance in a new war. But good luck with that as the Fleet of Fog has its own ships embodied by bishoujo that already know where they’re headed and what they’re up to.

Damn it, I like this show.  It’s a distant connection, but it gives me a bit of a Full Metal Panic vibe.  And I find myself surprisingly adjusting to the CG animation despite years of b*tching about the thing in anime.  Now of course I have issues.  I find Gunzou’s quick acceptance of Iona and the decision to take flight a little quick.  When it comes to characters and character development, I’m not sure if much of that was a priority this first issue as opposed to explaining the world it takes place in at the moment.  But then again, there is only twenty plus minutes to tell as much story as possible in this episode, so I can’t be too harsh.  I’ll be looking forward to seeing where this goes.  And if it turns out to be terribly boring or stupid, I can just laugh at my comments in this post.

NEXT!

Ms. MONOCHROME

Episode 2

Yeah.  I’m still watching this.  I don’t know why.  And I’m worried that I’m not going to have anything to say about any of the episodes.  Then again, all that’s happened is the little vocaloid has lost an obcene amount of monty, moved into a crappy apartment, got a crappy job, and lost her pet.  And you know what?  None of this is significant.  And do you know why?  She’s a robot, so she doesn’t need money, food, a big apartment or a job.  Also, the stupid roomba isn’t dead, just short of battery.  She prematurely buried the thing.  She’s a monster!

I’m insane for watching this past the first episode, aren’t I?

OK, not a bad day of anime watching.  This may be my way of keeping up with anime I’m less interested in, or testing out.   And through this, I’ve discovered that I’m likely going to keep watching Tokyo Ravens and Ars Nova for a bit longer.  I suppose the five episode test is fair.  For now,  I’m just happy to get some anime out of the way, and to be surprisingly entertained.  Now I can take a break and watch shows like Coppelion, KILL LA KILL and Hajime no Ippo on the weekend.

Further Reading:

• Ms Monochrome ep1