mllelaurel

Remember the thing I used to do, where I would watch anime and do little capsule reviews as I went?

Remember how I stopped doing it for about a year, cause I was all anime'd out?

As some of you may know, the reawakening of my obsession with Shoujo Kakumei Utena triggered my interest in anime once again. With that in mind, I once again went on a downloading spree, in search of new series to love. Here's what we have so far.


Simoun
I'm of two minds about this series. On one hand, the world it's set in is both original and fascinating. Most of the characters are nuanced, interesting and real. They're people I want to know more about and perhaps people I'd want to meet in real life.

Most of them.

Which is where the main problem comes in. Thirteen episodes into the series, I find myself wanting to punch Aeru every time she opens her mouth, just about. Her brashness is neither pragmatic not endearingly tactless. Instead, it comes off as thoughtless and selfish. She seems aware that other people have feelings but either has no concept of her own ability to affect them or just plain doesn't give a shit.

Now, considering how the other characters react to her, I'd pretty sure the writers are aware of how frustrating Aeru is. And episode thirteen did hint subtly that she might have some trauma of her own, which made her the way she is.

Unfortunately, Aeru is written as the main character, yet we know less about her past and motivations than we do about just about any of the others. Even more unfortunately, I've read enough spoilers to know she and Neviril are going to end up together. I like Neviril. I feel for her, and the idea of her ending up with the brat if things don't change rapidly actively hurts my brain.

It's funny. My reactions are almost those of a rabid shipper. Except that I would rather see Neviril paired up with practically any of the others, instead of a particular one.

My other complaint is with the fanservice. Not the ever-prevalent yuri themes, I might add - those are fitted seamlessly into how society and magic (?) work in this story. The characters' outfits, on the other hand...

Tell me, if you were piloting a presumably unheated flying machine, would you wear what looks like lingerie? With garters? Not only is that chilly, but I can't help thinking something's going to catch on something else at the worst time possible.

I'll probably keep watching Simoun - for the worldbuilding, and for most of the characters. I'm just going to need a break in-between episodes, if Aeru keeps making me foam at the mouth. And hey, it's possible we'll get her background info in the next episode. It's even possible she'll grow as a person. 'Hope springs eternal' seems to be my mantra with annoying characters, and if I can apply it to Gwen Cooper, I can bloody well apply it here.



Maria-sama ga Miteru
I've only seen two episodes of this series, but what I've seen so far is cute; a kind of endearing palate cleanser after darker/more plot-driven shows. The characters aren't particularly new, but they're real and likeable.

It's odd, though. Marimite leaves me with a sense of nostalgia for a place I've never been. I certainly didn't go to anything like a Catholic school, and I don't imagine I would have liked it much if I had.

So let me amend that. "Catholic school, as perceived by the Japanese, for whom it's very exotic." Ok, that idea I can get behind.

Amusingly, my high school did have something like the soeur system, though the upperclassman/freshman pairings were lottery assigned and generally didn't get that intense.

Will definitely keep watching, especially when I need a light pick-me-up.


Hmm... both the series I reviewed tonight are yuri/shoujo-ai themed. I swear I didn't initially pick them on those grounds, but it can certainly be a nice bonus.