Pre-Weekend Notes

I’m probably going to be out of circulation until sometime Sunday, so updates will be slow to non-existant. Some offhand and nearly-random notes, and some bad Siskel & Ebert (or Roper, whatever) imitations though:

• Basu Gasu Bakuhatsu has a review of Crescent Love. Summarized: “Terribly average.” As I’ve pointed out earlier, that might be generous. Two thumbs sideways. (Stuck in my ears, in fact)
• Don’s found a rumor that there may be an OVA spin-off of Coyote Ragtime that focuses on Marciano’s Twelve Sisters. Steven approves reducing the number of sisters to six, as long as they keep August. Considering that’s her in the banner above, I think my opinion is obvious. One thumb provisionally up.
• Watched Sumomo Momomo, ep.1. Wow. We may have a contender for stupidest anime of 2006 here. It’s over the top, but once you get past the joke of a young (damn near loli) kick-ass martial artist of a girl chasing after a handsome-but-wimpy guy to have his babies, it’s just not that funny. Two thumbs down.
• Nabeshin returns! Well, ok, he hasn’t made a cameo yet, but it’s bound to happen in Perfect Girl Revolution, whereupon four generic lazy bishie-boys have to turn an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan so they can get free rent at a rich lady’s swankienda. Again, Basu Gasu has the low-down on ep. 1. I have to say they did throw me a curve when we finally see the girl… One thumb down, sucking on the other.
• Also saw the first episode of the new Negima!? (What is this, a Basu Gasu lovefest? Well, can I help it if Hung is on the ball with his reviews, and I’m pretty lazy?) Anyway, I’m not sure I agree with Hung on the art style. It bothers me, and I can’t put my finger on it, although I think it’s because the colors are too strong. Something about this show just rubs me the wrong way, but what? I feel like should like it, but I don’t. Maybe it’s the overly large “harem.” Maybe it’s the logic (or lack thereof). I mean, what’s the bright idea of sending Evangeline the vampire the one thing she needs to escape her imprisonment? I’m not familar with the storyline, but I suspect the backstory will explain it. Still, if I were Negi Springfield, I’d be asking “who set me up for this?” about now. One thumb up.
• Ok, one more from Basu Gasu: Asatte no Houkou. How the hell did Hung stay awake long enough to reach the end of the episode? I gave up on it the first time after 15 of the most boring minutes in animé history. Later I went back and had to fast-forward through it. Come on, you’re trying to set a mood here, but “sleeping” is a mode, not a mood… One thumb out, hitchhiking to another city.
• Code Geass ep.1: Jason seemed to think it was interesting, so I downloaded it to see. Halfway through it, I was going, “oh yeah, one of those stupid mecha shows, where the high school kid finds the brand-new experimental mecha that can pwn everyone else’s butts, and somehow the inventors never build another one.” Only that turned out to be a deft head-fake, as it blew me out of my Reeboks going by for the slam-dunk. And what a dunk it was–I thought Daryl Dawkins was back to smashing backboards again. “What the HELL was that? More! More!” I’ll be looking for ep. 2, oh yes. If it can keep up the pace and tone, it’s going to be a serious contender for the best-of-season. (I’d say more, but it would be spoilers.) Very glad to have found this one, and I hope it carries through at the same level. Otherwise, the fall 2006 season is looking pretty grim, IMHO. Two thumbs way up so far, but the fingers are crossed.
• Still haven’t watched Pumpkin Scissors.

Anyway, chow baby. The good DrHeinous is coming to town and ve haf planz, yes ve do. (Not involving anime though.)