Wakaranai

 

Quite contrary to its first season, Darker than Black season 2 never fails to impress, but this episode it went one better and raised the bar for itself with an uncompromisingly riveting, and superbly produced episode. Without the comic-relief distractions of the transvestite bar owner and her pseudo-son, the series has now completely plunged into its increasingly complex and intriguing plot, with awesome results. Suou and Hei now find themselves in an intensifying maelstrom of violence and espionage as all of the many players enter the fray with their own nefarious goals relating to Suou’s brother, Shion, and the Izanami plot. They now have to deal not only with the lethal Japanese Agency, but also the CIA, which Hei betrayed, and the Russian secret service, which have pursued them to Japan. More than any other, this episode was seeped with betrayals and scheming, as Misaki forms a dubious alliance with coworker, Shizume, and Suou and Hei are screwed over by the own contacts.

Now the series really feels like a fugitive/manhunt type story, where our protagonists find themselves alone, unable to trust anyone, and targeted by an increasingly deadly array of assassins. With the heroes both struggling to survive and also trying to grapple with each of their own confused morality, Darker than Black has really become edge-of-your-seat viewing. I just hope that they can not only keep up this pace, but accelerate it toward a mind-blowing finish. There were sincere emotional moments coming from the utterly captivating Suou, and the episode even featured one of the best-choreographed action sequences I’ve seen in a TV-anime. As I’ve said before, this series, in some ways, has the scale of a Hollywood film, but also conveys a poignant emotional story. The strong content is backed up by as good a production work as one could hope for, from the amazing voice cast, to the sleek art and animation, and it even has the temerity to offer one of the best anime soundtracks I’ve heard since Gits SAC, if not the best.

● Where the twins got to? When they were introduced like 3 episodes ago I kind of figured they’d have had some kind of role to play by now. I only miss them cause they’re cute.

● Suou’s attack using shards of glass was really brutal and surprisingly effective. I’m surprised she was able to throw them so strongly and precisely. I thought it was a really great scene though just because of how she continued to impale her victim with the glass with so little hesitation or emotion. It’s a good example of her contractor side really coming to the forefront.

● There were no more allusions to Suou/Hei pairing that sort of arose last week. I say sort of because it really depends on how you interpreted her behavior then. Was her kicking of Suou’s ghost out of jealousy, or frustration because of how Hei’s feelings for her tore down Suou’s determination to succumb to her contractor side? I think there’s a little bit of jealousy there. I quite like the idea of a subtle romantic interest coming from Suou. It’s certainly an interesting romantic subplot if true, given how Hei treated her just recently. But somehow I would still find her feelings believable. Hei never really hurt her anyway, at least not physically.

✔ Suou’s interactions with July this episode were priceless. Her trying to poke and prod a reaction from the doll was just so cute. Especially when she pinched his cheek in frustration and then rubbed it, apologizing. July and Suou are really adorable. It was also a nice moment when July heeded Suou’s prior advice and said he was in pain later on. Is there hope for contractors after all? I also had to laugh when Suou threw a snowball at Mao. So she has a playful side, eh?

✔ The final action scene was just totally awesome. The storyboarders/writers are good at coming up with interesting ways to orchestrate Hei’s kills; jumping off an adjacent moving truck, and rolling over the roof of a car to strangle the driver has gotta be one of the coolest yet. It was really exciting and well-animated!

✔ This episode was directed/storyboarded exceptionally well. Every scene seemed to have real visual depth and its own kind of atmosphere. This makes most anime look flat and uninspired, because you can really feel that a lot of thought was put in as to how to capture the scenes.

♡ My burning moe passion for Suou goes stronger and brighter with every episode! I just think she’s one of those rare characters who’s both extremely cute but also multi-faceted and compelling. She has a definite moe angle – given her situation you frequently feel like you want to protect and nurture her, but she’s also very strong in her own right. As I’ve said before, Hana Kanazawa has just nailed her. She’s totally my type of character. Suou: loli of the season!

 

Everybody loves fanart .. when it’s good. Fortunately, for anime fans there are hordes of Japanese fans out there with the talented and dedication to bring us some great art of our favourite characters, pairings and persuasions. The relatively new online service Pixiv has been a really great resource for artists to share their creations and for fans to enjoy them, but not all western fans have the patience to navigate the Japanese and create an account there or the time to sift through it. With these posts I’ll attempt to post my picks for all the anime/manga I’m interested in weekly. Hopefully someone might find this useful or enjoyable!

Note: Gathering these images I’m of coursed bias towards my favourite characters and moe persuasions, but if anyone would like me to keep a look out for a specific character, pairing or theme (if it’s for one of the things I’m watching), just ask!

 
 

Continue reading Fanart Digest #6

Everybody loves fanart .. when it’s good. Fortunately, for anime fans there are hordes of Japanese fans out there with the talented and dedication to bring us some great art of our favourite characters, pairings and persuasions. The relatively new online service Pixiv has been a really great resource for artists to share their creations and for fans to enjoy them, but not all western fans have the patience to navigate the Japanese and create an account there or the time to sift through it. With these posts I’ll attempt to post my picks for all the anime/manga I’m interested in weekly. Hopefully someone might find this useful or enjoyable!

Note: Gathering these images I’m of coursed bias towards my favourite characters and moe persuasions, but if anyone would like me to keep a look out for a specific character, pairing or theme (if it’s for one of the things I’m watching), just ask!

Continue reading Fanart Digest #5

 

Darker than Black season 2 plows ahead with another stellar episode, again leaving its competition behind in the dust. Although there are anime I haven’t seen, so I can’t say this definitively, there’s little doubt in my mind that this series is the pinnacle of the season, with its fast pace, depth of character, thrilling action sequences and polished production values. And for once I’m not alone in my pick for the season: 2ch recently ranked it as the most entertaining show of the fall lineup! I think the show’s success can be attributed to the fact that it finds a really great position somewhere between being pretentious and overly deep and being too shallow; it is both easily accessible and emotionally captivating. I feel really sorry for those with this misfortune to no have already seen the original DtB. Even though I complained about that series a lot it was sure worth it just for this follow-up season.

The last two episodes have dealt with some really confronting and fascinating themes as Hei continues to emphasise the anti in his new anti-hero role by perpetuating a tyrannical and absusive relationship with his young charge, the sympathetic and multi-faceted, Suou. His physical abuse of Suou was a shocking change of tone for the series. Even though the series never lost its ability to entertain, it gained a much more emotional spin that really gave my heart a good tugging. It’s not as though the violence directed at Suou was particularly graphic or serious, but rather than the physical distress of being kicked and slapped, it was the crushing of Suou’s once sprightly and innocent spirit that made for such distressing and riveting viewing. When she told Hei to hurry up and hit her to get it over and done with, my heart was just broken!

Suou’s character has now reached a point where she has not only been pulled into a life of grey morality, but is also at odds with herself. As she is dragged deeper and deeper into the world of contractors, of killing and solitude, her struggle between her lingering human emotionality and the cold indifference that seeks to possesses her as a contractor is intensifying. Suou’s character is a perplexing and gripping juxtaposition of a young girl with a strong, loving heart and soulless killing machine. I find it impossible not to sympathise with her and root for her as she tries to find herself in this harsh new existence. I think she’s probably one of my favorite character of the last few years.

Hei himself hasn’t reacted well to having to share the limelight with another star. By that I mean he has become grossly unlikeable as the alcoholic, abusive and uncaring hobo. He’s not just a shadow of his former self, but a true wreck of a man, whose competence in battle is just about his only asset as a hero. Another way of looking at it though is that he has become a hell of a lot more interesting. He always bored me as the stoic and unassailable protagonist in the first season, and in this season he is a guy that you just love to hate. And, despite his selfish and unkind attitude towards Suou, he now has a sense of intrigue, clearly caught in a pall of loss over Yin. Most importantly, even though he has a withered demeanor and twisted spirit, I still get the feeling that he is redeemable, and that it’s going to be an impressive moment when his sense of heroism is finally roused. Then again, this series has shown that it’s not totally predictable so far, so maybe things won’t turn out as nicely as that!

With all the moral dilemma and confusion going around, the only thing unequivocally good about this series is the excellent production qualities! Yasushi Ishii has created the best soundtrack I’ve heard for an anime in a long time. It’s unique, creative and textural music that works flawlessly with the series. The animation is slick, again providing an awesome action sequence, and the directing is sharp is effective, helping strengthen the show’s dramatic impact.

✔I think someone on the production team REALLY likes Misaki because every scene she’s in she looks incredibly cool. There must be a whole team of animators dedicated to making her look as suave and stylish as possible for her every appearance. The trench coat she had on this episode probably can’t be topped though. Lookin’g good, Misaki.

✔ What’s this? Gun maintenance? Weapons fans must be delighted. Ignoring the fact that she can spawn the anti-tank rifle and a handful of ammunition out of thing air, it’s rare to find an anime that puts this much thought into portraying guns.

✘ I’m still not really sure what the actual plot for this series is, and this is probably its only major flaw. Sure, there’s plenty of intrigue and important-sounding exchanges of dialogue between mysterious characters, but I’m not really sure what it’s getting at yet. But hey, I never really worked out what the first season was about – at least this series has enough thrills and drama to keep me from worrying about the story.

✘ The rest of the characters (except for Nika who is now thankfully deceased) are all complex and interesting, but for some reason Mao went in the other direction. Maybe he’s just getting into character for the new, cuter animal he’s inhabiting, but he’s been reduced to a pretty lame character who hangs around to make lame attempts at humurous comments.

 

Continue reading Darker than Black 05

 

Oh yeah, this series is really on a run with yet another riveting episode. While it doesn’t have the intelligent tone and story depth to pull itself into the upper echelons of the greatest anime TV series, it’s well in front of the pack in terms of entertainment value. In the first three episodes alone it’s probably racked up far more exciting moments than the entirety of its previous series. I almost feel like this show is wasted as a follow-up series because a lot of people won’t watch it because they haven’t seen the first season. The characters are universally more interesting than they were in the first season, and with the exception of the (now very) minor characters like Tanya and Nika, the new additions to the ‘cast’ are really fantastic. I’ll probably say this after every episode, but Suou has quickly established herself as the heart of the show, and she has transformed Darker than Black into something more tense and compellingly dramatic.

This was another action-packed episode as Suou and Hei continue to flee the pursuit of the Russian authorities and the syndicate, but during a large-scale show down in a train-yard they manage to turn the tables on their enemies when Suou undergoes a mysterious transformation into an anti-tank rifle wielding killing machine. This transformation and the trauma she’s witnessed in the last few days give her character a fascinating and complex morality. Her unquestioning compassion and respect for life is eroded by pangs of hatred directed towards the contractors who have upturned her life. I’m really glad she didn’t remain uncompromising in her naive stance against killing. A young girl saying things like “I’d rather die than kill someone” is believable but it’s an innocent luxury that simply can’t stay afloat in the dark and murky world of the contractors, a world in which she has ironically stepped into. It’s interesting trying to imagine how she feels about having become a contractor after maintaining such a hatred for them - it’s just one of the many quandaries that make up her character, and an example of what makes her so compelling.

The character development was really good, and slotted in perfectly amidst the lengthy action sequences - a combo that made for another wholly satisfying episode all-round. The action sequences themselves were very well executed. The animation is well and truly up to the task of pulling off these impressively elaborate and large scale action scenes. I have to say the action scenes are quite ambitious for a TV anime, they are well choreographed and well thought out, and their large scale echoes a Hollywood action film. A general lack of detail in the production annoys me from time to time, like a frequent lack of evident recoil with gunfire, and the complete lack of footprints in the snow. But it’s hard to care about that when train cars are exploding all over the place in a fracas of gunfire! And, to make up for it I appreciate the fact that the action scenes are properly coordinated in terms of time - ie characters can’t give exposition spiels while the villains keep themselves occupied off-screen. Although there were many players involved in this battle, you never got the sense that any of them are being ignored.

✔ This series hits all the right notes when it comes to fun and excitement, and at the same time it doesn’t let itself feel shallow. To compliment the action and riveting characters, there’s even a touch of humour and fanservice from time to time.

● If I was Tanya I’d be pretty damn unhappy with my contractor ability. Of all the super-powers you could obtain, she got “able to spawn a swarm of locusts”. I wouldn’t even call that a super-power, just a regular power. Lame. Although it was pretty freaky seeing Nika getting eaten alive by them.

✘ Thank God Nika is gone! I hated that guy! He was easily the least interesting character in the series. And the last impression I got of him before he died was “wow that guy really is an idiot!”. He already got screwed over by Tanya but he stubbornly follows her again. He died for a school crush - idiot!

✔ Kana Hanazawa is just superb in this role. She could well be my favourite seiyuu now. Suou’s impassioned and distressed rants at Hei could easily be annoying if another seiyuu had done it but she pulls it off to perfection. And her scream on top of the train really gave me chills.

✔ So now we’re already getting some new villains. Bad guys don’t really last too long in this series. More importantly, they’re a cute and creepy pair of twins. Speaking of Hollywood films, I guess it’s time for the shining. Still they were cute .. I wonder if they’ll make out like the twins in Shana? Twincest is best!

● Magical Rifle! Seriously that surprised me - the fact that she was able to summon it magically like that. It feels very mahou shoujo, especially with the glowy-naked moment. I was confused though - is her ability being able to summon the rifle, or is her ability a cross between summoning a gun and being able to use it. It’s kind of an odd contractor power. That doesn’t make it any less badass though! I was impressed with how they depicted her using the rifle. It looked really cool, and the sound effects were very good too.

✔ The music is just superb! I’ve pretty much forgotten what watching an anime with good music is like. I think the last soundtrack I really liked would be Akagi’s… I really can’t wait for the OSTs. I hope Yasushi Ishii does more after this!

♡ I forgot .. Misaki is actually pretty cute! I love her character design. Her hair-style suits her perfectly, and the glasses are a lovely accessory. Appreciated the brief glimpse of fanservice we got of her too. She seems to have good, mature taste in underwear!

Everybody loves fanart .. when it’s good. Fortunately, for anime fans there are hordes of Japanese fans out there with the talented and dedication to bring us some great art of our favourite characters, pairings and persuasions. The relatively new online service Pixiv has been a really great resource for artists to share their creations and for fans to enjoy them, but not all western fans have the patience to navigate the Japanese and create an account there or the time to sift through it. With these posts I’ll attempt to post my picks for all the anime/manga I’m interested in weekly. Hopefully someone might find this useful or enjoyable!

Continue reading Fanart Digest #3

 

Well that was a much needed rush of emotion and excitement! Darker than Black season 2 is proving to be more then everything I hoped and nothing I feared. Where the first episode felt a bit awkward at times, this episode was a smooth operation, leaping into an action-packed thrillfest from the very start and never letting up. The characterisation is impeccable, the fight sequences truly impressive, and the plot is fast-moving and gripping. It’s kind of rare that a series can combine great action, a sense of fun, as well as characters and drama that is able to move you. I find Hei a lot more interesting in this new situation, and Suou is just utterly captivating - a perfect mix of cuteness and resilience. Having an ordinary girl caught up in the bizarre and disturbing world of contractors and supernatural espionage gives Darker than Black something new - a sense of danger, awe and shock. Suou can’t afford to be casual about these monsters, and through her perspective we see the contractors and their sponsors in a new light. With fantastic production values, both in terms of music and action, and a blend of action and drama that should hold almost universal appeal, Darker than Black looks set to be the show of the season.

✔ Hei is infinitely more interesting as a washed-up and dejected shadow of his former self. Moments of heroism and fleeting hints of honour fascinatingly betray his cold and ruined exterior. His stoic attitude in the first season was one of my major problems with the show - I just found it possible to engage with him.

✔ Suou is utterly charming and has a strong heart. Kana Hanazawa does an absolutely amazing job with this character. Not only is her voice really cute but Kana grants Suou real believability when she is standing up to Hei or overcoming despair to try an achieve something. Her braveness feels genuine rather than just the other half of a cliché two-sided anime heroine. She also makes the character truly empathetic. Perhaps because she is so likeable, you really can’t help but feel and fear for Suou when she is pulled into these dark situations.

✔ I revoke my previous comments about the animation quality not being all that.. It is all that. The contractor battles in this episode were fluidly animated and really well choreographed. There was plenty of animation to be had in the episode tool, with barely a quiet moment to be found. This definitely does not look like a cheap series!

✔ It doesn’t sound like one either. As expected, Yasushi Ishii (Hellsing composer) does an outstanding job with the music. His music as unique, textural and moody as ever, and it fits the show even better than I thought it would. The rock element underpinning the action moments is really awesome.

✘ I still hate everything about Nika. His precisely distributed freckles are creepy and his attitude just feels so cliché (quite the opposite of the other characters). Ugh.

● Suou’s flying squirrel has already started using Momo tactics. Seriously, it pretty much IS Momo (from Samurai Champloo)

● The OP is quite nice but nothing really special. There are some pretty cliché visuals included in it, but the fucking WIN of Suou’s massive gun makes up for it.

✔ Loved the scene at the start where Suou was hunting with her dad. Although it was pretty much straight out of Enemy at the Gates..

✔ Suou seeing Shion walking through the woods through her camera was really creepy. Such a well-done scene!

✔ Mina is pretty cool. She reminds me a hell of a lot of Yayoi from Kurenai. Her remuneration is kissing (guys?), which is kind of fun. Can’t say I’m opposed to comic relief or kissing in general (especially if she kisses a cute girl as a palette cleanser every time!).

✔ I swear you can make anything ten times more badass just by throwing in a bunch of old Russian guys in coats. It’s the ex-KGB look - does it for me every time.