:anime: Ani-Journal (BETA) - For August 29, 2011

Back in June, I hinted at some new things I had planned for HD, and this was one of them (though not the "new segment" I was referring to, so I guess you can consider this as one of those "surprises"… ;) ). I'm still debating over the exact format (hence the "BETA" tag), so please bear with me as I experiment with it over time.

"Ani-Journal" is basically my collection of thoughts on my current anime viewings and whatever going-ons are happening in the industry, as well as any other miscellaneous things (i.e. newly-purchased releases, anime-related commentary). I have been mulling over something like this for a while now, where I can cover a variety of topics and subject matters in short form and be a little more frank and informal than usual. It's sort of like a cross between "Anime Kibbles 'n' Bits" of old, HD's Twitter feed, and the more formal postings here, but in bite-sized and easily digestible form. It isn't a replacement of the latter by any means, just a little something on the side (think of it as the "lounge room" of HD… ;D ). There is no set schedule of when new entries appear, they just pop-up whenever they do, like a GAINAX reference or a loli scene in a Shinbo/SHAFT show. I'm strongly considering a boxing version (a revamped "Boxing Bits"?), and/or just a melding both into a central feature along HD's topical guidelines, but that'll come at another time. But anyways…

--Nobody's Boy Remi was on my lengthy list of anime to watch and it was one I was really looking forward to, so imagine my surprise when I found out it was expiring from ANN's video service in less than one week (I thought it would be a more permenant title, since some of ANN's guys worked on it's previous R1 release). At 51 eps., I would have had to watched 10 eps. in five days, which I was reasonably keeping in step with after the first day, until ANN had a hiccup the following day and was offline during my window of viewing time. I didn't want to press forward and have the series bow right before I could finish the last few eps., so to my chagrin, I halted going any further.

--But what I saw of those first eight were truly great, and it was already shaping up to be the most impressive work I've seen in the late Osamu Dezaki's repertoire. Visually, Nobody's Boy Remi was unique among his other works, as he displayed the backgrounds in a scrolling, multi-plane/layered style (see the recent Natsu no Arashi! anime for another example of this) and did not rely on his trademark still shots and triple-take panning. The technique really gave it depth and a distinct identity and feel, which was central in the overall presentation of the show. Probably of equal note was the stunning animation quality (and not just for its time, either) and direction, which really breathed life into the characters and gave the story that much more of its credence and humanity. The story alone was great through its first eight, as simultaneously heart-wrenching as it was hopeful. I am a huge fan of Dezaki's and enjoyed such titles of his as Rose of Versailles and Black Jack (including the sorrily few episodes I saw of The Snow Queen, Ace wo Nerae!, and Ashita no Joe), so to give such praise to Remi so early on is saying a lot, though it would have been nice to see if that quality would hold up for over 40 more episodes. Here's to hoping it reappears at ANN or elsewhere in the very near future, which I would marathon through it in a heartbeat, even if it were available again indefinitely…

--TIGER & BUNNY really is that good, and the Karas team have really done a swell job with it, thus far. It may tread familiar ground in the superhero tradition (which is sort of the point) but what it has going for it is what any cliched or familiar work needs to be successful: solid direction. And it doesn't hurt to have attractive, atypical visuals in the vein of the aforementioned OVA, either, not to mention having a willingness to subvert the genre. But, man, was Ep. 16 a punch in the gut (definitely no pun intended)…

--I mean, really?

--Aniplex's new BD release of Rurouni Kenshin OVA: Trust & Betrayal (Tsuioku-hen) arrived at my doorstep, whose packaging was pretty nice. This is my first go at an import, so it was neat seeing in kanji-only and observing some of the subtitle differences between a JP release and a North American one. For one, the paper and the packaging had a faint, unfamiliar scent to it, unlike things made here or elsewhere (no, I'm not a scent freak, but it is something you pick up on after years of purchasing anime--what, with the strong, plasticky odor from some of those cases being hard to ignore). Then, there are the copious technical details for the disc (which was warming to see for a technophile like me) and the general sense of attention and care paid to the packaging and presentation, even though the release in of itself is rather simplistic. I guess I'm supposed to keep it in the resealable plastic wrap (sort of like a collectible comic book, which it is somewhat like). Now all I need is that laptop/PS3 to actually watch it on (coming soon…)…

--And it would have been nice if the disc was easier to get out. Clear plastic hubs are nice and all, but as I have observed with the quasi-import of Bandai Visual USA's Gunbuster release, they can also be a nuisance in getting the disc in and out of, since there is less give and flexibility than your usual cheap black plastic…

--Hanasakeru Seishonen, I love you, but Atlantic City is not a five-minute drive from New York City, nor is it a hill-encased cove with docks and palm trees. Average-looking-city-underneath-the-veneer-of-a-flashy-beachfront, yes, but average-Japanese-ish-harbor, no (the areas around both AC and NYC are essentially flat, too). The show has been pretty good on detail and nuances, so watching such a lapse in research was sort of breathtaking…

--Must…finish…Oreimo…

--For whatever reason, every time I try to watch it, something comes up and I never get around to it. I'm trying not to watch the remaining few eps. altogether because I want to keep my perspective episode-by-episode as I am watching and writing about it and I don't want it each episode reaction I write being tinged by my knowledge of what's going to happen later on. That, and it would feel kind of cheap to just batch review the last few eps. when I have already done most of it individually…

That's it for this time. Again, this feature is under BETA-watch and its format may change over time. But for now, thanks for reading!

--HD