June 22, 2007

Ayatsuri Sakon - 23

Filed under: Finished Series:/Ayatsuri Sakon


Okay, it didn’t turn out as good as episode seven, but it sure as hell was enjoyable! I’m glad to see that the past few arcs have been way less predictable, as I never really confirmed the culprit until he was revealed. I also loved his backstory and character-development. I liked how he didn’t really turned out to be evil, he just wanted to have revenge for the things that people did to him. His miserable state of two episodes ago was an act all along.

I loved both Numata and Tsukiko, and how the ending wasn’t a 100% happy one. Numata will be serving in Jail, and Tsukiko has forgotten the things that he did, in exchange for her previous memories. It’ll only remain a question whether she can forgive what he did, and whether she’ll still want to be with him after the years he served in prison.

I think the only really evil person here is the major. He’s nothing but a greedy bastard who framed his son into killing Tsukiko, and he probably made him do even more. Even Kobayashi acted because he didn’t want to disappoint his father, which probably was because of the way he was raised.

Overall, it’s either me, or the arcs are getting better and better. There’s only one arc left, and let’s hope that the creators saved the best for last. I’m intrigued as to what they were planning to do to resolve the series. Sakon will obviously be in the spotlight more than he’s ever been, and I do wonder what part of him the creators will use for this.

Ooedo Rocket - 12

Filed under: Finished Series:/Ooedo Rocket


I have reason to believe the creators were on crack for this episode.

Seriously, though, it’d be the only explanation for such a weird yet utterly brilliant episode.

This episode also convinced me. Most anime feature battles, but for great battles, something needs to be added. The two anime with the best battles that aired in the spring-season are:
Seirei no Moribito
Ooedo Rocket

Seirei no Moribito belongs in this list because of the incredible amount of detail that’s been thrown into them. Ooedo Rocket got in because of the sheer creativity of some of the attacks. This was already showed a few episodes back, where the group of hunters unleashed their skills on the unfortunate alien, but the fight in this episode, between Ginjiro and Akai just made me cry from laughter due to its awesomeness, even though the scene was just too wrong. xD

Anyway, the rest of the episode focused on another side-character: Junpei. It’s a bit different from your usual Ooedo Rocket-episode, though, as the amount of puns, references to modern times, parodies and symbols has been increased tenfold. I’m not going to list all of them, but there are parodies on dating-sims, RPGs, Maid Cafes, porn, manga, tv-bloopers and many more. Basically, it features Anui helping Junpei to find his “Najenaje”, or the reason for his worries. Through the course of the episode, they visit various characters who can’t help them. In the end, though, Junpei realizes that his “najenaje” is “nazenaze”, as he likes to ask questions.

Near the end of the episode, we also see another romance starting. It starts when Junpei starts telling a story about when he was young, about how he used to play with a puppy who talked at one point. If you watch the episode, you just can’t deny that this dog was Anui, since this isn’t the first time this anime went and changed people from animals and vice versa. I’ve also got reason to believe that she was born as a dog, since her human form has so many similarities to that of a dog, instead of the opposite.

Seriously, I’m rooting for Shinsen-subs to continue subbing this series. Ooedo rocket DESERVES to be watched, and it’s definitely the funniest series that arrived in the spring-season. It’s such a huge shame that comedies like Hayate the Combat Butler, Seto no Hanayome and Nagasarete Airantou get so much attention while this gem passes by completely unnoticed!