Desu ex Machina

Now that I finally have a blog to write down what I have to say about anime, I was very excited to get my hands dirty and give this thing a whirl. It was only then that I realized how not caught up I am with this season’s anime, which is a shame, because this season rules. I guess that now that I actaully am compelled to talk about anime, I have to watch anime. kevo’ has been a very bad boy and has missed some pretty important shows this spring, and I’m behind on some others. I can’t just have an anime blog and just goof off all day instead? Shit, in that case, I’d rather just have one of those cool cell phones.

Of course, I’m talking about Eden of the East, which I picked up midseason and have absolutely devoured since. Eden is a unique, eyecatching action anime with an intresting premise and really neat deeper meanings and symbolism. The anime centers around a girl named Morimi Saki, who has an unexpected meeting with a mysterious boy named Takizawa Akira.

The opening theme has a great song accompanied by creatively abstract, eyecatching animation.

Akira quickly learns that he had his own memory erased, remembering nothing about his former life. The only thing he possesses on him was a strange cell phone, which he discovers is credited with an insane amount of money and Juiz, who seems to be the world’s best conceriege service. The anime is well paced and more details and characters are in abundance, keeping the story fresh and intresting. More importantly, the characters act natural and the relationship between Akira and Saki seems incredibly real, an impressive accomplishment considering that Akira has a phone that can basically grant him any wish in the world. I got to about the middle of the OP of the first episode before I was absolutely hooked. If you haven’t already, this anime is a definite watch for this season.

The show that has drones of people on the internet absolutely livid about over the past week is the second season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Mikuru is moe. Ok, I’ve talked enough about that show. Moving on…

I have been a very good boy when it comes to Saki and K-ON!, both of which I have had my eye on since March. If you haven’t heard of the latter, I suggest you raise your arms above your head and push. Note that what you are pushing against will give way. That is the rock that you have been living under for the past two months. K-ON has basically been just tons of fun. It’s funny and the girls are all very cute. In my opinion, recent episodes have started to show some rust, but K-ON, regardless of how it will conclude in a few weeks, is undoubtedly another addition to Kyoto Animation’s solid portfolio.

Saki was a wonderful surprise to me, since I really did expect it to be bad. Gonzo has a penchant for ruining anime that sound like they could be good. CG shonen-style mahjong with schoolgirls? That sounds like a worse idea than another season of Strike Witches. Of course, I’m just kidding. I haven’t seen Strike Witches, though I plan to this summer. Kugumiya Rie, of Shana/Taiga/Louise tsundere loli bitch fame is casted as something other than a tsundere loli bitch, and it works. She’s joined by a great group of voice actors including Jun Fukuyama, Ueda Kana, and Koshimizu Ami, among others. Character design in Saki is wonderful. Even if you don’t like or understand mahjong, Saki is a great watch, providing some laughs and a carnival in the pants.

That being said, I have neglected some other shows, such as Asura Cryin’ and Tayutama -Kiss my Deity-. Both of which I watch the first few episodes and ended up very unimpressed. I have been promised by various people that the two shows do get better, so my trust in society and humankind now hinges on anime. I’ve also made the decision, since it apparently does not matter, to watch the second season of Hayate no Gotoku without finishing the first. People constantly talk about how the new season is better, so I thought I would check it out myself. I like the Hayate no Gotoku franchise from what I have seen so far — it’s much in the style of Nabeshin’s earlier work, Excel Saga, but much cleaner. I’m sure I’ll end up finishing season 1 before season 2 finishes airing anyway.

Only when I keep a blog do I realize how far behind I am on this season. I’ll get caught up in due time, as it is summer vacation. With this much anime to catch up to, I might have to use both my monitors and watch two episodes at a time. Sounds like a joke, but go ahead and try it sometime. It’s awesome.

Oh, and in conclusion, I have decided just now to watch Basquach!. Why? Because it has mecha and basketball, that’s why.

And here it begins.

Right now the clock says 2:43 AM and I have been trying for the last few minutes something witty or cool to say in the first post of this blog. I’d first like to thank Randall Fitzgerald (digiwombat) for graciously providing me with a domain, as well as CCY for refering me and helping me get started.

I’ve been writing about anime for about two years now, but I felt that I was missing some structure in my work. Sure I review some stuff here or there and kept a casual blog on MyAnimeList, but I didn’t feel that my writing was being tested or held to much of a higher standard. I have been planning this blog for about four months now, and here I am finally cutting the ribbon. This is rather anti-climactic, as I’m just alone in my study and just about falling asleep, no fireworks or anything. Shucks, next time I wait four months for something, I’m going to have some sparklers ready.

However, as much as this blog is a commitment and challenge to myself, I want to keep my readers in mind. I aim to provide an easy to understand, well written body of work that appeals to degrees of anime fans, from those of you who have spent anywhere from 50 months to 50 hours watching anime. I’ll do all the regular stuff, post reviews, talk about airing shows, randomly talk about anime I happen to be watching, or tap some keys really fast and call it a day (only sometimes ). So yes, this may not be the most original of my endeavors in life, but I definately hope this becomes one of the most fun. It’s a tough hill to climb from here. Anime blogging is serious business, but regardless of what the hit counter says, I’ll know that this was time not spent in vain.

There you go. Check back soon for posts about…. anime.