Anime Review: Ghost Hunt/Ghost Hound

What up anidorks? It’s a two-for-one day here at OPL: a double barreled blast of Japanese horror, anime-style. First, Ghost Hunt…..

A costly accident forces high school freshman Mai into taking a part-time job…but rather than flip burgers, Mai ends up at working at SPR, a paranormal investigation agency run by Naru, a mysterious young man not much older than Mai. Naturally, the spunky, outspoken Mai and the cold and narcissistic Naru butt heads, but their animosity is tempered by the weird and eerie hauntings they’re hired to investigate.

Ghost Hunt takes a unique turn for Japanese horror, being less interested on atmosphere and more on the actual science and technology of paranormal investigation; it’s closer to a police procedural or detective case than a ghost story. Aside from the storyline involving (spoiler alert!) Mai’s latent psychic abilities, its light on over-arching plot and more focused on episodic investigations, and at times it feels a bit flimsy and formulaic; it may just be the case that the episodic format of manga doesn’t always translate well to the anime medium. Character development is a bit insubstantial as well – Mai and Naru are sorta cardboard, and the supporting cast is a bit cliché (wholesome young catholic priest, sassy Shinto priestess, goofy Buddhist monk, etc). Nevertheless, Ghost Hunt takes the standard ghost story format and injects a welcome scientific/real world element. Dubbing, subtitling, and packaging are up to the usual fine FUNamation standard. Nothing earth-shattering here, but it’s a pleasing series for younger otaku and a pleasant enough diversion for older ones.

Ghost Hound, on the other hand, is a keeper. Haunted by strange, nonsensical memories of his childhood kidnapping and older sister’s death, shy middle schooler Tarou has begun to realize his strange dreams are not dreams at all – they’re out of body experiences. When he finds out two of his schoolmates (cocky rich kid Masayuki and sullen delinquent Makoto) both share similar traumatic pasts and the same out of body experiences, the three begin to explore the strange dimensional rift between the world of the living and world of the dead. It soon becomes clear to the three boys that strange forces are at play in their small town, and that a mysterious old hospital, a clandestine bio-tech corporation, the relationship between Makoto’s parents, and the daughter of a local Shinto priest may all hold the key to Tarou’s bizarre memories - and the explanation for his beloved sister’s death. It’s a puzzle the boys must solve quickly, as the gate to the world of the dead is beginning to open….

Series creator Masamune Shirow is better known for his 1990’s “cyberpunk” epics (i.e. Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed), so I was somewhat surprised to hear that he had come up with what appeared to be a straight horror/paranormal series. Although it’s a deviation from his usual sci-fi fare, it’s still heavy on his usual psychological theorizing: just as Ghost in the Shell examined what conscious and identity really mean, Ghost Hound is a subtle and engrossing look at the thin line between the mysteries of the human mind and the paranormal. Otaku who enjoy “heavier” anime (ala Paranoia Agent, Mushi-shi) will particularly enjoy this atmospheric, eerie, and complex (but never convoluted) series.

Robotech/Yotsuba Vol. 6/Hetalia - Axis Powers

What’s up anidorks? Yes, once again I’ve been sadly remiss in updating you on the latest and greatest in tsundere trivia, harem comedy reviews, and hikikomori references. Sadly, work and personal issues have conspired to eat my frickin’ brain and thus prevent me from usual my usual 60+ hours of anime and manga viewing per week. Why, a family situation even prevented me from attending the New York Anime Fest, thus depriving me of my two greatest joys: inexpensive remaindered manga and fatties doing cosplay. Har har.

Joking aside, I’ve honestly had a lot going on, and when that happens, the first casualty is inevitably this blog. Things have finally slowed down a bit, so I found time to cram in a few simple joys: Harmony Gold’s iconic Robotech, Yen Press’s Yotsuba vol.6, and the confusing yet appealing Hetalia – Axis Powers. So I’m going to do an extra long entry today to make up for my lack of updates since, oh, August.

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I’m not going to torture you with the plot outline of Robotech, as I’m sure any anime dork worth his figurines knows it already: Mysterious spaceship falls to earth, aliens attack, and your usual-reluctant-but-talented-spiky-haired-guy becomes ace fighter/mech pilot. As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, Robotech was my “starter” anime series - so to purchase the DVD set and sit down to watch it was a highly nostalgic experience; it almost made me wish I could go back to being a chubby ten-year old with a mullet and no friends for the duration of the viewing in order to make even more authentic (actually, it didn’t).

I’m happy to say, in many ways, Robotech still holds up: the storyline, albeit clichéd, is still tightly paced and filler-free, the interpersonal relationships are realistic, the dialog and voice acting is decent, and the numerous action scenes do well to drive the plot…..but sweet baby Jesus, the animation itself is skin-crawlingly HORRIBLE. Faces are misshapen, uniforms and vehicles change colors from scene to scene, and overall the art is sloppy, rushed, and half-assed. If you’re used to the crisp, vibrant style of modern anime, it’s going to be a difficult transition - and the usual bonuses of hand-drawn anime (warm, deep color and expressionistic form) are hard to notice.

Still, if you can forgive its lack of visual perfection, Robotech is easily and deservingly a classic; it’s a shame that Macross (the anime from which Robotech was adapted) was never resolved. And, without sounding like a scold, it’s nice to watch a series that has such a low moe/fanservice element.

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Like most living and breathing otaku, I’ve been anxiously awaiting Yotsuba 6 from Yen Press. As you may know, ADV (publisher of volumes 1 – 5) has pretty much tanked so it was looking like this popular series was a lost cause in print until up-and-coming publisher Yen Press took it over. Yen does a fine job with translation; although I don’t like they way Yen makes Yotsuba refer to herself in the third person, it’s a minor factor (and probably more faithful to Japanese grammar). So what is everyone’s favorite green-haired 5 year old up to these days, dare you ask? Yotsuba gets a bike, drinks milk, and then gets on her bike to bring milk to Fuka at her high school. Yes, it doesn’t seem like much on paper but Azuma has the rare genius for taking mundane situations and evaluating them to high comedy. Highly recommended.

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One of the joys of anime is the fact that it’s willing to take chances, and Hetalia – Axis Powers is one hell of a screwball. A weird comedy/history mutant, it takes all the countries involved in WWII – Japan, England, Germany, the USA, etc – and personifying them in order to play out the epic conflict and other instances in world history as zany slapstick comedy: Italy begs Germany to be his friend, Italy and Germany try to befriend the standoffish Japan, England and America argue about how to help France after he gets beaten up by Germany, and so forth. It’s pretty funny and very politically incorrect (Italy is depicted as a pasta-scarfing wimp, Germany as an uptight jerk, Japan as a stuffy hermit, America as an energetic but deluded know-it-all, etc.) but man, I don’t really know how the animators are gonna spin the Holocaust, the Siege of Leningrad, the Rape of Nanking, Hiroshima, etc, as something to chuckle at.

The adventurous might want to give it a try because it does have some genuinely funny parts – the humor poking fun at the individual countries is pretty dead on – but do be warned it plays it pretty fast and loose with history.

Endless Eight ends/Cyborg 009 and Peacemaker Kurogane anime

What up anidorks? So the dang “Endless Eight” cycle of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 2 finally came to an end last week. Genius or pure cruelty? As always, the final decision will be made on the anime/manga messageboards. Personally, although I admire the originally and post-modernity of it all, one or two episodes of it would have been enough.

If you’ve already dropped the series and are eager to hear the ending, read on ….or skip ahead to the next paragraph if you have a weak heart. Kyon (of course) breaks the cycle by…..asking the gang to help him with his homework. Yeah, pretty underwhelming. I was personally hoping for Kyon to plant one on Haruhi for a little drama, but oh well. Ah, MoHS: wonderful yet horrible at the same time, just like your first psycho girlfriend/boyfriend from college.

In other news, I sat through the 1st DVDs of Peacemaker Kurogane and the Cyborg 009 series from 2001 this weekend. I was pretty underwhelmed by both, I have to say. I didn’t know that much about Peacemaker Kurogane going in, aside from the fact it was “twilight of the samurai”-style shonen action series. Aside from some decent swordfights, it’s pretty unremarkable and the main character (the standard-issue “scrappy, spiky-haired, overly energetic” shonen protagonist) got on my nerves pretty quickly. Granted, it might be worth watching more episodes…but I’m not going to. Sorry Charlie.

I had more high hopes for Cyborg 009, a 60’s era classic manga in its latest anime incarnation. Like most 60’s ephemera, though, I found it pretty dull. I will grant that it was probably more ground-breaking in its day, with a dark edge uncommon to 1960’s shonen manga – or it just might have been better if I’d have grown up with the series. Otaku with an Astroboy/Kamen Rider/Battle of the Planets moe might dig the throwback vibe, but I’m not one of those dudes…

ANIME REVIEW: Parallel Dual

What up anidorks? Once again, personal and work issues have conspired to keep me paying closer attention to my danged email than to the Groundhog Day parody that’s been passing for the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, har har. Still, I have found time to catch a half-baked but not half-bad 90’s mech series: Parallel Dual.

Young Kazuki is deeply troubled by the visions of mech warfare that periodically flash in front of his eyes, a habit that makes him the subject of ridicule in his high school. But when Mitsuki - the prettiest girl in school - invites him home, he finds out his visions aren’t as weird as he though - Mitsuki’s eccentric scientist father Sanada is convinced Kazuki is somehow seeing into an alternate reality.

Naturally, the only solution is to send him there to see if it’s true...and Kazuki, the unwilling test subject, now finds himself in an alternate reality where Sanada commands a squadron of mechs, Mitsuki is a mech pilot, and the mech warfare he’s always feared is an actuality, as Sanada, Mitsuki, and their mechs are the last line of defense against the evil Rara Army's plans to take over Japan. Naturally, Kazuki is drawn into the conflict, and finds himself commanding a mech against a series of increasingly dangerous mech foes.

Pretty rote plot, I know…but the appeal of Parallel Dual is less about it’s pedestrian plot and more for the fact it’s note-by-note parody/satire/rip-off of Neon Genesis Evangelion:

• Crybaby boy pilot? Check.
• Pony-tailed tsundere pilot? Check.
• Spacey girl pilot? Check.
• Doting yet sexy commander/teacher/mother figure? Check.
• Eccentric and bespectacled scientist commander? Check.
• Lithe, stylized mechs fighting monstrous foes? Check.
• Heavy Freudian and biblical allegories? Um….

I have to say that I actually started to enjoy PD’s ramshackle tribute to NGE after a while; hell, there are far worse sources to steal from than NGE. Sure, the plot is pedestrian and predictable, but I found that to be almost reassuring; sometimes the formula is a formula for a reason. Artwise, it’s a mish-mash of styles: NGE-style mechs with characters that look like extras from Tenchi Muyo; likewise, I have to give the creators credit for stealing from the best.

All in all, Parallel Dual hardly wins on style or originality… but once you get used to the lightweight parody that it is, I think you’ll agree that the series actually isn’t half bad (although I'm sure hardcore Neon Genesis fans will be horrified by the blasphemy). There are far better series out there, but Parallel Dual is a fine diversion. I’ll give this one a solid C+.

Naruto, Haruhi, and Some Shameless Self-Promotion

What up anidorks? Yes, I’ve been pretty lax with updates as of late. Several work and personal projects have been eating up most of my work and personal time, so the free time to watch all 160+ episodes of Gintama* has been in short supply.

So what the hell else is going on here at Otaku Public Library, dare you ask? Well, I finally gave into peer pressure and began a serious, read-every-volume-I-can effort to familiarize myself with the Manga Series That Ate America, i.e. Naruto…and I’ll be gol-danged if it isn’t nearly as awesome as all the kiddies say. Granted, I still prefer the darker and funnier Bleach as a shonen action series, but I was honestly taken aback by how well-plotted and well-developed Naruto is.

Aside from that, the only other thing I’ve been seriously following has been Season 2 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Yes, I did rag on MOHS as being a bit trite and gimmicky when I first saw/reviewed it, but my feelings have softened – and I also can’t deny it’s ruminations on the nature of reality and unreality is probably one of the more thoughtful and ambitious storylines out there. Is it still a little cheesy, forced, and a little too reliant on moe? Well, yes, but the deeper themes still shine through – and isn’t moe what hardcore Haruri-head (Melancholiac?) want anyway?

*****

On a more professional note, I have had the extreme good fortune to be asked to speak at the two New Jersey State Library Graphic Novel Collection Development workshops on August 25th and 28th. Comic publishers, school librarians, and public librarians like myself will be on hand to provide a comprehensive overview on how to select graphic novels for public and school library collections; I’ll be covering “Manga Collection for Complete Newbies”. If you’re a New Jersey-area librarian and want some quality advice on creating a dang awesome graphic novel/manga collection, I do hope you’ll join us.

Oh, and if you are attending America Libraries Association’s Annual Convention in Chicago this weekend, and are really, really dying to hear my views on cooking manga, harem comedy, and the blessed lack of tentacles in modern anime, then please stop by the ALA Open Gaming Night on Friday, 7pm – 10pm, at the Hilton Chicago. I’ll be the one looking like a 1970’s Scottish soccer hooligan (buzzcut, huge black glasses, red beard, permanently dour expression).

Toodles, y’all…


* Seriously, check Gintama out. I don’t know if I could watch all 4 seasons, but it’s still a sly, cynical, and satirical sci-fi/samurai situation comedy that’s a cut above the usual dross.

Manga Review - Oh My Goddess! Colors by Kosuke Fujishima

What up anidorks? Long time no post from the old D-man here. Unfortunately, budget shortfalls at work have forced me to focus less on otaku-dom and more on the public library aspect of the job. Thus, I haven’t really had all that much to read/watch anything new or of enough interest to post about.

That having been said....I did recently come across a copy of Oh My Goddess! Colors, a large-sized retrospective of Kosuke Fujishima’s evergreen “magical girlfriend” manga/anime. Starting off with a lighted-hearted/mildly sarcastic intro (“devoid of any actual developments, it’s a sort of romance that sort of wanders aimlessly through 30 plus volumes, like a derelict.”…I couldn’t have put it better myself), OMG! Colors presents a detailed rundown on nearly every element of the series. Belldandy, Urd, Skuld, and Peorth all get individual character summaries, and each are the focus of a representative chapter that has been re-mastered in gorgeous watercolors. Throw in an exhaustive lexicon of OMG! terminology, ruminations on the origins of the goddesses and the physics of their world, exhaustive chapter summaries, in-jokes and translation notes, and a gallery and tech specs of the numerous vehicles owned by the characters and you’ve got a must-have for any OMG! obsessive.

Personally, I’ve been finding OMG! a little repetitive and dated as of late, but reading this reminded me of it’s huge influence on American Otaku, myself included; in fact, Fred Gallagher, creator of the awesome Megatokyo OEL manga, chimes in the series’ influence on him in a short afterword. OMG! detractors may continue to scratch their heads over this series’ unabated popularity, but OMG! Colors expertly captures all that’s good about it – its alluring character design, lush artwork, silly humor, and its ever-unrequited PG-rated romance.

MANGA REVIEW - How Not to Draw Manga, by Christ Reid and John Katz

As much as we love the big-eyed, small-mouthed citizens of anime/manga-land, it needs to be said that most, if not all, of what otaku like us read and watch is…well, mildly ridiculous. Deny it if you want, but you have to admit that your love for bishonen, mechs, and unlikely harem comedy (guilty as charged!) probably isn’t something you mention freely in mixed company, much less to members of the opposite sex.

This is why I’m delighted to have come across How Not to Draw Manga, an lovingly tongue-in-cheek OEL guide to the myriad cliché’s, stereotypes, and hackneyed plots that we’ve come to know and love. Chris Reid and John Katz come in with guns a’blazin’, taking on nearly every aspect of manga – the fact that there’s basically only 6 characters in manga (try matching your favorite characters to the formula – it’s truer than you know!); the inevitable fanservice, whether it be the moe characters (glasses, cat ears, etc) or just the dozens of ways to include a panty-shot into even the slowest story; and the obligatory “chibi”/adorable mutant animal sidekick. They walk you through all the clichés of character, setting, and genre, picking and choosing among them to create a frighteningly decent samurai/sorcery mini-manga at the end.

If I had a complaint about this work, it’s that it needs to be longer and in more detail – Reid and Katz do a fine job skewering manga, but they barely skim the surface of manga ridiculousness; I’d have loved to see them take on school comedy, gal games, hentai, and the otaku lifestyle itself.

Although the satire is pretty sharp, it’s clear that they absolutely love manga – “panties, robots, and brooding villains” alike - and just want to poke some much-needed fun at the art-form’s tired cliché’s. Highly recommended for aspiring mangaka, newbie otaku, and grizzled old dorks (like yours truly) too.