How many times could you keep trying to solve the same problem? living through the same events, the same day? Would 27,755 times prove too much?

“Kazuki Hoshino… I’m here to break you.” said the new girl who couldn’t take it anymore as she introduced herself, once again.

Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria (lit: Box of Void and Maria of Zero), or Hakomari as the title is way too long, is a mystery light novel series by Eiji Mikage. It’s rather hard to explain Hakomari, since it doesn’t fit into the murder mystery genre at all and can only be partially described as a supernatural mystery. If anything, Hakomari is a dramatic slice-of-life mystery, and the oxymoronic description should give one a hint of just how unique it is.

(Thanks to the h4x translation skills of EusthEnoptEron, the first four novels of Hakomari (all that’s released thus far) can all be found at Baka-Tsuki.)

Hakomari features Kazuki Hoshino, a seemingly ordinary high-school boy with two extraordinary traits: the unerring resolve to brace any consequences in order to meet his goal, and a firm belief that “there is no despair that can’t be solved by everyday life”; yet as the kuudere heroine Aya Otonashi enters the stage with a threat upon his very being, Kazuki is thrown into a series of supernatural incidents centered around him that distorts space, time, and existence. Hence, it falls to Kazuki and his friends to protect their peaceful and fulfilling ‘everyday life’ by solving these cases and returning everything back to some semblance of normality.

Of course, these supernatural phenomenons aren’t merely plot devices either; one could metaphorically compare the world of Hakomari to that of a genie’s world, one where ‘wishes’ obtain a power and life of their own, and the clashes between these desire transcends all, distorting everything.

From time loops to alternating existences, Eiji Mikage reveals his top notch skills at penning both investigative mystery and dramatic character development. Intricate clues are scattered about and then weaved together with coordination no less than that of the famous Ryukishi07 of Higurashi, while multiple climatic revelations are carefully paced through each story as Kazuki takes the next step in saving not only his own life, but also healing the tragedy-stricken souls of those who made those world-altering wishes in the first place.

And, amidst all of this, the chooser of life Kazuki Hoshino and self-denying perfectionist Aya Otonashi must learn of each others’ truly extraordinary ‘lives’ and apply all of their wits and resources to overcome the challenges of their ultimate opponent.

There are still minor discrepancies and borderline contradictions every once a while, but given the sheer challenge of writing such mysteries, what Eiji-sensei managed is already remarkable. From its fast buildup to its intense execution to its heartfelt character development, Hakomari is quickly becoming one of my favorite light novels, and I cannot wait for an eventual adaptation of this~

[ukai isangoju]

Postnote: Just finished vol.2 at the time of writing this review, but from what I can tell things only get better from there. It’s also amusing that as of this point, the sole heroine and partner is also not the same girl as the love interest — although that might change.

If there’s one archetype people fall back far too easily into, it’s the tsundere. But really, this personality attribute is neither that simple nor cheap…

[Sora]

Since my post on explaining the real life psychology of yanderes, I’ve been on the hunt for a recognized psychological disorder that would classify the tsundere. Unfortunately, no such convenience seems to exist, and while the tsundere may be the most overused anime character archetype of recent years, it is also complex enough that few series have truly done it justice.

The definition has been reiterated far too many times, so to keep it simple (courtesy of MAL tsundere club):

Now this particular trait isn’t hard to portray at all. In fact, almost everyone will do it to a degree: most people simply don’t reveal their heartfelt feelings to newly-met strangers and tend to gets defensive if the distance is closed too quickly, but as relationships grow they open up more and more of their interests, dreams, desires, etc etc. With few exceptions, everyone is going to be a bit ‘tsun’ at the beginning, and everyone will grow more ‘dere’ as deeper bonds are forged. Those who are more shy and easily embarrassed will also seem more ‘tsundere’ simply because it takes them more time to admit things to their friends, even after bonds have connected enough to let their friends see what they’re really like. Basically, virtually everybody will go through the aloof->invested (and hence vulnerable) step. Thus, categorizing a character as ‘tsundere’ from just a moments of embarrassment while being defensive is applying the archtype far too liberally and undermining its depth.

When characters with such natural range in emotion and personality are considered tsundere, the only characters who aren’t tsundere have to be the practically one-dimensional characters that never reveal any degree of natural human vulnerability or compassion. — John, AnimeNation News

Of course, that’s also why the MAL club has the “tsundere or not” challenge.

So what really makes a tsundere? The most consistent trait amongst well-developed tsundere characters is definitely the ongoing and lasting act of being in denial — the refusal to admit a personal feeling to either themselves or others, no matter how obvious it may be or how much they realize they should. The key difference between this and normal shyness (e.g. prior to a confession) is that it persist far longer than it should; for example having trouble admitting to liking someone even after having said it times before, and even when there are no one else present.

Tsundere behavior is illogical by nature and usually found in people who developed a rather specific personality: prideful yet lacking self-confidence. This leads to a rather bipolar personality where they either deny or hide their vulnerabilities — because the lack of confidence makes them feel very unsafe about it — while erecting a prickly barrier around themselves and indulging in self-denial to protect their pride; not to mention using violent overreactions to compensate for embarrassment. As Ookami-san puts it: it’s like a vulnerable sheep hidden behind the tough hide and pride of a wolf. Because they maintain a serious demeanor to meet the demands of their pride while the low self-esteem nags at insecurities, Tsunderes will also often exhibit the hypomania and depressive episodes of Bipolar Personality Disorder. But this is nowhere as definite as the one between yandere and Borderline Personality Disorder.

It also links to many other common tsundere traits, such as a strong sense of devotion and loyalty to both personal ideals and close friends — which isn’t merely a ‘redeeming feature’, but a result of their prideful sense of honor, habitual attachment due to insecurity, and a fear of abandoning others like they are afraid of being isolated themselves.

But normally, people who grew up with low self-confidence don’t develop a particularly high sense of pride, and vice versa. So here comes the most tricky part of making a Tsundere character: what kind of circumstance would mold a personality like that?

• For all its other flaws, Zero no Tsukaima (LN) did a tremendous job here with how well they contrasted Louise’s pride from being raised as high nobility, and all those years of insecurity she piled up as ‘Louise the Zero’.
• Similarly, Nagi (Hayate of Gotoku!) has her insanely rich ojou-sama pride, yet for reasons being she’s a hikikomori and thus the ‘trash of society’, not to mention parental neglection atop that.
• Taiga (Toradora!) had a fierce independence due to her dysfunctional family, yet she was absurdly short (childish looking), wasn’t good at anything, and desperately needed the familial love that everyone around her took for granted.
• and so on…

(Unfortunately, Shana’s childhood background is extremely lacking compared to the others amongst the fan-acclaimed four Tsundere wonders)

[Shotoi]

You see a pattern here. Most Tsundere characters will have these traits in some way: a lofty birth, high childhood expectations, or forced independence at an early age, combined with the absence of familial love (or just really strict parents who are never satisfied), devastating personal flaws, or just natural lack of talent. Male tsunderes (Oranyan) usually suffer from similar problems, except they also typically have a crisis of confidence on the social side, particularly with showing signs of affection, commonly because they grew up in accomplished families whose parents were all business and little family time (50+% of all bishies suffer from dysfunctional families; it’s a genetic disease I tell you =x).

My point here? From balancing a contrasting bipolar personality to shaping an appropriate backstory with the right circumstances, it takes a lot more than just a blushing look-away and an awkward denial to create a good, convincing Tsundere character. So don’t judge lightly—

I mean, not that I really care.

Wayyyy too many series to watch >.< [mosu]

Fall anime is usually the best during the year, and fall 2010 is just spetacular; definitely the best since the legendary fall 2008 season. In preparation for the University of Virginia anime club presentation and discussion, we (Aorii [Major Arcana] and Honya [Lyrical Spark]) have decided to join up for a preview post~ (if you have an anime club you should totally do this). Charts here and here.

Definite Follows

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute!) [Site][Trailer]
Production: AIC, Aniplex
Synopsis: Kyosuke Kosaka, an ordinary high school boy, has a younger sister who is not only a fashion model but also a secret otaku of adult games, which he randomly stumbles across and winds up being the confidante to her life issues.
Aorii: The adaptation of a light novel I’ve been following closely. The title is a bit misleading, as three-quarters way through the first novel this has been little focus on the moe (no siscon at all, yet) and mostly about otaku life issues — from the dealing with the social stigma to getting along with the fandom’s cliques. Kirino trying to find her own place in society gives many anime fans a lot of sympathize with, one could say.
Honya: Agreed; I was like Kirino during middle school and high school so I’m sure I’ll be able to relate. Anyway this has been on my radar ever since the light novels started publishing so I’m really looking forward to this.

Bakuman [Site]
Production: J.C. Staff, based on a manga from the creators of Death Note and directed by Kasai Kenichi (Honey & Clover, Nodame Cantabile)
Synopsis: Talented artist Moritaka Mashiro and aspiring writer Akito Takagi, 9th grade students who combine their skills to reach their dream — become successful manga artists and get an anime adaptation. Mashiro also hopes to marry Azuki Miho, the girl he loves and aspiring voice actress, when their dreams come true.
Aorii: An anime adaptation about trying to get an anime adaptation for a manga about drawing manga; awesome meta ~ must see this now xD. Also, the Director’s specialty in romance comedy is squash any shounen worries I have (plus awesome shipping!)~
Honya: As an artist I’m most excited about seeing the behind-the-scenes life of manga-ka. From what I have heard the manga gets detailed about the ins and outs of the industry so as long as the anime follows suit I’ll be happy.

Kami Nomi zo Shiru Sekai (The World God Only Knows) [Site][Trailer]
Production: Manglobe (Ergo Proxy, Samurai Champloo), directed by Takayanagi Shigehito
Synopsis: Known as the ‘Capturing God’, Katsuragi Keima is a prodigy in playing dating sims but despises real girls. One day he is approached by a devil who asks help in catching runaway spirits who have hidden in the hearts of women, and can only be removed by making the host fall in love.
Aorii: Mix visual novel humor, some otaku 3Disms, and lots of fabulous ‘just as planned’ — should make an amusing enough show at least. Although, having a director with near zero experience is a bit worrisome…
Honya: Even so, he has some great source material to work with. This feels like a must watch for anyone deep into otaku culture.

Shiryaku! Ika Musume (Invasion! Squid Girl) [Site][Trailer]
Production: Diomedea (sola, Bokurano, Nogizaka Haruka), directed by Mizushima Tsutomu (xxxHolic, Genshiken OVA, Kobato [script])
Synopsis: A comedy about Ika Musume (squid girl) who vows to invade the entirety of mankind for polluting the seas with trash. But with no knowledge of life above the surface, her invasion was thwarted when she ends up slaving away at a nearby beach-house in payment for damaging its wall.
Aorii: Laid back slice-of-life comedy of the season, except this time with an original premise instead of just another four girls ;D Given the director’s history with Dokoro-chan and xxxHolic, bet this series’ humor will be extremely random as well.
Honya: I remember hearing about the original manga and the comedic antics of a squid girl. As such it falls into my “so weird I have to watch” category of shows.

To Aru Majutsu no Index 2nd Season (A Certain Magical Index 2) [Site][Trailer]
Production: J.C. Staff
Synopsis: A spinoff of Railgun… I mean, continuation of the first season about Touma, a student of Academy City which trains ability users (espers) and Index, a living magical library, as they get caught up in various incidents revolving around divine, supernatural, and the occult.
Aorii: Boss rush, season 2. But I loved Index 1 and Railgun, no to mention being a Touma x Mikoto shipper and a fan of the whole esper x magic world, so can’t wait for this ;D
Honya: I’m in the same boat. I just hope the story expands upon the apparent conflict between espers and magicians. Of course It’ll be nice to see cameos of my favorite characters again.

Yumeiro Patissiere Professional [Site]
Production: Studio Pierrot
Synopsis: Continuation of the first season about Amano Ichigo as she enrolled in St. Mary academy, a culinary school for sweets, as she strives towards her dream of becoming a patissiere (dessert chef). The second season skips forward by several years when Ichigo and her friends are starting to become real patissieres
Aorii: Surprisingly enough, this super-shoujo series had become extremely enjoyable. The over the top presentation has kept it hilarious and delicious at the same time, not mentioning nonstop inspirations that contribute both to cake-baking and friendship. Plus, it’s going to be real interesting to see how they take a young-target-audience shoujo series and skip to an adult generation cast; hope Ichigo isn’t still stuck with a 4rd grader mentality lol.
Honya: This show makes me wonder why we never have any cake around when we watch it. But seriously the Iron Chefness is quite amusing. I wonder though how the style of the story will shift now that the cast will be aged to adults? Mentors for a new generation of patissieres perhaps?

Yosuga no Sora [Site][Trailer]
Production: feel., direct by Takahashi Takeo (Spice & Wolf)
Synopsis: After losing their parents, the twins Haruka and Sora Kazugano moves in with their grandfather in the remote village of Okukozome-cho, where they used to spend their summer vacations. Reunion with old friends and meeting new ones may feel like life as usual, but beneath the surface is a promise they made long ago, the location of an important lost item, and the real reason they chose to return.
Aorii: The premise is extremely generic for a visual novel, except for one thing: our main pairing are twins. I usually prefer forbidden sibling love kept non-blood-related but, if there’s true love and good melodrama, which the visnov is apparently famous for, then I’ll probably still love this /o/
Honya: As far as I’m concerned as long as both parties truly love each other I’m fine with it even if it is frowned upon by the rest of society. Of course the drama that will inevitably happen due to the aforementioned stigma will also be interesting given the extreme measures that many characters take in these sorts of situations.

Arakawa under the Bridge x Bridge [Site]
Production: SHAFT
Synopsis: Coninuation of the first season about a young upper-class man obsessed with not being indebted to anyone, who ends up being saved by a homeless girl named Nino and finds himself living alongside the extremely unusual residents along the Arakawa river.
Aorii: As a comedy featuring both original humor and deep sociological themes, the first season of Arakawa was brilliant, even if it did start to drift off a bit towards the end of season (but still funny). Hoping they’ll pick the pace back up with the new characters (>^_^)>
Honya: Unfortunately I never did watch the first series so I’ll have to pass on this at least until I do decide to watch the original.

Motto To Love Ru [Site][Trailer]
Production: Xebec
Synopsis: Continuation of the first series about Yuuki Rito and Lala, heir to the throne of the planet Deviluke who decides to marry Rito so she could remain on earth; but in order to do so, Rito must defeat Lala’s seven evil ex-boyfriends…

Honya —————— Aorii

Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan 2 [Site][Trailer]
Production: Studio DEEN
Synopsis: Continuation of the first season about Chizuru Yukimura, who went in search of her vanished father, a Dutch-trained doctor, and ends up being drawn into Shinsengumi and the turmoil of the age after watching one of them transform into an ogre.
Aorii: Other than the useless main heroine, I rather liked the first season. Half of it is definitely the historical parallel involved in the series, and the other half is… okay fine, it looks great, and been quite pleasing to watch the development of everyone except Chizuru.
Honya: I didn’t watch the original so I’ll have to pass again.

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Probable Keepers

Kuragehime [Site][Trailer]
Production: Brains Base, directed by Takahiro Omori (DRRR!, Jigoku Shoujo, Natsume Yuujinchou)
Synopsis: Tsukimi Kurashita is a jellyfish otaku, who moves into an apartment complex that is full of fujoshi with a no-men-allowed rule. But one day, Tsukimi invites a stylishly fashionable woman to stay at her room, only to discover the guest is not who “she” seems to be.
Aorii: Trap mingling amongst fujoshi xD you gotta give that one for originality. Great promises here.
Honya: True that. *imagines crazy shenanigans*

Fortune Arterial [Site][Game Trailer]
Production: ZEXCS, Feel, directed by Nawa Munenori.
Synopsis: A visual novel adaptation involving Kouhei Hasekura, who transfered to his new school on a remote island, and discovers that popular Sendo Erika of the student council is actually a vampire.
Aorii: Transfer student goes to town he used to lived in to meet childhood friends and find changes — pretty generic premise. Fortune Arterial is very laid back and cute though, especially in the angst-filled genre of vampire fiction. But as an Augustsoft eroge adaptation, hopefully this won’t turn into another Cabbage Love.
Honya: Not quite sure I want to watch this or not. I’ll probably take a wait-and-see approach until I figure out if I want to add yet another anime to my list.

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Checking Out

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru [Site][Trailer]
Production: SHAFT, directed by Shinbou Akiyuki (Arakawa, Bakemonogatari, Hidamari, Zetsubou Sensei).
Synopsis: Seaside is an odd but traditional ‘maid tea shop’ located in an otherwise ordinary shopping district in a mundane neighborhood in Tokyo. There Hotori Arashiyama works and daydreams about being a high school girl detective.
Aorii: Detectives? meh, but trailer looks like pure shenanigans humor; also seriously, this director’s resume is just too ridiculous! I’ll definitely check it out in case it’s awesome like Arakawa was.
Honya: That would be great if that is the case. I usually find Shaft to be hit-or-miss but I hope this one’s a hit.

Otome Youkai Zakuro [Site][Trailer]
Production: J.C.Staff
Synopsis: In the Meiji Era of a slightly alternate Japan, the fox-eared girls living in the youkai part of town are about to be put to work together with a delegation of young human soldiers to promote interracial understanding. So what will happen when Zakuro’s strong personality collides with human sensibilities?
Aorii: Pretty~ and feels somewhat mahou shoujo in a ways. Although, those are the worst uniform designs I have ever seen =_=
Honya: I believe this is the Touhou fan in me speaking but I love the idea of humans and youkai working together and forming relationships.

Tantei Opera Milky Holmes [Site][Trailer]
Production: J.C.Staff
Synopsis: In an imaginary world where private detectives and phantom thieves overwhelm the cities, four girls aim to become great detectives.
Aorii: Mahou shoujo milky sherlock holmes… huh? Wut?
Honya: This caught my interest because it had a funny name. Looking at the trailer though it does feel like a mahou shoujo which means there’s a decent chance I’ll enjoy it after the initial lolwut factor wears off.

MM! [Site][Trailer]
Production: Xebec
Synopsis: Tarou Sado is a normal high school boy who discovered a side of himself that is into masochism. He tries to fix this through his school’s “2nd Volunteer Club” while hiding it from his high school crush.
Aorii: Wutisdis; I am totally not interested in this not one bit.
Honya: I hope this show isn’t painful to watch or if it is it better be the pleasurable kind of pain.

Agriculture Musume [Site]
Production: Toei
Synopsis: Hikari and Hikaru Koshino, two sisters who take care of the rice paddy they inherited from their parents. Together, they grow rice while hanging out with their friends.
Aorii: First the anime about making bread, then baking cakes, and now… an anime about growing rice? In the name of my Asian-ness I must at least check out this series!!!
Honya: Each grain of rice contains 8 gods. Know your rice!

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OVAs

Koe de Oshigoto [Site][Trailer]: I discovered the manga way back and thought it was so cute and hilarious. Finally I can hear voice-acting in my voice-acting series. Also tells you the stuff a seiyuu must do to earn their paycheck >.<
Kuttsukiboshi [Trailer]: Yuri~! No really yuri~! We’ve been seriously lacking yuri anime.
Mayo elle Otokonoko [Site]: I love cute boys dressing up as cute girls.
Mirai Nikki [Trailer]: I’ve been lacking my dose of yandere lately.
To Heart 2 adnext [Site][Trailer]: I don’t really have to say anything other than that I’m a To Heart fan.
To Aru Kagaku no Railgun OVA: Kuroko. That’s all.
Tamayura [Site]: Slice of life series with the same Director as ARIA!? I’m sold.
Ganbare! Kieruna!! Shikiso Usuko-san [Site]: It looks cute so I’ll be keeping this on my radar.
Time Paladin Sakura [Site][Trailer]: Da Capo prequel about mahou shoujo Sakura, I’ll take that \o/

[kuwashima hajimouto]

and Everything Else

Star Driver [Site]: Not a super-robot fan, may check it out if club mechaphiles make this out to be near TTGL-level.
Ironman [Site][Trailer]: Live-action movies were enough for my interests.
Psychic Detective Yakumo [Site]: Might be interested if there wasn’t already a billion other shows need tracking.
Letter Bee: Reverse [Site]: Too occupied to bother watching season 1.
Togainu no Chi [Site][Trailer]: Kinda cool but, wasn’t all that interesting.
Panty & Stocking w/ Garter Belt [Site]: Powerpuff Girls x Perverts x Gurren Lagann production team = Wut.
Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls [Site][Trailer]: Queen’s Blade =_=
Sora no Otoshimono: Forte [Site]: (=_= )
Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector [Site][Trailer]: Mecha fanboy series.

I want to become an ally of justice…

In any other localization, Emiya Shirou’s wishes would probably have been translated to ‘hero of justice’. But Nasuverse has made it remarkably appropriate not to do so. Fate/stay night has already approached the question of ‘what makes a hero’ from multiple perspectives, from the idealized (Unlimited Blade Works) to the personal (Heaven’s Feel). Yet as Fate/stay night mixes the Black & White of modern heroism, the tragic and cynical nature of Fate/zero takes it up even another notch:

True justice may be heroic, but it was far too inhumane for heroes.

Justice and humanity cannot coexist — it may be the most consistent theme within Fate/stay night. From Shirou’s disregard for his own life in order to protect Fuyuki, to Saber’s denial of her own emotions to achieve perfection, to Archer’s disillusionment in his journey as a guardian, to the fateful choice for Sakura — the quest for Justice always demanded sacrifice. But it had always been self-sacrifice, and there were few things more heroic than that. Even Shirou’s decision to protect Sakura from the World had been motivated by nothing but the purest intent (albeit personal).

It was the same of Emiya Kiritsugu; yet it was also completely different.

If there was a Master in the war worthy of obtaining the Holy Grail, then he would undoubtedly be Emiya Kiritsugu — Saber

Fate/zero portrays a Kiritsugu not even Saber’s harshest condemnations could describe. As the standalone volume 4 interlude (you can read this without the rest of F/Z) depicts, Kiritsugu was capable of completely severing his humanity, becoming a perfect killing machine that even assassins and mass murders took years to reach. Kiritsugu’s ideals were as pure as the driven snow, and he carried it out with the very same self-sacrifice we attribute to heroes, except…

His sacrifices were not limited to himself. He tossed others into the fire, not nameless victims like in Heaven’s Feel but people he knew and loved. First his father to end the mage’s erring ways, then his teacher/‘adoptive-mother’ to stop a zombie outbreak that she barely survived from. This was a man who would slay his own mother and wife for the sake of pure untainted justice, and not a single one of his tears would bring him the slightest hesitation.

Even the King of Knights, the perfectionist who denounced her personal feelings, could not help being utterly disgusted by Kiritsugu. No doubt the King of Heroes Gilgamesh and Alexander the Great would agree, for both saw the glorification of personal desire as the road to ‘hero’ status. History would hold true to these fictionalized beliefs: heroes of legends, every warrior and ruler deemed ‘the Great’, left a bloody path of carnage and ruthlessness behind them as they rode to personal glory.

Compared to them, Kiritsugu was a true ally of justice. But how many would consider such a callous man a hero?

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Besides, was that really the last day of Kiritsugu’s youth? Was his path one of naive idealism, or bitter realism?

There is a thin yet substantial line between the romantization of a warrior and the glorification of war.

Death and carnage, atrocities and destruction, wars are never desirable, and fictional heroes are always seeking to end wars and bring peace. Yet at the same time, the traditional romantization of a warrior, from Sengoku to Three Kingdoms, from Valhalla to Camelot, will always paint them as eager for combat. As Reinhardt and Ruenthal realizes in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, true soldiers by nature are drawn to the call of battle, that they would never feel satisfaction within an era of peace. But there is a huge difference between that and warmongering. It may seem like a minor distinction, but eagerness to fight and willingness to kill are completely different things, and our Sengoku heroes are anything but blood-seeking war-addicts.

There are dozens of ways to look at military troopers: idealism portrays them as protectors of the peace, realism treats them as tools of international diplomacy; states train them to murder and destroy, while civilians see them as both heroes and victims. But what about how the soldiers view themselves? It’s not just a matter of Esprit de corps either, but far simpler than that: many (whether they realized it or not) might think of soldiers merely as machines of war personified, forgetting that soldiers are still human, entitled to a sense of purpose, a sense of fulfillment.

As a recent BBC article paints the misunderstood frustration of US soldiers who never saw deployment.

I wanted to fight, not to earn a badge of honour or a ribbon. It was the job I trained for.

The moral acceptability of war is beside the point. The profession of the career soldier remains the art of war itself. They may not enjoy killing, but they were trained to destroy the opposition. Battle was a duty, an obligation to be fulfilled, a challenge to prove their worth. Those who served became soldiers for a reason, and no decent individual would like to become a mere freeloader of public funds earned by others’ hard work.

Military fiction always strive to paint a soldier’s view of their own duty, and amongst them was the difference between ‘fighting’ and ‘killing’. To the bystander, war and death may be mere cause and effect, but god help a soldier from becoming a murderer if they cannot separate the difference between fighting on the battlefield and killing another man (in any other circumstance). It is the same mentality that allows Sanada Yukimura and Maeda Keiji to sympathize so personally with widows and orphans and brothers and comrades, despite shattering entire armies and bringing death to hundreds of husbands and fathers without blinking an eye.

It’s not like I was bloodthirsty and wanted to hurt people, it was more of a camaraderie feeling for me to fight alongside my brothers and serve my duties

The fact that ‘fighting’, by itself, contains no malice, also paves the path to an entire field of thinking (and idealism) on its own. Camaraderie is unmatched on the battlefield, where comrades entrust one another with their life and death, forming brotherhoods even truer than those of flesh and blood (where would the Three Brothers of the Peach Garden be had they not fought a war together?). Honor and trust was not merely shared between allies, but also between enemies, as tales of chivalrous rivalry, from Takeda Shingen and Useugi Kenshin to Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, were forever engraved into tales and legends. These romanticized relationships particularly contrasted the self-invested attitudes of modern businesses, where coworkers guarded against one another as they ascended the corporate pyramid, where market rivals would use all kinds of dirty tricks against one another.

Combine all this with the fact that romantization highlight the purest of human virtues; where soldiers were blessed by indomitable fortitude and fearlessness, where they remained professional, civil, and never wracked by bloodlust or the hatred of watching one too many comrades fall in battle. Then what remains is…

The ideal soldier: ever the honorable warrior, always the respectable gentleman, one who desires no war upon the masses, but always glad to meet a worthy rival in battle.

Chivalry shall live on~

Mecha has been an inseparable part of anime culture ever since Mobile Suit Gundam inspired the first generation of Otaku. But while I’ve met a lot of mecha fans over the years, most of them are under the impression that there is no practical reason to have mecha — that it’s purely a matter of looking cool, and mecha changing the future of warfare was merely a fandom dream. I blame this as amongst the reasons why mecha design in many recent series has been straying more and more from maintaining a degree of semi-realism (just compare Gundam00’s against the original’s). The Rule of Cool goes a long way, but it’s always nice when you don’t have to shut off half the brain to love the cool factor.

But is there a reason to have mecha? Even the fingered hands and human proportions of Japanese mecha? It might still be a science fiction fantasy due to the current imperfection of gyrostabilizers, but mechas do make actual sense. And with the right technologies, they really could change the future of war.

When it comes to tactical implications of battlefield equipment, me and my ‘coblogger’ Sajuuk identified a number of reasons on why mecha would be welcomed in military design. There are three highlights here, and we’ll try to stay off the hard scifi:

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Reason #1: Absolute Modularity

Going in? Here take my rifle! (Macross Frontier)

Aorii: Battlefield conditions are everchanging, and whenever the balance of power sways, or when new weapons/tactics are introduced, soldiers must respond asap, and they need the right equipment for the job. Any RTS gamers knows the basics: when the enemy focuses on air, or heavy armor, or massed light formations, you better switch your production to meet the threat with anti-air, armor-piercing, or AOE armaments. Real wars aren’t so different, except that the turnover time from your weapon factory to the battlefield takes far longer — that time is costly, paid with the lives of soldiers.

Sajuuk: Modular design is emphasized in modern combat vehicles to address the need to switch roles. But ‘true modularity’ is rare. With few exceptions like the Finnish Patria AMV, which can quickly switch roles between command, fire support, missile air-defense/anti-tank, most vehicles require significant downtime to swap components and switch roles — not only slow but a massive headache on logistics. The closest thing to true modularity is actually the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, which can quickly switch roles between fighter, bomber, close-air-support (gunship), etc, simply by attaching different weapon payloads (sometimes multiple types of weapons at once).

Aorii: This is where the mecha shines; with its fingered hands, exposed components, and interchangeable limbs, a mecha can easily be reconfigured (if not instantly by simply seizing a new weapon) to meet new threats. The methodology of modularity has always traded armor integrity for adaptability, and the anime mecha represents the peak of adaptability. Not to mention that while mecha lacks armor coverage compared to normal vehicles, its modularity increases repairability: a tank with a destroyed main cannon is half useless, a jet with a shattered wing is scrap, but a mecha can just attach a different arm and grab another gun to keep fighting.

Temporary fix for the Gurren (Code Geass), just attach another arm.

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Reason #2: All Terrain Control and Adaptability

Aorii: The Armored Combat Vehicle (ACV)‘s inability to climb steep slopes (~40+ degrees) remains one of its biggest weaknesses and the greatest strength for ‘walkers’. Furthermore, while mecha have larger vertical profiles (thus larger targets) than a wheeled/tracked ACV, they have the advantage of being able to take advantage of cover like an infantry could. For example, a tank rounding a corner or rolling over a hill must expose at least half of itself before achieving line-of-sight for direct fire, while a mecha, especially with the flexible arms of Japanese mecha (compared to the rigid joints of Western designs), could just bend an elbow. Essentially, a mecha brings heavy firepower to rough terrain and urban combat where traditional ACVs would find themselves seriously handicapped.

Mao’s M9 Arm Slave (Full Metal Panic! TSR) ducking around a corner after firing.

Sajuuk: The How to shoot the guy around the corner (or over cover) conundrum has lead to countless developments, from indirect-fire weapons (e.g. mortars, grenades) to the CornerShot weapon accessory. But indirect-fire weapons take a serious penalty to accuracy, while corner shooting has been limited to man-portable equipment. Insofar as modern day goes, there is still no way to bring vehicular (heavy) fire support into rough combat zones as easily as a mecha could.

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Reason #3: Unified Humanoid Control

Aorii: The greatest advantage for a humanoid vehicle is that it can be controlled by a person’s instinctive motor reflexes. Basically, motioned-slaved mecha are just larger versions of powered-armor, which gives them a degree of handling unmatched by conventional ACVs — any kid knows to instinctively dodge a ball, but it takes countless hours of flight experience for a fighter pilot to gain the same split-second instincts with fighter controls. Furthermore, because of the more ‘awkward’ driving interfaces used by ACVs and aircraft, the pilot must use their hands to direct movement and maneuvering, limiting any ability to simultaneously target in another direction with weapons; henceforth why single-pilot vehicles fire only in the forward direction. Mechas however, could rely on the pilot’s limbs to direct motion while their hands are free to manipulate weapons and other equipment (e.g. electronic warfare), allowing complex machines to be controlled by a single operator rather than several. This reduces not only manpower, but also occupant-space that needs armor protection, and completely eliminates any teamwork delays during combat (e.g. a tank commander telling the pilot where to go and the gunner what to shoot). The downside is that with more functions crammed into fewer operators, mecha pilots are more easily overwhelmed by the combat anxiety, henceforth why only veteran/elite pilots should be given mechs.

Sajuuk: The technology isn’t available yet for a modern day equivalent of this, except for maybe the helmet-mounted targeting system of the Apache and more recent fighters. But anime provides plenty of ‘sane’ examples on humanoid control, such as the Arm Slaves of Full Metal Panic! which reads pilot movement by surrounding their bodies with motion-sensing armatures, translating all pilot motion into movement of the mech itself. The skin-tight garments of G Gundam’s Mobile Trace System is another example of the precise control offered, allowing ‘martial arts’ and acrobatics unmatched compared to traditional piloting.

Motion-control armatures in the cockpit for the Codarl Arm Slave (Full Metal Panic!)

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We tried to keep this as non-technical as possible, but if you survived this post and its militaristic reasoning then hopefully you’ll see the mecha as more than just ‘cool looking’. While mechs can never truly replace tracked/wheeled ACVs, they are capable of filling in roles that modern ACVs are poorly suited for. Although, any scifi writer claiming the Rule of Cool didn’t come into mind when they designed mecha is just being tsundere.

Postnote: Delays on this post gave me a whole new appreciation to the difficulties of ‘co-author discussion’ posts. If I haven’t bored people with technicalities of the ‘equipment’ perspective here, I’ll write another later from the ‘deployment’ perspective focused on tactical concepts (e.g. combined arms, panzerkeils, blitzkreig).

One of my favorite events during any convention; even for Otakon where I had to wait an hour in line, but it was still well worth it~. So, in the spirit of sharing, I did my best in hunting down the videos in question but there are still some missing from this list >.< The ballot (here) won’t matter anymore though except as a reference.

And now a word from our sponsors by Scintilla (Contest 1st Place) [Download]
Anime: Various, but heavily Code Geass
Song: “Burger Dance (International Remix)” by DJ Otzi

Not surprisingly, this took first place in the AMV contest ~ the comedy section always did have the best stuff. I was literally laughing my tears our for minutes on this one, not to mention the inclusion of one scene that will never be unseen (~2:20, it’ll be thought of every time you see Hare Hare Yukai from now on xD).

Well anyhow, the rest comes in order of how much I liked their categories (the 1st and 2nd place marks are the official winners)… Keep in mind these are all finalists though and just about all of them are good >.<-b

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Comedy

An AMV about TV by VivifxAMV (1st Place Comedy) [Download]
Anime: Various
Song: “Famous” by Scouting for Girls

Britannia, [Expletive] Yeah! by @Productions (2nd Place Comedy)
Anime: Code Geass
Song: “America, Fck Yeah” by Trey Parker

Nausea in D Major by Cyanna [Download]
Anime: Nodame Cantabile
Song: “I’m so Sick of You” by Weird Al

Stupid Couple by Jubjub2
Anime: Lovely Complex
Song: “Barber of Seville Overture” by London Symphony Orchestra

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Romance/Sentimental

“AMG in a Nutshell” is quite hilarious, but other than “Anything But”, I thought the Clannad and ef AMVs from the drama/serious category did a far better job as far as sentimentality goes. “Never Have Known” would have been good but… the pairing switch for much of the middle and sudden switch-back at the end really hurt it.

AMG in a Nutshell by Doomimus (1st Place Romance) [Download]
Anime: Ah! My Goddess
Song: “That Face” by Matthew Broderick & Cady Huffman

Anything But by Code (2nd Place Romance) [Download]
Anime: Howl’s Moving Castle
Song: “Ordinary Day” by Vanessa Carlton

Never Have Known by s0matic [Download]
Anime: Welcome to the N.H.K!
Song: “You Found Me” by Kelly Clarkson

Chain of Memories by Anicsi [Download]
Anime: 5cm per Second
Song: “Down” by Jason Walker

Second Guesses by Sonydjsnmix
Anime: Kare Kano
Song: “Safe Side” by Tim Be Told

Nara by Oro$hi
Anime: various
Song: “No More Tears” by David Nevue

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Upbeat/Dance

While Hare Hare Yukai AMVs are one of the most overdone things ever, “I Ain’t Marrin’ No Friggin’ Horse” is just outright amazing when it comes to timing/syncing. “Pacific Coast Party” contain every beach scene you ever needed to see and is quite funny (particularly 2:25). “Children of Daicon” sadly didn’t hit the tops; most might not get it but it’s an awesome Gainax tribute (name makes it pretty obvious) with clips from every series of theirs.

I Ain’t Marryin’ No Friggin’ Horse!!! by ZaCloud (1st Place Upbeat) [Download]
Anime: The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, Lucky Star
Song: “Big Black Horse and the Cheery Tree” by KT Tunstall

Pacific Coast Party by Crossfade from AMP Studio (2nd Place Upbeat) [Download]
Anime: various
Song: “Pacific Coast Party” by Smash Mouth

Children of Daicon by Machina21 [Download]
Anime: various (all Gainax)
Song: “Prologue/Twilight” by Electric Light Orchestra

Nucking Futs by Sailor Death Productions [Download]
Anime: Sora no Otoshimono
Song: “Basket Case” by Green Day

Magic Oven Mittens by Corsair [Download]
Anime: K-on
Song: “I Ain’t Got Rhythm” by Phineas and Ferb

Noise Pollution by Lawrence Studios [Download]
Anime: various
Song: “AM Radio” by Everclear

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Drama/Serious

“Today, Forever” really hits the sentiments like a brick for anyone who loved Clannad. Personally I’m split between “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” — which has a lot of AMVs but VegettoEX’s is definitely the bet I’ve seen with their character choices — and ef’s “A Journey Through The Pages”. For some reason VegettoEX also hasn’t uploaded their AMV anywhere so… will update if we locate it.

Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked by VegettoEX (1st Place Drama)
Anime: various
Song: “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage The Elephant

Today, Forever by Re-Evolution Studios (2nd Place Drama)
Anime: Clannad
Song: “What We Will Never Know” by InnerPartySystem

A Journey Through The Pages by MycathatesyouAMV
Anime: Ef ~ A Tale of Memories
Song: “Diary of Jane” by Breaking Benjamin

Coming Home by Tech Crew Never Dies Productions
Anime: Macross Frontier, Voices of a Distant Star
Song: “Major Tom (Coming Home)” by Shiny Toy Guns

Defying Gravity by Cyber Ninja Productions [Download]
Anime: Macross Frontier
Song: “Defying Gravity” by Idina Menzel

Whore for the Cold World by Curry Mutton Pizza Productions
Anime: Death Note
Song: “The Poet and the Pendulum” by Nightwish

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Action

I don’t particularly care for this category, and my favorite was “Skin” which did great with Claymore’s drama factor. Couldn’t find the 2nd place winner “Gunsmith Cat City” but frankly I didn’t like it much so [shrug].

Fallen Souls by wingz of silence (1st Place Action) [Download]
Anime: Soul Eater
Song: “Falling Down” by Oasis/Prodigy

Gunsmith Cat City by Brakus Media (2nd Place Action)
Anime: Gunsmith Cats
Song: “Bad City (Readymade 524mix)” by SHOGUN

Skin by irriadin [Download]
Anime: Claymore
Song: “Skin” by Machinae Supremacy

Fight for Life by RiderG [Download]
Anime: various
Song: “10th Man Down” by Nightwish

Bring it Back by 0SimplyAngel0 [Download]
Anime: Samurai Champloo
Song: “Astrosexy” by M-flo feat

Condemned Project by smckevin [Download]
Anime: Ergo Proxy
Song: “I’m so Sick” by Flyleaf

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Parody

Inception by DiscoVader Productions (1st Place Parody) [Download]
Anime: various
Audio: “Inception” from Warner Brothers Pictures

The Headerband of Eli by Blood Sugar Productions (2nd Place Parody) [Download]
Anime: Afro Samurai
Audio: “The Book of Eli” from Warner Brothers Pictures

Tonight, on a very special Section 9… by Cousin of Sparda Studios
Anime: Ghost in The Shell
Song: “Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys

The Job by EF Film Studios
Anime: Cowboy Bebop
Song: “Get Smart Theme” by Agent Orange

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Postnote: Thanks to help from Sajuuk for link hunting~ also, here’s the ones from Otakon 2009.

With its alternative history plotline drawn out of a 3D beat ‘em up video game, Sengoku Basara was never meant to be either serious or deep. Most people just watch it for the amusement from the outright ridiculous yet awesome acts its characters get involved in, whether it be standing on horses as they run up walls or summon beams of light to shine down from the sky. But while Sengoku Basara focuses on sheer entertainment from its impossible actions, from exaggerated martial destruction to all the tools and customs that simply didn’t exist back in the day, a lot of it is… well, surprisingly ‘representative’ to history fact.

For example, Date’s Engrish seems to be the first thing that pops to mind when Basara is mentioned. Of course, the traditional Samurai had no such pop culture of speaking awkward English just to look cool. But this character quirk is extremely appropriate for Date, seeing as he was a patron of Christianity and Western Culture within Sengoku Japan. During a time when most Japanese warlords did not welcome Western concepts, particularly Christianity, Date not only encouraged and aided missionaries but also sent the first Japanese ambassador to Europe to establish relations with the Pope. One could say that compared to others of his era, he was quite fascinated by Western religion and culture.

So… once you modernize his character alongside the rest of the cast, Date becomes an Engrish-shouting motorcycle-horse riding reverse-weeaboo.

Comedic anachronism is nothing new; fiction, especially historical fiction, routinely parodies both events and characters from the real world, drawing upon known facts as inspiration and romanticizing the obscurities in a way that is impossible for its originating time for either entertainment or dramatic effect. After all, writing historical events and characters ‘as is’ is often boring to all except the history fans. Therefore many ‘historical’ series will rely on alterations — inspired by the original but far more interesting for today’s standards. For example, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is probably the most well known movie to relies on comedic historical anachronisms, applying wacky modern conceptions and new punchlines to everything from knighthood to the plague. Well… much of the same concepts have been applied to Sengoku Basara, as many of those entertaining quirks were simply historically inspired reference spam:

Sanada Yukimura was known as the “Crimson Demon of War”, and even the Basara footmen noticed that ‘he really is red’. He was also referred by Shimazu Tadasune as the “number one soldier of Japan”, which may be amongst the reasons why Yukimura of Basara is a simple-minded straightforward warrior rather than being the tactician that he was renowned as.

Hideyoshi did indeed envision a powerful and unified Japan, but as his heavy conscription in Basara speaks, his ambitions soon grew without bounds. The real Hideyoshi seized power in Japan only to turn his eyes on the conquest of Ming China, thereafter launching two ill-fated invasions of Korea.

Katakura Kojūrō actually did persuade Date to submit to Hideyoshi during the Odawara Campaign, which is believed to have saved the Date clan. Yet when Hideyoshi attempts to make Kojūrō a daimyo (to be on par with Date), Kojūrō rejected it to declare his loyalty in serving Masamune. Symbolism to this event would find its way into what happens between Hideyoshi/Hanbei and Kojūrō during the early episodes of Sengoku Basara 2.

Takeda Shingen was renowned for his cavalry, even if none of his horses were ever powerful enough to scale walls. His chivalrous rivalry with Uesugi Kenshin is amongst the most famous throughout history; the two were matched in their martial prowess, but Shingen was slightly better at civil administration while Kenshin was better at battle tactics, which really shaped their roles in Basara (Uesugi spent more time commanding than fighting, and Takeda spent much time teaching Yukimura about managing people).

Akechi Mitsuhide was every bit as sinister and treacherous as portrayed; historically, he forced his lord Oda Nobunaga to commit suicide at the Honnou-ji temple (where Mitsuhide was killed by Kojiuro in Basara).

Etc etc…

This is one of those times when I found that some knowledge of the background source can really make a show even more enjoyable, not to mention intriguing enough to further my research, which dug up amusing facts such as that Yukimura was only 6 year olds when Takeda Shingen died (Yukimura as Takeda’s second-in-command is purely a Samurai Warriors tradition), or that Sanada Yukimura and Katakura Kojūrō were actually in-laws.

[ Zenjii ]

Postnote: looking up some Sengoku history also made me stumble across Hideyoshi’s Katanagari, which not only sounds like but also similar in concept to a currently airing sword-hunting anime.

It doesn’t take long for most visitors to my blog to notice the tarot theme; although it should be noted that while ‘tarot’ is commonly misconstrued as synonymous to Major Arcana, the 22 card Major Arcana is merely part of the tarot, followed by the 56 card Minor Arcana that is roughly the equivalent of today’s normal playing cards (just swap the Page & Knight for Jack). But there’s no doubt that the Major Arcana is the far more powerful suit within the tarot, and while most people recognize the Major Arcana as only a medium of fortune telling, its use as a divination tool is merely a limited presentation of the arcana’s true potential:

The Major Arcana is the card suit of life.

The most concise and simple explanation I’ve seen for the Major Arcana came from a lecture within Persona 3:

The Major Arcana tells a story that is the metaphor of an individual’s journey through life. Each Major Arcana represents a stage on that journey, an experience that the individual must incorporate to realize his oneness:

The first card, numbered 0, is The Fool. It represents the beginning and suggestions infinite possibilities.
The next card, The Magician, represents action and initiative… but also immaturity.
The Priestess represents contemplation and inner knowledge.
The Empress represents motherhood and the life it brings forth.
The Emperor is an opposing card. It represents fathering and relates to leadership and decision-making skills.
The Hierophant represents formality and knowledge, and stands for religion.
The Lovers card represents choice. Here, the individual’s consciousness has finally surfaced.
The Chariot represents victory for the individual, but only a momentary one.
Justice represents the knowledge of what is right, and what is wrong.
The Hermit represents the individual’s search for answers by looking inward; deep inside his heart.
(Wheel of) Fortune represents fate, and the opportunities that come with it.
Strength represents both passion and self-control. It is depicted as power with reason.
The Hanged Man reflects the individual’s inability to take action.
Spiritual death awaits the individual with the 13th card, which is aptly named Death. Death is also considered a transitional card; the old ends, the new begins.
Temperance is the balancing of opposites. Opening his eyes to the world allows the individual to grow.
And as The Devil represents, he then faces temptation.
At the Tower, his values collapse on him. It seems as if he no longer has anything to believe in, but…
he then finds a glimmer of hope, represented by The Star; and he is suffused with a serene calm.
This bliss makes him vulnerable to the illusions of The Moon. Fears arise, and he follows the dim path in his heart with trepidation.
But he is rewarded with a bright future, represented by The Sun, which signifies true achievement.
Judgement awaits the individual at the end of his journey, as he looks back on the path he has traveled.
The final card is The World, which represents the individual’s full awareness of his place in the world.

This is the growth of an individual as explained by the tarot cards.

The Major Arcana features both the theme of life and the double cycle, divided near its middle by the transitory #13 card: Death. But in additional to paralleling the growth of an individual, both the life theme and the double cycle are also commonly used storyboarding techniques. Thus, the Major Arcana could also be used to portray the development of many stories as well as their characters.

Take Clannad for example. While KEY’s theme for the original works was ‘family’, it is also both a work of ‘life’ and Okazaki Tomoya’s journey towards personal completion. So if you map the Major Arcana to the main story around Nagisa in a roughly chronological manner:

Tomoya begins as The Fool, a disillusioned high schooler with neither dream nor goal for the future.
He takes initiative and approaches Nagisa en route to school, an ‘immature’ decision without any thought to its impact. (The Magician)
His meeting with Nagisa’s family made him realize the source of his curiosity and attraction. (The Priestess)
Nagisa’s mother represents The Empress while her father portrays The Emperor, bringing forth both maternal care and paternal decisiveness/discipline into the family. Although Akio’s wild behavior makes this questionable, his personal sacrifice for the sake of his daughter is an indoubtable image of self-control.
High school injects the semblance of formality into Tomoya’s life, and also offers him both knowledge and initial maturity with the opportunity of Nagisa’s drama club. (The Hierophant)

Note that the first six cards up to this point forms the premise of a story; it may also portray the upbringing of any individual.

Tomoya soon draws The Lovers and chooses to wholeheartedly assist Nagisa, solidifying the start of their relationship.
The Chariot represents pride of their initial success with the drama club’s first act during the school festival.
Tomoya and Furukawas exercises their sense of Justice as they cheered for Nagisa with their own beliefs during the act.
Their feelings and the Furukawa family’s past made not only Sanae and Akio contemplate the most important part of their life, but also bestowed the same revelation upon Tomoya and Nagisa. (The Hermit)
The Wheel of Fortune returned the fated illness to Nagisa, but it also accentuated Tomoya’s desire to support her, leading to both marriage and childbirth.
Tomoya’s newfound Strength allowed him to tackle life seriously after graduation, working hard day after day at his new job.
But the failing health of Nagisa as Ushio’s birth drew near made Tomoya realize his helplessness once again (The Hanged Man).
Nagisa’s Death would extinguish the light that guided Tomoya; but it also brought Ushio and started the cycle anew.

[ Ibarano ]

The Furukawas attempts to bring Tomoya out of his depression and return balance to his life by sending him on a trip with Ushio (Temperance).
But Tomoya is still bogged down but his lingering pessimism (The Devil).
He confronts his greatest obstacle, as The Tower looms in the shape of his similarities to his negligent father.
Yet as Okazaki meets his grandmother and learns the truth, The Star returned hope to him once again.
The Sun and The Moon came in reverse order, as Okazaki is first given bliss and hopes of a bright future with Ushio, before her failing health crashes his dreams once again.
While the life as he knew it draws to an end, Tomoya faces Judgment and questions whether he should have approached Nagisa on that fateful day.
But as he comes to realization, and ultimate power of The World offers him a miracle and grants salvation to his life.

Hence is the story of Clannad as told by the cards.

This is merely an example, as the Major Arcana could be applied to so many others: the two arcs of Simon’s journey through Gurren Lagann, the past taken by Otonashi through Angel Beats (with Death marked by Naoi’s climax), the two phrases travelled by Lelouch through Code Geass (with Suzaku being The Sun)… I could keep going, but I’ll leave the rest to your imaginations.

You killed me didn’t you!!!

I’m neither a Noitamina fan nor typically have any interest in mystery/horror (too creepy!), but I’m quite impressed by this first episode. Given that this is Fuyumi Ono, the writer of Twelve Kingdoms (and Ghost Hunt), the exposition is expected to take some time before we catch the main plot. But in the meantime, they certainly know how to set up the atmosphere and background well~!

Shiki’s introduction follows a day with Megumi Shimizu, an annoying girl who spends her time whining about the hamlet she lives in and consoles herself with the only two interesting parts of the town: the giant European-styled Kanemasa mansion that sits atop the hill, and Yuuki Natsuno, her stoic city-born prince charming who usually ignores her.

Later, Megumi discovers that the ever watching big brother actually exists at that fancy mansion. Soon the village is swept away by an uproar when Megumi is declared missing. Their search efforts discover her in the middle of the woods. Doctor Toshio Ozaki claimed that she was only anemic, but the fading light of her eyes says otherwise. By next morning, she had died of unknown causes.

A mysterious death in a backwater hamlet, a quiet city-born, a weird newcomer to the big mansion, a few average townspeople families, a doctor, and more yet to be introduced cast (like the obligatory cop). With a set of clearly defined characters surrounding the first victim, Shiki feels like a Mafia game in a Higurashi–esque setting. It imported a bit of the Higurashi shock factor in the gruesome intro segment, but it also shrouded the entire premise with the spookiness to send chills down the audience’s collective spines while dropping enough intrigue to keep people wondering who the accused murderer will be.

Lynch the cat ears boy first!!! An obvious suspect and I hate him already—

I don’t particularly care for any of the characters yet; many of them I find outright annoying. But thankfully I’m also not worried about that. Twelve Kingdoms proved that one of Fuyumi Ono’s specialties lay in character development, turning her generic brats/conformists into astounding heroes and heroines through extraordinary circumstances; so in this case, the lower they start, the more we can look forward to~

The line art and character designs are different from what I’d usually like, but the palette and shading both shows excellent production qualities, and given the sharp art style I expect pixiv to stock great fan arts for this series~