Rewind: Space Brothers

I underestimated Space Brothers (Uchuu Kyoudai) when it began airing in Spring 2012. The frame Crunchyroll used to represent the first episode looked annoying, perhaps even crude—at least to me. But others around the 'net seemed to like it, and the summary made it sound decent. So I gave it a try, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Mutta and his dog Appo watch a rocket in one of the EDs.
Screenshot taken at the end of ep 85.

Here's what I wrote in my "first impressions" post that spring:

Space Brothers:
(1) Hey, this is pretty good...
(2) Go, big brother, go! As an older sibling myself, I identify with the main character wanting to stay ahead of his brother.
(3) It's not too late to follow your dreams. I believe in you, Mutta!
(4) Eh, predictable romance. Oh well. Hope it won't take away from achieve-dreams-in-space and brother angles.
(5) I'm really, really going to like this one.

Now that I've finished all 99 episodes, here's my response:

(1) Yep, it was pretty good.

(2) Sure enough, I continued to relate to Mutta, the main character, throughout the show. Sure, he's a Japanese man with a few years of career life under his belt, and I'm a young American woman in college. But we both are older siblings, and we both have pretty awesome little siblings. I wrote a post on the topic in June 2013.

(3) Dreams. That's another area where I relate with Mutta: we both gave up on our dreams at some point, and we both regained determination to pursue those dreams. (And then, for me anyway, a bigger dream)

(4) I wasn't thrilled with Mutta's crush, but it wasn't too intrusive... and it wasn't completely dismissed either. Altogether, they handled relationships pretty well.

(5) I did really, really like this one... for the first several dozen episodes. By the end, the excitement was pretty much gone.

Honestly, I'm impressed that a seinen show like this one reached 99 episodes. I expect that length for flashy shounen like Hunter x Hunter or Naruto, but this was a surprise. Space Brothers is not flashy. It's set in the near future, and it deals with outer space, but it doesn't really fit in the sci-fi genre. Still, it is very suspenseful at times, complete with literal cliffhangers. (I got a kick out of that.) It's heartwarming.(I'm a sucker for good familial relationships, especially between siblings.) It's relatable and promoted beneficial reflection for me. And it's often fun.

Still, the last several episodes—perhaps the last cour or even more—were relatively ineffective. I went months between episodes, and then I'd only watch a couple at a time. The ending didn't even feel like a proper ending. Sure, questions were answered, and loose ends were acknowledged... mostly. But goals weren't met. I realize that the manga is still ongoing, and perhaps no proper ending has been written just yet. But I can only react to what I've seen, and the anime ended weakly. There was no climax, no emotional high or low... just waiting for a big event that never appeared on screen.

Don't get me wrong. I greatly enjoyed most of the show, and I recommend it. It just lost my interest at the end. And part of that could be due to my own mood. My anime-watching habits can be finicky.

Rewind: Kuroko's Basketball

After a week of drowning in homework, I've finally emerged to breathe. As I look around Crunchyroll and Twitter, I realize something that I should already know: Kuroko's Basketball is back! I can't wait to start watching it again.

In honor of of the new season, this week's Rewind post goes back to the beginning of Spring 2012. I still lived at my aunt's house, and I was taking the year off of school, so I had plenty of time to follow the latest anime. I started seven new ones, and listed my first impressions. Only two of the initial seven kept my attention the entire season: Space Brothers and, of course, Kuroko's Basketball.

I admit, Kuroko's Basketball had an unfair advantage. It's a sports anime, and I rarely drop sports anime. But my love for the genre is not blind. If the anime is mediocre, like Area no Kishi or Dear Boys, I'll putter through an episode or two at a time over a period of months or years. If it's good, I'll eagerly watch each episode as soon as possible.

I didn't list Kuroko as the "most exciting" new anime on my list, but by the end of the second episode, I knew that the main character was cool, that the show was better than Dear Boys, and that I would love it. I was right on all three counts.

If you picked your basketball team from a lineup, Kuroko would be your last choice. In fact, you might not even notice him. He's small, and his fitness appears, at best, average for a fifteen year old boy. He makes a point not to draw attention to himself, and his shooting ability isn't much better than mine. But he loves the game, and, more importantly, he can pass.

"He can pass?" you say. "Big whoop. I've been throwing balls back and forth since I was three."

Kuroko, midgame in episode 10.

No, you see, Kuroko can pass. He identifies where he needs to be and where the ball needs to be, and he gets it done before the opposing team even remembers he's on the court. Many games have been won thanks to his refined skill and lack of presence. All the glory goes to his teammates, the ones who make the shots. He's just the "phantom" player, the little guy on the team, and he likes it that way.

Clearly, Kuroko has a unique approach to basketball. He builds up his team, presents himself as a "shadow" to their "light," as he said to his teammate Kagami.

He's not all that's good about this anime. Suspense is built in the competition, both in individual games and in longterm rivalry. And it's just plain fun. I smiled, chuckled, and laughed many times throughout the twenty five episodes. I look forward to watching Kuroko and his team as they continue to grow this season.

I'll leave you with that. I want to watch Kuroko's Basketball before people come home and interrupt me.

Enjoying Gon and Killua

Okay, time for another post. I've been pretty absent from the blogosphere lately, something I regret. But I have too many pastimes. I can't be deeply involved in all of them at the same time, so the pastimes get turns in the spotlight at my whim.

Of course, I'm still watching anime. I'm just not caught up on all of this season's shows at the moment. Maybe they're not as enticing as the Winter 2012 anime. Maybe I'm just distracted. Does it really matter?

Hunter x Hunter is one of the few anime I'm following closely at the moment. I saw the first animated version of the series a couple years ago, but have since forgotten much of it. Thus, I'm greatly enjoying it this time around. Killua and Gon are awesome. Yeah, I realize I've said this in previous blog posts, but it's worth repeating. They've spent the last eight episodes at Heavens Arena. In these eight episodes, we've seen Gon realize just how strong he's become. We've seen Gon and Killua beat up super strong adults with a single movenment. We've seen them learn Nen like it was riding a bike - and then beat up more cocky adults. 

And now, Hisoka has acknowledged Gon's progress and told him to set a time for their long anticipated fight. Personally, I don't think Gon is even close to ready for that, and I hope Gon realizes it, too. 

Speaking of Hisoka, a future arc was alluded to in recent episodes, an arc I barely remember. Keep an eye out for Phantom Troupe mentions, folks! They will be dealt with, and it looks like Hisoka will have a hand in the dealing. That should be fun. For those of you who forgot: the Phantom Troupe is a group of very dangerous criminals. They killed off Kurapika's whole clan, something he's still pretty ticked off about, to say the least. And here's an interesting connection: Remember at the "end" of the Hunter exams when Hisoka told Kurapika where and when to find the Phantom Troupe? It's making a little more sense now, isn't it?

Oh, I do love making connections. Especially in my favorite action-packed anime. 

Hunter x Hunter is no Gungrave. It isn't at all deep, the action is based in fantasy even without the Nen, and the plot holds few or no surprises. It's certainly not realistic. That's probably why I love it so much, even though it will never get that number one place on my list. I have a blast watching Gon and Killua no matter what they do. If they face off Hisoka, I'm happy. If they learn new tricks or practice Nen, I'm happy. If they participate in any fight, I'm really happy. And if they just sit around and talk to each other... well, that pleases me, too. They're my favorite animated twelve year olds, easily beating even Echizen Ryoma and the younger Naruto. How could I not love the duo? Between their friendship and their fighting skills, Gon and Killua are unstoppable bundles of fun.

*Picture is a screenshot from episode 34 of Hunter x Hunter (2011 version). 

Spring 2012: First Impressions and Rambles

So far this season, I've started seven new anime: Kids on the Slope, Accel World, Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals, Kuroko's Basketball, Zetman, Space Brothers, and Tsuritama. Some of them look better than others.

Least exciting new anime on my watching list:


I'm watching the Naruto spin-off, listed on Crunchryoll as Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals, because of some sort of twisted obligation I feel. The same twisted obligation that keeps me watching Naruto Shippuden even when the fillers and flashbacks seem endless.

In truth, Rock Lee is one of my least favorite good guy characters in Naruto. He's annoying. Worse, he's apprentice to the Master of Obnoxious, Guy-sensei.

When I first saw the chibi-style show dedicated to Rock Lee, I thought it would be a bunch of five minute shorts. Nope. These are full episodes.

Yeah, I might drop that one, no matter how much I like Naruto.

Most exciting new anime on my watching list:

Putting the above anime aside, this season does hold promise. Kids on the Slope, aka Sakamichi no Apollon, looks pretty good. I love Kawabuchi Sentarou. He's strong, has a taste for music, beats up bullies, looks out for the main character, just rescued a damsel in distress... *enter Annalyn's distant starry eyes here*

Sentarou, Ritsuko, and Kaoru (Kids on the Slope)

What? No, of course he's not my new 2D crush! He's younger than me! Besides, it's completely insensible to have a crush on an anime character. Not as insensible to have a crush on a real life actor, of course, but still.

Okay, focusing back in...

Anway, Kids on the Slope is about a high school student who just transferred for the umpteenth time: Nishimi Kaoru. He plays piano, makes friends with jazz drummer/delinquent Kawabuchi Sentarou, develops a crush on Kawabuchi's cute childhood friend, etc.

Basically, I like piano, and Nishimi plays piano. I like strong and loyal characters, and Kawabuchi is strong and loyal. I like a good plot, and Kids on the Slope looks like it may have a good plot. So I'm looking forward to this anime.

Five other Spring anime on my watching list:

Kuroko's Basketball:
(1) It's a sports anime.
(2) The main character, Kuroko, seems really cool.
(3) As of the second episode, it's way better than Dear Boys, despite some similar themes.
(4) I'm going to love this one.

Accel World:
(1) First impression: reminds me of World God Only Knows. A main character obsessed with games. Cool. I like shows about otaku.
(2) Oh dear. An overprotective childhood friend. Kill me now.
(3) A "perfect" female student council president taking interest in the deadbeat main character. Wow. That's new. Not.
(4) Eh, this looks enjoyable anyway. Sign me up for the season!

Zetman:
(1) Seems dark and action filled.
(2) Uh oh. Please don't let there be too much drama between childhood friends.
(3) Cool action. I really like the main character. The lady who too him in, too.
(4) Um... a lot of this conflict looks familiar. I've seen it in plenty of vigilante/action/etc. shows and movies.
(5) It's completely unrealistic for him to turn into that. This is supposed to be sci-fi, not fantasy.
(6) Eh, this could be good anyway. I'll watch and hope there is more fighting, less drama.

Space Brothers:
(1) Hey, this is pretty good...
(2) Go, big brother, go! As an older sibling myself, I identify with the main character wanting to stay ahead of his brother.
(3) It's not too late to follow your dreams. I believe in you, Mutta!
(4) Eh, predictable romance. Oh well. Hope it won't take away from achieve-dreams-in-space and brother angles.
(5) I'm really, really going to like this one.

Tsuritama:
(1) The colors... O.o
(2) Oh no. The poor main character, Sanada Yuki. Sympathetic viewer syndrome activating! Must detach myself before I feel too much of his embarrassment!
(3) Wow, Sanada. That nervous face is grotesque. Um... okay, I'll deal with it.
(4) Um... an alien with a magic squirt gun? Okaaaay....
(5) Is that an Indian prince with a duck? Um... alright.
(6) I like the serious guy with the glasses - the "Fishing Prince." He's cool.
(7) This should be entertaining. Strange, but entertaining. Sign me up for the season!

I also tried Medaka Box, but there was a very annoying amount of fanservice in it. I dropped it after the first episode.

So, those are the initial seven Spring 2012 anime on my watching list. I'll likely add more. What about you? Do you have any first impressions or rambling about this season's anime?