Archive for the 'Welcome to the NHK' Category

Simoun and the end of summer

Aaeru

It’s the end of summer season. I can’t keep track of much of the last year of my life to even believe that it is time to look for new things to watch soon. What that really means is that I have no idea what to watch come this fall season, but I hope it’s better than the host of vampire shows there were last fall. So with that said, I will now throw some words at you about the stuff I have been watching, with one new one thrown into the mix, which is…

Simoun

I’ll be real honest. Here’s a show I knew nothing about. Then Jeff Lawson said he was enamored with it. Now I don’t mean to sound silly, but when Jeff says a show is good, I usually take his word for it. So I checked it out. Fired it up one night, and was immediately confused at the fact there were girls kissing all over the place. Honesty part 2; I don’t have a lot of experience with Shoujo Ai. I persevered and really like the show. The funny part was trying to explain to my wife, what this show was about. We didn’t get too far from the girls kissing part. I guess I should keep some things to myself.

The show has lush character designs and good voice acting. I have a little trouble with the adult males of the show as they all look very feminine, and I don’t mean feminine in a shoujo kind of way. I think it has to do with the fact that they all started as female. The computer animation seemed really out of place at first as well, but I’ve gotten used to that as well. What started out as an action show, has turned in some rather nice dramatic chops along the way, and is quite the surprise this year.

Aria

They could animate Akari doing anything and I’d watch it. I haven’t ever said anything about Aria or Aria The Natural here, but it’s the show that has the purest heart of gold amongst the crop. A true slice of life, with characters that are all worth something. I am unfortunately backlogged about 10 episodes on this one. I watch most of my anime at night, and this would just wipe me out. It’s not boring, it just brings you to so much peace that you can’t help but relax to every core in your body. With that sleep is not far behind.

Bokura ga Ita

I love everything about this show,from the mediocre animation to the mediocre character designs. I revel in its mediocrity. What’s nice about it, are the situations that somewhat ring true. Yeah, it’s a soap opera, but it’s a watchable soap opera with great heart. The fact that its two leads are doing such a fabulous job don’t hurt this one bit at all, either.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Blood and guts, blood and guts. I’m captivated. I just want to see more of those special facial contortions. Seriously though, the last arc was brutal. It really made the time wasting chapter feel like a waste of time.

Ouran High School Host Club

I had stopped watching this. After 11 episodes I was still struggling to find anything worth laughing at. I mean, I loved the homo side character joke, but that’s about it. I feel that someone will come in here and tell me I’m stupid for not continuing this.

The Third

The fansubs are slower than molasses on this one. Yet everytime a new one comes I watch. I’m still amazed at how familiar this show feels to me.

Welcome to the NHK

Satou, you bastard. I really like this show. Sadly, the social commentary freaks me out a little. I mean, here I am blogging about anime, being lazy and all. I have a job, it’s not bad, but I wonder if someday I’ll be taking off a figure’s skirt just to check out the pantsu. Hopefully I’ll learn something from Satou and his merry band of friends.

Keroro Gunso

Gero Gero Gero. I know for a fact that the manga is far better than the show. After reading the manga the show seems all too sanitized, yet it’s still fun to watch. At least when 556 is not part of the plot. Keroro, kill him off already, if only the tofu did him in. *sigh*

Kamichu!

Kamichu is love. I’m all smiles when I watch this one.

NHK ni Yokuso

Smoking is bad for you!

Welcome to the NHK is a show about a Japanese phenomenon called hikikomori. Basically they’re shut-ins that don’t react or go out of the house by choice. While thinking about this show, I realize a few things. One, Satou, the main character, leaves his apartment a lot. Two, how can you be a hikikomori if you live by yourself. I know the US had a failure with delivered to your door groceries with the infamous Webvan service, but does Japan have this? I mean, you have to eat, right? Someone, please enlighten me if there is, it might explain a few things. If the show was about Satou being unemployed, that’s different, but he keeps calling himself a hikikomori.

Aside from my confusion on the above points, I like the show. It’s very strange, and not exactly pretty. Figuratively, everything seems to have a film of dirt or scum that lends a realistic atmosphere to it all. It’s not necessarily in the animation, but something overall, from the voice acting to the art itself.

Plot wise, Satou is working on an H-game with his neighbor, getting lessons on how not to be a hikikomori, from a seemingly devout Christian girl, and his drug addicted crush from high school has shown back up in his life. Satou-kun banzai! Aside from being animated by Gonzo, this show looks spiffy.