Token Asian’s Anime Blog

Space… the final frontier. Truly, it is an infinite space of infinite life forms. Star Trek references aside, the opening of this series explains that there are many things in the universe and fate affects how people live their lives. But is fate controlled by a higher power? If I hadn’t known this was Ah! My Goddess, judging from this science fiction-style opening voiceover, I would have thought it was an episode of Star Trek. Anyhow, we see Morisato Keiichi being woken up by his sempai. He’s currently a student at Nekomi Institute of Technology, a member of the auto club living with some fellow club members. One day, he rushes off on his motorcycle… well, he tries to at any rate. Engines are finicky things, you have to treat them like a woman, Keiichi.

Heh, the next part has a recollection of Keiichi’s attempt to ask Mishima Sayoko out on a date to a museum. Bad idea, Kei. Well, she rejects him pretty strongly, mainly because he’s short. Back to the present day, he’s called on in class but is literally saved by the bell. Unfortunately, the Auto Club officers come and drag him off to clubroom, despite having a critical German lecture in the next period. The voiceover from the opening explains that he has an unlucky star hovering over him. Back with Keiichi, the club is attempting a fundraiser to raise funds for their under-funded club… and rather loudly, if I might add. Anyhow, they end up trying to fix the engine of some unlucky fellow in the parking lot. Of course, Tamiya (the president, if memory serves me correct) fixes it up… and asks quite an exorbitant rate for his services. Keiichi, being unlucky, is ordered to chase down the skinflint, who has escaped. In a rather humorous sequence, he rides his minibike (I’m thinking Natsumi from You’re Under Arrest…) and catches him but some angry females also catch up to Keiichi to make him pay for all the damage he caused during the chase. Surrounded by happy couples out and about, Keiichi’s feeling quite down. No bike, no girlfriend, and no money either…

Back at the dormitory from hell, the Auto Club gang has gathered in his room for some “serious business.” To make a long story short, Tamiya orders him to stay home and take care of the chores while they go out and party. Dang, definitely not his day. Another voiceover, a more familiar voice… says that one just can’t leave him this way.

Home alone, Keiichi sits around the house and finds a rental video that’s due that night. He runs out and tries to get to the store in time, despite falling in sewers, getting menaced by dogs, etc… but manages to make it in time. On his way back, he encounters a crying little girl who lost her mom’s wallet. Kei, being the nice guy, helps her search for the missing wallet. Hijiri, the girl, thanks her new big brother for helping out. Unfortunately, he has a phone call to intercept for his sempai.

After nearly missing the call, he breathes a sigh of relief and tries to call up his fellow club member about the phone call (I assume). Just his luck, he dials the wrong number. Dang it, you called the Goddess Assistance Agency, not Aoyama-sempai! You moron! Now you’ve got a goddess popping out of your mirror asking what you want to wish for! Instead of calling his pal, he’s called a goddess, a complete stranger into his house! And so, everyone’s favorite goddess appears through his mirror and introduces herself as Belldandy, a goddess whose job is to help those in need. Man, his luck is really messed up. Oh well, he missed calling his sempai but now he’s got a cute goddess in his room. Things could be worse.

Kidding aside, I went into this series expecting some horrible mutated Belldandy. I’d heard that the art style was more similar to the later chapters of the manga, where Belldandy looks a little too perfect and pure, losing some of her original charm from the original OAV (circa chapter 75-ish in the manga’s art style evolution). Well, Bell doesn’t look that bad in my honest opinion, though I’d prefer the OAV’s art style. Trust me, I’d know. *hides his 80+ MB collection of Belldandy wallpapers*

But if I really had to nitpick something, I think this first episode dragged a bit. The long introduction of Keiichi seemed unnecessary. After all, Belldandy appears two pages into the manga. Perhaps I am just too much of a hardcore fan of the manga. What do you think? I think that I just want to get straight “into the action” as soon as possible. Anyway, it was not a horrible beginning to a series. This series has some promise. My only fear is that Belldandy will appear too subservient to a modern audience, instead of being kind-hearted and loving. Belldandy, don’t let me down.

I must say, this summer has been good for anime in my life. I’ve had a lot more time to watch, read, buy, and write about anime. One of my primary enjoyments this summer was to go back to my anime roots… back in time, to a more nostalgic period. The days when anime wasn’t mainstream… when you really had to be a nerd of sorts.

I don’t remember when Dark Horse released the AMG! manga… must have been when I was in middle school. Back when I was a super-nerdy guy. Anyway, I read quite a few of those nice thick volumes of unflipped manga in Barnes & Nobles. It was some good times, sitting in the store and gorging on Star Wars novels and AMG! More than a decade later, I find myself reading the series in its (almost) complete entirety. Thankfully, I no longer have a weird wish that Bell could have been my mother. What the heck goes on inside little 13-year old Chinese boys’ minds? It has to be a Communist conspiracy…

Oh frack, my old Drum Major from high school just logged on AIM… I wonder if she knows how I feel that our old high school stole a lot of Lehigh’s band music and rewrote the words for their own use? “There’s a silver goblet with Lehigh on it…”*is easily distracted*

After the standard recap of the last episode, we find Dias all bandaged up in bed having a dream of his family being murdered by bandits. Rena wakes him up from this flashback, with great worry in her eyes. Elsewhere in the outpost, Yuki is strumming her guitar and humming a lovely tune. Back in Dias’s room, Rena says that he can’t heal him of his high fever with her powers, possibly because of a monster’s curse. Claude then asks Rena a hard question: why does Dias fight so much like he does? Before she can answer Dias wakes up again. He asks Claude when they are to leave for El, who says that Dias should rest and quit fighting for a while. Claude asks Dias why he wants to fight so much. He responds by saying that the only way he can sustain himself is through fighting, surprising Claude a tad.

Outside the barracks, the three thugs are looking at the Lacour Hope and realize that it contains a precious stone. Of course, they put themselves over saving the world. Heh, their goofiness makes for the worst comic relief. When they do try to steal the Energy Stone, they are caught by Celine and promptly punished for their crime. And when I say punished, I mean ZAPPED! Unfortunately, Shin is also watching from the woods. On the other hand, Leon now realizes that with the thugs’ attempt, they must increase security because this weapon has the potential to save the world. The commander acknowledges the command… and goes off to drink himself silly. Shin appears in his drinking glass, who then convinces the commander to join him and save his life since the world is going to end.

Rena then reveals to Claude that Dias’s family was killed by a gang of thugs. We then have the obligatory flashback scene where we see his family being murdered in a particularly gruesome fashion. We see a young Rena bidding farewell to a young Dias who wished he was stronger so he could have protected his family, blaming himself for the incident. Claude goes into the woods while Dias tells Rena that sometimes it seems that Claude is lonelier than himself… as if everything he knew was taken from him. If only Dias knew how right he was. Yuki is then seen telling Celine how strong Claude is, who responds that Claude has the weakest heart out of all of them. Dias realizes that Claude is very lonely and weak and the only way that he sustains himself is through protecting someone, unlike Dias who only fights. He tells Rena that Claude is only himself when he protects her. Celine then says to Yuki that they will stay with Claude until he realizes he is no longer alone.

After this touching bit, we see the scheming commander take the Energy Stone into the woods. Claude then confronts General Harvest, who reveals that he sold his soul to the monsters. Dias wakes up again and eyes his sword, as if having a premonition of sorts. Claude then realizes that the Sorcery Globe affects not only animals but human hearts. Anyway, Shin comes and takes the stone, disembowels Harvest, and says to Claude that humans will soon be extinct. Claude futilely attacks Shin and basically gets owned. Dias comes and blocks Shin’s finishing move. He uses his Houkouha (spelling? It’s the Hawk Scream Blast KM) move to attack Shin, who is knocked back quite a bit from Dias’s special move… and then disintegrated. He urges Claude to remember this move. They have recovered the stone and Dias goes off again despite still being weak. He reminds Claude to protect his friends… and fight for himself.

So with Dias going off to heal himself, the party is going off to El. They bid Yuki farewell and the Lacour vessel heads for El. And of course, the thugs have snuck onboard too… The ship is tossed in the heavy seas and Claude drops his communicator, which Rena retrieves for him. He realizes that the waves are really strong… and the audience suddenly sees a giant tidal wave.

Wha…? Talk about deviating from the original story. The last time I checked the game, Shin attacked the ship in a spectacular dive attack, stole the Lacour Hope, and basically tore the party apart in an unwinnable boss fight. What do we get? Shin getting killed by Dias in one move and a tidal wave. What is this, The Perfect Storm?

Hiatus is over… finally!

At the front lines of battle, the forces of Lacour are deploying their superweapon, the Lacour Hope. However, their enemies have detected their movements and discovered the weapon. In Leon’s tent, they discuss how they are nearing Heinz Fortress, the front line defense post. Their soldiers are tiring and the other friendly forces from the fortress have not been seen. So he sends our group out to see what is going on. When they reach the fortress, nobody is there to greet them nor are there any guards. With their guard up they enter the fortress and see a few people. Inside, they find… Yuki singing on a stage, surrounded by the various Lacour infantrymen.

Okay, if she starts singing to distract the enemy as part of a bizarre psychological warfare campaign, Minmay should sue for trademark infringement.

Anyway, a soldier tells them that this is the entertainment group that everyone was waiting for, so nobody was on duty. Later, they go and tell the base commander that the castle was attacked but he tells them that there have been no monsters as of late and entertainment was important for morale. When asked about the messages sent, he says that he can’t take seriously everything that Leon says since Leon is a novice at combat. Privately, Celine thinks that the commander is jealous. Yuki comes along… with the three thugs behind her, causing Celine to blast em’ out of reflex. Apparently, they’re Yuki’s managers, and they mention Dias, who arrived at the base a while ago to try to organize an offensive. When rejected by the commander, he went off by himself with a few men. The group decides to return to Leon and report about what has happened. Claude advises Yuki’s group to leave because a battle might occur soon. Suddenly, they are surrounded by soldiers because the commander suspects them of being spies for the monsters… because Ashton has monsters growing out of his back. Well, I guess you really can’t blame them. Heh, this situation is more comedic than dramatic…

With our group imprisoned in the fortress, they begin to worry about what might happen to the war effort. Celine blames Ashton for not hiding his dragons… like he could if he wanted to. In the commander’s office, Yuki pleads for the release of her friends but he threatens her with being jailed. She visits them and brings them some food and to apologize for not being able to get their release. That night, Ashton sits with his face to the wall… and blasts a hole in the bars. Yup, he’s possessed again. The dragons are offended at being labeled as monsters and are out to do something about it. Claude says that such an act would cause them to be enemies of Lacour and that waiting for Leon would be best. “Ashton” thinks that a preemptive strike is necessary while the others think that attacking one’s allies in a time of war is stupid. In any case, “Ashton” can’t stand being among moronic humans anymore. He stomps off, leaving everyone else behind.

The next morning, they wake up and ask themselves why humans are attacking each other instead of uniting against the monsters. Ashton wakes up on top of a tree… apparently against his will. Oh, and the dragons can talk now too for whatever reason. Ashton says that what the dragons did was stupid and they reply that he’s just like Claude. They see monsters begin an attack, making Ashton want to warn them but the dragons say not to worry because Claude and company can easily bust out of there. I suppose their goal is to just let the other humans die. A giant monster lands inside the fortress and begins to attack the soldiers. Yuki runs to tell everyone what happened but a section of the ceiling falls towards her. “Ashton” saves her in thanks for the food she gave them earlier. He frees everyone and Celine says they must help defend against the monster even though they all really don’t like the base commander and his soldiers. They find themselves facing a massive monster commanded by a smaller fellow, who the dragons realize is Shin, one of the “Evil Ones” like the dragons. He offers the dragons to help him out in exchange for sparing their lives.

Ashton rejects the offer and attacks but is easily fended off. Celine casts a spell but it does nothing nor does Claude have any luck either. When all seems lost, Leon yells for everyone to get back because he’s going to fire the Lacour Hope. Shin scoffs at the weapon and does nothing to counter it. The Lacour superweapon obliterates the weapon and Shin retreats… for now. Leon explains that he modified the transport to travel faster and now they just have to load it on a ship to travel to El. At that moment, Dias returns… bloodied.

Okay, well, I was in Toronto yesterday, doing my usual thing… buying anime stuff. There’s this place called One’s Better Living Inc. in Toronto that stocks a lot of stuff at good prices. You can find it at the Market Village plaza at 4300 Steeles Ave. East, Markham, Ontario, Canada (well, it’s in the town next to Toronto). Check out the Pacific Mall next door for other small shops (similar to Chinatown, chock full of anime goods). I ended up buying six little Gundam figurines. Who knows what’s in those… Anyway, I also got myself one of those little Totoro plushies with the suction cups that you can stick on your car window. I fully intend to cause car accidents with it.

Also in the vicinity of Toronto is the China Buffet King. Before you start thinking “Chinese buffet hellhole,” this place is different. It’s staffed with people from Hong Kong = really good food. All you can eat Peking Duck and salmon sashimi… Mmmmmm. It’s near the Pacific Mall too. It’s address is 22 Metropolitan Road, Scarborough, Ontario. I go hear each time I’m in the area. Try the Shanghai-style noodles too…

Okay, since I’m in Rochester now, I think I’ll find a Wegmans. The chain started off in Rochester, NY a loooong time ago. Maybe there’s like a Super-Wegmans here. Heh, all I know is that it’s rumored to be full of computerized gadgets to assist the shopper and whatnot.

Fresh turkey club sandwiches, here I come…

After a few hours on the road with whatever anime stuff is on my laptop or I could stuff in my backpack, one might think that I’m bored out of my skull. Not exactly. It’s not bad to take a breather from the anime fandom and just relax for a bit.

I did bring “Tea Society of a Witch” with me. I’m still not really impressed with the art style so I suppose that might kill it for me. From what I understand, a certain type of bishoujo fan might be interested in this style but I dunno… I think I might have to pass unless the story gets really good. I’ve sat through maybe 20 minutes of dialogue with no real interaction yet. Not a promising start, eh? Here’s hoping that it’ll turn into a good interactive game soon.

Only two more hours of driving until the next stop on my journey. Maybe there will be a good Chinese restaurant where I can get more fish stir-fry.

I suppose the question really is… how many re-reads of Azumanga Daioh can I handle? I really should have bought more manga before I left on this trip. On the other hand, I should have just grabbed a few more books in general before I left.

On the topic of books, the Oh My Goddess! manga is finally being released AND re-released in the original, unflipped Japanese format. My sources tell me that on July 20th the 21st volume will be released in this new format, switching from the previous flipped format. Volume #1 will then be re-released on October 12th. Two more days until July 20th…

… and I’m in Canada.

Boooooo…

When I think of Ai Yori Aoshi, I think of a show that was 10% gold and 90% pure crud. While it had some interesting bits about two children separated and then reunited as lovers, the majority of the series (and its sequel) tended to revolve around fanservice and stupid female harem jokes. I suppose that would interest some but I say that story should take priority over short-term appeal.

Well, I suppose all the fan interest in the Ai Yori Aoshi franchise has created a market for new products. Okay, how about a dating sim… only without the hentai? Sounds good to me since if there’s anything that I really wanted is to take control of the male protagonist and stop him from making screwy decisions. Hirameki Internationalhas decided to give us that chance… without having to deal with stupid hentai and whatnot. Minor fanservice = okay, hentai = waste of my money.

After downloading the demo version of their Ai Yori Aoshi game, I wasn’t really all that impressed. While the graphics, sound, and appearance all look high-quality, I was disappointed that the demo didn’t let you do any sort of interaction. You just watch the scene play out… and that’s it. I suppose that I might pick this up at Otakon this year (if it’s out by then since I assume a release in “Summer 2005” will be before the end of August). This game shows some promise and I intend to give it the benefit of the doubt. And I think there’s two different editions of the game. Oh geez, I’m turning into moyismand planning to empty my wallet.

If you want to check out the demo, go to this link and download the 100+ MB file to try it out. Unfortunately, at this moment their servers are overloaded (due to scads of fans wanting to try out the demo, most likely) and I have no clue whether or not they will be back up and running anytime soon. Patience is a virtue.

Maybe there’s hope for a non-hentai Kiminozo… (they sort of hint at it on the main page)

In other news, I’ve been slow on new posts about Star Ocean EX. Heh, I think I can attribute that to Netflix since I’ve been literally finishing two to three DVDs in one night and sending the discs back ASAP to get new ones. Call me stingy, but I’m trying to get my money’s worth. Over the course of the summer, I’ve been dining on an anime buffet that seems to go on forever. Sakura Taisen, You’re Under Arrest, Area 88, Madlax, and many others are currently being viewed and appreciated. I even got “Tea Society of a Witch,” one of Hirameki’s DVD releases…

… and on that topic, I think I’ll take that with me on my trip next week. I’m heading north, where it’s cold and boring. I like cold, and if boring means quiet… I guess that’s good. Anyway, it seems like a long game with few checkpoints. I’ll write some updates while I’m on the road, assuming I can find an Internet connection somewhere. If you need to reach me just drop me an email. Who knows, maybe I’ll write about Star Ocean EX while I’m there…

Leon shows off his new toy in front of the king and an audience. He tells the party that it’s the Lacour Hope, a weapon designed for use against the monsters. Unfortunately, power source of this weapon, the Energy Stone, is located in the ancient city of Hoffman. Of course, they now need to go get it. Leon volunteers to go, with Claude as his guard. With Claude and Leon gone, we see Precis complaining that Leon was a cocky brat. Bowman comes by on a scooter of Precis’s design, now with amphibious capabilities. Back with Claude, they’re attacked by… uh, something? Anyway, Bowman has news about something for Claude. They rush off to bring Claude back and just in time too. Claude’s boat has been demolished thanks to some sort of monster. Ashton leaps into action and kills it. Okay, now everyone’s back together, with the addition of Leon, everyone’s favorite cocky pain in the arse. At the ruins, the entrance is blocked by some fallen stones. Being cocky, Leon tries to find a hole and ends up being rescued by Precis from some falling rocks. Claude realizes that Leon was cocky just like him back on Milocinia. More importantly, Rena’s pendant starts glowing, which Leon explains is because it’s an Energy Stone, and it’s responding to the ruins.

Following the responses of the stone, they find a secret entrance into the ruins. Behind that door is a giant spider monster, which attacks Leon, who is then thankfully saved by a man with three eyes. It’s Ernest, Opera’s lover. They tell him that Opera’s looking for him. Ernest shows them one of his maps of the ruins and they manage to find the Energy Stone. The spider monster comes back and attacks the party. Ashton’s attacks prove ineffective against it’s hard shell and Ernest’s whip has little effect either (yes, a whip, Indiana Jones, eh?). Celine wishes that she could use Acid Rain and Precis recalls that she heard Leon could use that spell. Leon says he can’t because he had never fought a monster like this before. So the cocky brat is a wimp, eh? Precis slaps him and tells him that if he doesn’t want to be treated like a brat, now is the time to prove it. They tell him that everyone is waiting for him to complete the Lacour Hope. Now it’s everyone’s job to keep Leon safe while he completes the incantation. After yet some more generic fight scenes, acid rain pours onto the monster, melting its shell away, letting Claude finish it off.

Claude hands Leon the Energy Stone, saying that he’d earned it. Rena heals Ernest’s battle wounds and he says something cryptic about how since she’d been born with it… Hmmm…? He goes off and says that he’s connected with Opera by their hearts so that there’s nothing to be worried about. With that touching scene done, everyone, minus Ernest, returns to Lacour. Bowman tells them about the runes, which say that when a dark moon disappears, the planet will die as well. Mysterious prophecies or no mysterious prophecies, they have to do something. With the Lacour Hope completed, Leon now has to take it to the front lines. Bowman says he should head back to Linga, and Precis says she might head back as well. Precis gives Rena some parting words that Claude is a bit slow so she has to take the initiative. Now what can that mean, eh? Hehe. But Ashton’s all depressed again now. Poor Ashton. They part ways and Precis says to Bowman that she’s just a kid and she’d only be a burden. Bowman says for realizing that, she’s well on her way to being an adult.

Final Round! FIGHT! Claude and Dias now face off against one another in the last battle of the Tournament of Arms. In the actual game, I hear this battle is winnable despite the odds… Claude once again demands to know the truth but Dias says that he must win to find out. Hopefully, this battle isn’t as cheesy-looking as the last few. Meanwhile, Ashton and Celine are acting on Dias’s information and infiltrating the castle to rescue Dr. Leon. Gamgee says that Claude will probably lose because of Dias’s ability to draw out the sword’s power. For him, it is also a battle between him and his son for they are rival swordsmiths.

The king is discussing how the battle will help shore up morale and dispel bad rumors… while his general acts suspicious. Foreshadowing? Yeah, I hope so. Anyway, Ashton and Celine are infiltrating… the loud way. Rena has run away from the fight and Precis has run after her to ask about why she isn’t cheering for Claude. Precis cries and asks for her to go cheer for Claude because that she has realized that only Rena can reach his heart (and not her). Back at the fight, Claude is knocked out by Dias’s Kuuhazan. He flashes back to his training master, where he is being praised, yet he is haunted by being an admiral’s son, and is not seen as himself. Anyway, Claude is down on the ground while Rena cries his name. But Rena is the one that sees him as who he is… Is that enough motivation? Yes it is, for he gets up off the ground and faces Dias once again, filled with even more determination. Shaizen’s seal pops off of the Kouma sword, giving Gamgee the proof he needed, leading to Shaizen’s arrest. But now, both the Kouma and Ouma swords are “speaking” to each other. Apparently the Kouma sword has chosen Claude and fills Dias with doubt if he can win… and if Claude wins, he must kill General Gaizel because the general is a monster. Well, who didn’t see that one coming?

Up in the king’s section, Bisk’s remains (slime… ew) have warned Gaizel of something. Dias explains that Gaizel doesn’t appear much but will come out to award the winner of the fight, giving the winner a chance to strike. But Dias’s motivations also include having a serious fight with Claude. At the moment, the fight is pretty balanced and nobody knows who will win. Suddenly, soldiers surround Claude and Dias under Gaizel’s accusations that they are monsters. Dr. Leon appears, causing Precis to get all excited over a guy… until she realizes her idol is a little brat. HAH!

Anyway, Leon says that Gaizel is the real monster and had imprisoned Leon because he was working on an anti-monster weapon. He also mentions an “Energy Stone.” Their other motive was to gather all the swordsmen in one place and destroy them to take over the country. Gaizel reveals his true self (big monster thingie) but is attacked by Claude and Dias, who he brushes aside. Dias urges Claude into action and they leap into action even as ominous dark clouds form overhead. Leon brings out an energy weapon designed for work against monsters. He takes aim and his shot dissipates the dark clouds, followed by some unnecessary self-praise, which Precis correctly interprets as being bratty. Down on the ground, Claude and Dias strike the monster with their respective Kuuhazan. And so, the clouds are gone, the monster is dead, and our heroes are victorious.

That evening, Dias thinks to himself and realizes that the may be the one to protect this world may be Claude. Gamgee nods to Dias, meaning that he can keep the Ouma sword. As Dias walks off into the sunset, Rena asks him where he is going… I guess he has “stuff to take care of.” Gamgee explains that the sword chooses its master and Ouma has chosen Dias. Precis looks at Rena and Claude being happy together but Leon says that they’re so easygoing despite the threat of the Sorcery Globe. Claude acknowledges this fact and that the real fight begins now!

Yup… for all you Dias fans, you may recall that in the game Dias pretty much destroyed Claude in the tournament. Well, the game rigged it in Dias’s favor. So there! Although I did hear rumors you could be really cheap and beat Dias… but not that it would affect the story. Hmmmph, in this episode of the anime, the fight was inconclusive. I feel cheated. But I suppose Claude fans should rejoice that their hero was not beaten into a bloody pulp this time around.