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Omonomono

Angel Beats Is the Beast That Keeps on Giving

A part of me enjoys watching Angel Beats like the next moe addict. It’s dynamic, it’s surprising, it’s pretty and I want to know what happens next. But another part of me just can’t let it go like the pulp entertainment that it is. So let me indulge myself for a moment and draw some assumptions and conclusions.

This post is brought to you by a brave commenter:

Assumption 1: If the point of everyday, normal and happy school life equals some kind of happy end in which the residual spirits of the School of After Death are forced into some disappearing act, can we equally assume that this situation parallels (or maybe, heh, parodies) the desire in which Haruhi desires extraordinary encounters? But it’s not quite the same; the SSS-dan fears for their future. The SOS-dan just bucks a trend. Haruhi, well, rages against the machine as a form of fear grasped at her self-identity; or rather, compared to the machine, she felt insignificant.

In fewer words, Haruhi highlights the desire, the fun to deviate. Angel Beats is more about motivation, and that’s why we have those flashbacks.

But I think self-identity is still the key thing shared between the Haruhi and Angel Beats, thus the notion of existentialism: who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? What should I do when I grow up? It’s appropriate that Buddhist reincarnation, God and Christ joined the large cast of jokes of Angel Beats.

In reality Haruhi and Yuri are just a couple in the dozens of countless high school heroes and heroines from manga, anime, games and light novels that buck the machine for a fantasy, for a buck. My favorite encounter between student and machine is in Paradise Kiss, where people, in Angel Beats terms, come back from disappearance and show people how things go once they’re done with school. I imagine if that were the case in Haibane Renmei, it would be a (more) boring show. Also, it shows you how Yui (GirlsDeMo) is a bit of tough-to-get.

For a different perspective, Durarara already paints a very cool merger of fiction and reality, for a bunch of high school kids living up their Ikebukuro-based, happy school life. At least there are some hard-working adults in that story to look up to. But then again I don’t know any lazy barnacles.

Conclusion 1: Barnacles = adult life. It’s just a jab, but I suppose it could be worse. Or better.

Conclusion 2: Mio Akiyama is right to be afraid!

Conclusion 2a: Don’t be lazy.

Assumption 2: Peter Pan. In essence, instead of magic, Yuri and the SSS fight for their right to party with actual guns and stuff. Except unlike Peter, Yuri & company missed the ball the first time around (while alive) so they’re actually “taking a makeup test.” And it seems you can’t fail in this make-up test, since you can’t die (“people die if they are failed”), and I don’t think you can fail out of school even. What is odd is that the SSS literally fights for their right to party, rather than me making some mad-hand-waving analogy.

And you know, it isn’t that they fight to just party. They party because of some over-arching goal (or whatever Yuri says), but to an outsider (Otonashi) it’s more an excuse to just get down and spin around, or to wave a halberd around like a cheerleader baton. Or fishing. The guys just want to goof off and have fun.

Conclusion 3: Don’t be lazy.

Conclusion 3a: Angel Beats will probably end in a way where people ends up being liberated. I mean, there’s no way to go here. But this is Jun Maeda, so you know it will end. Just a matter of how well…

And now, to spoiler-land.

Assumption 3: In Angel Beats Purgatory, when you fulfill the desire of your heart, you disappear. The effect of the disappearance is just like the brilliant ascension from Haibane Renmei, minus all that ritualistic drama and flare. Also like in Haibane Renmei, the people left behind in Angel Beats (who usually had to be friends to the one who disappeared in order to enable the ascension in the first place) suffer much like those who lost a loved one to the clutches of death. So in essence, by fulfilling the desires of their hearts–to obtain true happiness–you perish.

As of episode 9, Angel Beats’s protagonist is on a warpath to basically erase all his friends. Of course it’s for their benefit, but seriously, if this is not satire, then what is?

[Detour in database-based revisionism: Take Kanon (spoilers for that incoming) for example. As the player proceed through the story, the death, near-death, or "state of separation" of the various character approaches. Perhaps not chronologically, but almost always in the narrative (in Ayu's case for example). The act of completing a route in the game meaning bringing the character to the brink of her destruction or separation. In that sense, Angel Beats is doing nothing new. What it does differently is to flip the starting point of the plot to a point where it is past death, and works backwards to that heart-breaker moment.]

Of course, I don’t think Yuichi was trying to kill off all his babes, but Otonashi really is trying to send all his friends to the afterlife. Or after-afterlife. Well, for now anyways.

Conclusion 4: In a Jun Maeda production, for every heart-felt moment, there is pancake. By pancake I mean somebody dies or effectively so.

Conclusion 4a: People like his stuff, yo.

Conclusion 4b: Even if it’s making fun of them, yo. I mean, seriously, when Shiori got sick (and almost died FFFF) it was sad. But when Yui went poof it came with an equally awesome moment of intimacy (and a very cool marriage proposal, as far as anime goes). But she dies! Or I mean dies for good. Or whatever.

Conclusion 5: Team Yuri looks more appealing every single week. Sorry Tenshi.

Corollary to Conclusion 5: Yuri bucks not just the plot-oriented, “what happens?” machine out of her misguided dissatisfaction with “the machine” but also the meta narrative archetype of Jun Maeda’s famous works.

Angel Beats is a beast. Maybe it’s hypocritical, maybe it hide its fangs beneath the trapping of its post-DB-Otaku-generation shell and its full array of tropes. But it is not a beast without an equally beastly interior.

Makes you think about episode 1…

The Melancholy of Kyousuke Tsutsumi or the Difference Between Normal and Ordinary

Lately I read a book that told the story of ordinary people doing radical things. They are not unlike you and I, with exception of their earnest belief that they are here to change the world in their ordinary capacity.

The fact that you and your neighboring commuter are traveling to work does not separate him or her from any other person commuting to work in the car or seat also next to you. What is different is beyond the ordinary–traveling to work–from the normal–that someone can tell all about you just by your commute. After all, if you’re reading this blog odds are you’re some crazy ass anime fanboy nut compared to the average person within a 50 meter radius of you. It’s not something you can easily discern usually. Yet,the cling to normalcy is a complex of an entire identity. A normal person is just that, normal. An ordinary person, however, doesn’t have to be.

Granted the distinction between ordinary and normal is nonsensical semantically, but it does serve to highlight the difference between something commonly seen versus the institution of conformity.

Ponder the following scenarios:

• In Suzumiya Haruhi no Uuutsu, a girl who is fascinated with modern fairy tales of aliens, time travelers and ESPers, actually finds them hidden in plain sight, conforming to not just normal behaviors but stereotypes of aliens, time travelers and ESPers. Craziness ensues when male lead enters into the picture as a stereotypical, jaded audience of these modern fairy tales.
• In ef – a tale of memories, the high school film club presses onward to produce a quality production, aiming to win a prize at a film competition. The main cameraman is seen as a person with some skill in the shots he take, perhaps impressionist, perhaps postmodern, but nonetheless draw fans and set the cameraman’s films apart from the common crop. However, rather than to be characterized through such distinctive streaks, the film club wanted to produce a popular hit with a film that conforms (realist?) to people’s sense of what is ordinary but yet captures the spark the star cameraman gives to his subjects. They are aiming for the grand prize, not one set for special but different films.
• In Honey & Clover, an art prodigy escapes into secondary education to blossom under the care of her uncle in a university. She befriends a group of ordinary youth in a similar place in life looking for direction, for love, and for themselves.
• In Kimikiss Pure Rouge, a 16 year old boy finds romance along with his wingman, a 17 year old girl, with another boy. Oh, the boy’s good male friend also finds his sister’s new friend somewhat cute? There be karaoke and giggles.
• In Kamichu, an ordinary middle schooler is a Shinto deity in the flesh.

It’s ordinary, yet somewhat extraordinary. It feels attainable, its lure just within our grasp. For me it’s irresistible (at least when it’s done right).

There’s a thin line between what’s ordinarily extraordinary and what is just normal. I’m not sure where the line is, but you can tell when it stops being ordinary either by being just plain out there, or being just … a normal anime.

Capturing the tension that exists in the abnormal ordinary is a key element of a compelling storytelling style. Perhaps the biggest problem for the ef anime right now is that it is too odd to be ordinary, even if it is rooted so.

The Last Generation of Haruhi Suzumiya

Back in ’95-96 Akiyuki Shinbo directed a project called Soreyuke! Uchuusenkan Yamamoto Yohko. It was an adaptation of a series of teenage-level science fiction novels written by Takashi Shouji. The project resulted in two OAV series, and later in 1997 a 26-episode TV series retelling the expanded novel story was aired.

Perhaps it’s just how people looked at TV shows and movies back in the 90s, but Yamamoto Yohko didn’t make a big splash. Unavoidably, Akiyuki Shinbo’s … signature directorial style is somewhat hit-and-miss with the crowd, and I think the Yamamoto Yohko TV series is one of the earliest example of this signature style.

(In some ways looking at Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei, you can tell that its rather-two-dimensional look works much more successfully with the punches Shinbo pulls–in fact I believe that’s why Pani Poni Dash did so much better with the fans yet Soul Taker was just way out in the left field with a cold but critically acclaimed reception. Yamamoto Yohko shared that 3D feel. All to stretch the animation budget?)

Well the point here, I hope, is to remind or introduce you –I sure do need to rewatch it–to this actually really above average but rarely-heard-of anime series to you. Yamamoto Yohko is twelve years old now, but its faded-out color palette and seeing kids hanging out at arcades are the only things showing its age. The direction is sublime (and resourceful), the OAV episodes are fun, energetic, and charming. The TV series suffers, I think, from being 26 episodes long, but it delivers a solid story about someone much like Suzumiya Haruhi…sans the romantic/Kyon angle.

Maybe that’s where the magic is missing? I don’t know. (Is that just the difference between 90s TV shows and today’s?) But I do know that it’s a fairly timeless TV anime, and is worth watching beyond mere sentimentality. It’s smart, humorous, it keeps you surprised, and the voice acting is top notch.

It’s even got time travelers, aliens, and ESPer-like computers. It is even licensed–at least the two OAV series. The TV series is in limbo–RightStuf has an option which they have not exercised because the sales were subpar. The US release was back in 2001, and it was on both DVD and VHS. You can probably find the DVD super cheap now, if at all.

Otakon 2007 Youtube Select

Ugh, sort of busy lately. But since I was doing this on my own time, I figured I can share with you some choice videos from Otakon this year if you haven’t had the time to look them up yourself.

Mamiko Noto

• “Ippen Shindemiru?” …maybe, only if you say so?
• Mamiko Noto’s Friday panel in full (click more from this user and go down the 9 vids)

Tomokazu Seki

• God Finger. OH MY GAD HAVE MY BABIES? Better version.
• Gilgamesh impression. GET BACK IN THE KITCHEN WOMAN.
• Chichiri. Ugh.
• On Yaoi.
• Friday panel videos here (more from this user).
• FIRE.

Kyoani Dance Mania! (I imagine this is a fraction of what AX got)

• Hare Hare Yukai I
• Hare Hare Yukai II
• Hare Hare Yukai III
• Hare Hare Yukai IV
• Hare Hare Yukai V
• Hare Hare Yukai VI (not in dealer’s room)
• Hare Hare Yukai VII
• Hare Hare LOLKAI (from cosplay meet)
• Hare Hare Yukai VII (panel) (and again)
• Motteke! Sailor Fuku I
• Motteke! Sailor Fuku II
• Motteke! Sailor Fuku III
• Motteke! Sailor Fuku IV

4chan is Madness

• Line video I
• Line video II (has most of the good scenes)
• Stuff from the actual panel
• The intro to the panel
• Trap of the Year (may not be safe for work?)
• Line > Panel.
• NO U.
• Fresh Prince and again (better).
  
• Wristbands (…)
• Seaking, again.
  
• FAP.
• DESU.
• Russia.
• Dental Plan.

The Steve & Vic Show

• I like Vic Mignogna? Not this much.
• “Colonel Mustang is dead sexy.” LOL Steve Blum.
• Real Fan of Genius live dub. I heard a bunch of this at AX when I was there–I guess they kept making more? Done by the two people seen above you
• You can see the entire panel by going here, and go down the list (more from this user)

AAA

• AAA Fans represent!
• Stalkers. Omo does not approve! Even more stalking.

Eminence

• Talking about Yasunori Mitsuda.
• Odin Sphere.
• Kimi wo nosete.
• Canta per me.
• Radical Dreamers.
• Totoro theme.
• Princess Mononoke theme
• 8 crappy vids of Eminence (first 8 songs?) Hit more from this user. And hit up Moyism for more. Like the full length version of this.

Others

• A public service announcement.
• Freestyle breaking at Otakon 2007. They were pretty nice.
• One very impressive karaoke act. Or maybe Motteke! Sailor Fuku V!
• Otakon AMV intro video.
• Megatokyo parody.
• Happotai?
• FC from Jersey.
• The one good AMV screened at Otakon, possibly.

Feel free to add more~

Buyer’s Regret Strikes Back, Too

Maybe watching that expensive brick oft called “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” volume 1 special edition from Bandai Entertainment USA can put Manabi Straight away for a moment. Oh how ironic that I turn to gnostic pleasures to forget my higher calling…? LOL.

Anyways, this post is sort of a review of that brick that got here. And in short, it is so not worth spending nearly 3x more money on the expensive brick. To put it in perspective, the limited edition episode 00 R2 DVD (volume 1) was 4600 yen, volumes 2-5 were 6600 yen each for the limited edition, and volume 7 LE was 4600 yen. If we exchange 110 yen per dollar, that’s only about 60-70 dollars to match MSRP of $64.98 times 4. Even if volumes 2-4 of the R1 release is $5 less, it makes you wonder if you get what you paid for.

Maybe I’m just slow on the uptake, but when Bandai reneged on the broadcast order thing, either I heard about it and paid it no mind (forgetting I pre-ordered the box), or just entirely forgotten about it. I was even looking forward to that…

Anyways, yea, buyer’s regret. But the main source of it isn’t because the DVD and R1 release was crappy (as it wasn’t–in fact I liked the dub a lot (but still hated Ryoko’s voice though…) and the production was solid). The extras was good and the box was…neat. What I hated about it was its … how should I put it… lame design. There’s no mind paid to how the box art should look, or the purpose of this luxurious box. Hey, it’s got magnets, yay. So I spent an extra $30 on that? It looks like someone went and designed a neat box mechanically and some doof just plastered official images all over it (when some of them I’d fully consider as SPOILERS?) paying no mind of the overall vibe the box gives off. I hate it.

But that’s no compare to what actually is contained inside the box. I never was a big fan of “worthless trinket” like the iron-on or the ribbon, although I’m partial towards the ribbon. Art collections like pencil boards or post cards are more my thing, but even then that just “tickles” my collector’s senses and unless you’re Range Murata you’re not going to see me jump after them. After opening the box I scratch my head, trying to ease that sensation of “I just got sooooo ripped.” It was just sad how, not unexpectedly, this fanboy got played.

To be fair, Bandai did one thing awesomely as far as the packaging: including the CD single AND ALSO RELEASING IT FOR INDIVIDUAL SALE at the same time. I’m so happy about it I bought the Hare Hare Yukai US release separately, because it was cheap and LOL, I’m just happy that this was possible.

Because it totally removes any reason whatsoever to buy those crappy boxes with nothing good in them.

Sigh. I wish more things were released like Scrapped Princess. Now those limited release box sets rocked the house. If you want my otaku dollars, you can’t just bank on the lame-ass collector’s mentality that too many of my peers suffers from. I’m more than ready to buy volume 2 in its simple, DVD-only form.

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