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Monsoon Update
by Panadero - August 13, 2012 6:48:11 PM MST
While I try to handle the 110F degree heat and monsoon humidity, I've posted another update. This time I've included three series I really enjoyed for different reasons.
First is Akazukin Cha Cha. I didn't like the series so much as I LOVED it. The show is everything I love and miss about anime from the 90s: Big googly eyes when characters are surprised, cute puns and wordplay, madcap action and humor, the super round character design. If Akazuking Cha Cha were licensed today, I'd preorder it instantly.
Next is the recent Kids on the Slope, a sort of genius collaboration between director Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop), musician Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne), and character designer Nobuteru Yuki (Escaflowne). It is the story of Japan in 1966 and how jazz brings together and runs through the lives of a handful of students during a turbulent time in the country's history. Too short at 12 episodes, I really liked it.
Finally, we have Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens, a show I managed to miss when it came out years ago. A fun romantic comedy with more comedy than romance and featuring a supernatural bent, it managed to avoid a lot of the more annoying cliches of its genre: There was no blatant harem aspect, the fanservice was mostly limited to just the cuteness of the girls themselves, and the male lead was assertive and had an actual personality. I was kind of disappointed with the ending that went nowhere, but it was definitely worth seeing.
A total of eighteen new characters are featured in this update - have fun voting!