A Look to 2008

Well, I thought I'd get an early start and wish everyone a Happy New Year!

明けましておめでとうございます!!!

I didn't finish Tsubasa Chronicles like I'd intended, but as recent days have shown, I'm trying to plow through the rest of it. I plan on doing the same with Uresei Yatsura as well for 2008. Some of the new titles that came out in 2007 didn't get a look by me, but what I may do is the same kind of multi-episode blog just to try to catch up on some of the backlog. It will depend on the title and how long it is. I do want to see more classic titles so maybe I can squeeze more of them in.

Manga-wise, I need to get back on Inuyasha. While I'll keep reading xxxHOLiC and Tsubasa, I'm not sure if I'll take the time to blog the individual chapters or not (I'm thinking I'll just do individual volumes instead). Of course I'll keep up with Negima!, which has become my favorite title interestingly enough.

I hope that my Japanese skills improve enough this year to be able to read a tad more things such as raw Negima! So I also plan to try to study a bit more.

Whew! Here's to 2008!

Tsubasa Chronicle 36 - 39

ツバサ・クロニクル 36

SPOILER Summary: With Yasha dead, one of Sakura's feathers appears. The feather had created a faux Yasha as the real one had died from an illness some time before. That illness is what allowed Ashura to injure Yasha previously and his death allowed Ashura to see him (in solid spirit form) when normally they should only meet on the battlefield. Syaoran getting the feather back for Sakura is his wish and so Ashura sends the feather to him. Ashura, as victor, claims the sky castle and its prize to grant her wish. However, as her wish is for the return of Yasha from the dead, the power within the sky castle is not enough and it disintegrates. As Syaoran reminds Ashura, no one can bring back the dead. So instead, she sends Syaoran to safety where he's picked up by Kurogane. Ashura makes a wish with Yuuko-san that she and Yasha be made gods to remind future generation of what can and can't be done.

After Syaoran tells the people to bury Ashura and Yasha together with their possessions, Mokona sends the group back to Shara, the land Sakura and Syaoran originally landed in, only this time there is no war between the followers of Yasha and Ashura. Indeed, Suzuran and Souseki are getting married and the statues of Yasha and Ashura are now together forever as Syaoran changed the future with his request in the past. Mokona retrieves Ashura's and Yasha's swords from their statues and sends them to Yuuko-san for payment before sending the group to the next world. With this, Fei Wong marvels at the power that Yuuko-san has.

Thoughts: This was an interesting story-arc in the manga and the anime was no less so. The end dragged a bit because they ran out of story and still had time left, so we get that wonderful Bee Train slow-down solution to kill time.

ツバサ・クロニクル 37

SPOILER Summary: Sakura, Syaoran, Fay, and Kurogane find themselves in a chibi, "super-deformed" form on a weird world but without Mokona. As they look for her, Mokona is actually sleeping elsewhere and a female Storyteller has been using one of Sakura's feathers as a pen to create stories. As such, in order for Mokona to get the group out of the story, Mokona has to create a story of its own. As such, Mokona changes things so that Kurogane and Fay are teachers at a high school, Syaoran is the new transfer student, and Sakura is the girl he knew from their playground days. Syaoran and Sakura get along well but Fay-sensei needs Syaoran to assist archaeologist Souseki and assistant Suzuran at some ruins that all look like Mokona. There is a warning of a monster being unleashed, which Fay does, turning Kurogane-sensei into a Godzilla-like character. However, a kiss between a holy man and woman (?) will do the trick. Fay convinces Syaoran and Sakura to do it, but they keep getting foiled, leaving it to Souseki and Suzuran. This enables Syaoran and company to return where they discover they don't remember anything of their adventure. The Storyteller has vanished and Sakura decides Mokona should keep the feather for now. Mokona sends them to the next world and the world they were in disappears.

Thoughts: A comedy, chibi, super-deformed episode, eh? Whatever. And of course it doesn't play into the continuity story but hey, we need filler, ya'll. It wasn't cute enough to make me ever want to watch it again.

ツバサ・クロニクル 38

SPOILER Summary: Mokona deposits them on a world in the middle of a desert road. Mokona immediately attempts to return the pen-feather to Sakura where a passing long-haul truck runs into it and goes on. A "road train" (a fancy bus) picks them up where they encounter a few people like those they've met before. When they determine that the truck will make a required pit stop that the bus will also make, they'll have a 2-minute window to grab the feather, but naturally when the time comes, it doesn't work out that way. Back on the road, nightfall means that all vehicles have to stop, including the truck. However, it is to far ahead of them to get to it on foot. Meanwhile a road gang on motorcycles attacks the bus and overcomes its defenses. Syaoran decides to face the road gang and Kurogane joins him.

Thoughts: So, Sakura tells Mokona to keep the feather, which Mokona does JUST long enough to get to the next world and spit it out, lose it, so they have to find it again. Ugh. This is why filler is so stupid in this case -- a lot of yacking and motions but no meaningful movement or conversation.

ツバサ・クロニクル 39

SPOILER Summary: Syaoran and Kurogane defeat all the road gang and return to the bus. One of the female passengers is an employee of the company that makes the buses and she does some repair work and talks with Syaoran, revealing she's running from her technician job. The following morning when the bus starts again, they get news of a pop singer with an apparent illness, who of course is on the bus with her manager and they are running away from the pressures of touring and those that would keep them apart. In the end, the technician decides to help them get the feather by putting the bus on manual to speed it up as the truck with the feather got a flat tire. However, it is on one side of a train track and they are on another so Kurogane tosses Syaoran to get it. He gets on the truck just as it leaves and comes under attack from the road gang. The train passed, the bus catches up and the road gang, who can't shot for crap, get defeated by the bus folk. Syaoran gets the feather, returns it to Sakura, and the trip goes on with everyone changed for the better from the experience.

Thoughts: Yeah, we couldn't pack this massive story into a single episode, but never fear. Bee Train knows exactly how to stretch a story, ya'll. I guess the techno music in the 2nd-half was OK...sorta. Whew, only 12 more episodes to slug through.

Tsubasa Chronicle 32 - 35

ツバサ・クロニクル 32

SPOILER Summary:

The group arrives on world of darkness where there is no feather. They come to a restaurant run by Touya and Yukito, where Touya magically produces the food for them. Apparently everyone in this world is magical and some even take turns being the king or queen but Touya and Yukito don't even question these stranger's arrival or shock. Little people Sumomo and Kotoko arrive, having determined that Fay is a mage as they want him to check their Queen, who's apparently not behaving normally. However, despite being sent to the castle, Fay won't, so they are sent to jail. They break out and Fay goes to see this queen to find it is Chii. Saying he wants to be her friend, she teleports them out of the castle to Kotoko's and Sumomo's alarm. They send automaton forces out because if she leaves the city, the world will forever remain in darkness. Fay and Chii walk around town and even have tea at the restaurant but Fay prevents the lonely Chii from leaving the city gates, saying that running away isn't the answer. As such, they return to the castle and the sun appears before Mokona sends them to the next world.

Thoughts: Ugh. They tried to make this Chobits ala Tsubasa Chronicle. Maybe its because I've read the manga, but the story did nothing for me. But hey, the writers just LOVE having the group go to worlds without a feather, so it makes no sense to the story arc with Fei Wong observing and plotting to get feathers does it?

Fei Wong: I will send them here and there for feathers! But first, because I'm bored, I'll send them to worlds without feathers because I really don't need them since this is all for a lark any way to piss off Yuuko-san.

ツバサ・クロニクル 33

SPOILER Summary:

Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona find themselves separated from Kurogane and Fay. The trio are with an all-female troupe of circus performers lead by Suzuran. They are back to perform in town and bring with them their god Ashura. Men and boys are not allowed within the troupe, but for whatever reasons, Suzuran makes an exception for Syaoran and dresses him in drag. Meanwhile Kurogane and Fay find themselves with an all-male faction lead by Souseki, who worship the god Yasha, who's statue is crying blood now that Suzuran's troupe has returned. Some of Souseki's guys come to assault the girls because they feel Ashura is the cause of Yasha's bloody tears. Syaoran, in drag, defeats them and sends them running. Souseki tells them to not mess with the troupe and that evening, Syaoran and Sakura discover that Souseki and Suzuran are lovers who are often torn because of the strife between their people. Sakura goes to ask Ashura to help them but her coming into Ashura's presence causes the statue to glow as well as Sakura, as well as causing an earthquake while Mokona detects a feather.

Thoughts: Well, we are back to the manga story, which seems to be pretty close to what I remember. No complaints.

ツバサ・クロニクル 34

SPOILER Summary:

Both statues of Ashura and Yasha glow and the glowing Sakura passes out briefly and stops glowing. Suzuran's tears cause a reaction from Ashura and Yasha, who's statues send beams of energy into the night sky. A glowing Mokona floats overhead and in what appears to be a state of trance, says the feather isn't here and sends the group (even though still separated) elsewhere. When they emerge, they are found by someone looking very much like Ashura under the red moon on a battlefield. Also there is someone looking like Fay and Kurogane. The battle is ended and the warring sides sent back accordingly. Sakura and Syaoran learn that this is King Ashura and that Ashura's forces are fighting King Yasha's forces at this floating "castle" between the planet and the moon to have a wish granted. Suspecting that one of Sakura's feathers are there, Syaoran gets Ashura to bring him to the next battle when both clans are summoned to the "castle." Seeing the ones looking like Kurogane and Fay, Syaoran battles Kurogane and determines that it must be the same Kurogane even though neither he nor Fay seem to recognize Syaoran. Syaoran does well but has to be rescued by Ashura before Yasha enters the fray to face Ashura.

Thoughts: The anime really does bring forth the sexually ambiguous nature of King Ashura though as no sex is assigned to Ashura despite looking and sounding like a woman.
ツバサ・クロニクル 35

SPOILER Summary:

Sakura sleeps and in her dream, she sees Ashura inflicts a wound on Yasha's eye (the same eye that the Yasha statue would bleed from) at the battle. She also sees that Ashura and Yasha love each other, much like Suzuran and Souseki did. With the battle over and the contestants returned, Sakura awakens and discovers that Syaoran has returned though he has an arm wound. Meanwhile at Fei Wong's HQ, he and Xing Huo discover that Syaoran and company have gone to a world not of their design, leading Xing to wonder if Fei Wong can defeat the Time-Space Witch Yuuko-san. Back at King Ashura's residence, she observes the loving interactions between Sakura and Syaoran. After she has a conversation with Sakura, Ashura communes with Yuuko-san, who'd received Ashura's payment for a wish, which allowed Yuuko-san to act and counter Fei Wong and thus breaking his control over the group. Fei ponders the other Syaoran sealed in his HQ and the traveling Syaoran experiences eye pain again as he looks for clues about Kurogane and Fate. For that night's battle, Ashura takes only Syaoran and her aide Kumara. Yasha only brings Fay and Kurogane. Ashura and Yasha meet again and Ashura apparently kills Yasha (who allows the blow to hit) as another of Sakura's feathers reveals itself.

Thoughts: For the most part, I've enjoyed this. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before, but Fay is fleeing a masculine King Ashura whereas the King Ashura in this world is feminine. I wonder if there is a tie-in.

Pocket Monsters 04

ポケットモンスター Ep. 04

SPOILER Summary: Satoshi and Kasumi are still moving through Tokiwa Forest when Satoshi sees a caterpillar-type Pokémon called Beedle. Since Kasumi hates bug-type Pokémon, she clears the area while Satoshi tries to get Pikachu to fight, but Pikachu is in a bed apparently asleep. He summons Pidgeon to weaken Beedle so he can capture it. Kasumi runs into a boy dressed in Samurai attire and speaking in an old dialect used in the Samurai times. He's looking for Pokémon trainers from Masara Town to fight. As such, Kasumi rushes off to warn Satoshi. The Samurai Boy challenges Satoshi just as he's about to capture Beedle, thus allowing the Pokémon to escape.

Satoshi is annoyed at losing his prize and so accepts Samurai Boy's challenge. Samurai Boy summons Kairos (a monster-like Pokémon with horned pincher) and Satoshi re-summons Pidgeon. However, the bird is tired and in the battle, doesn't fare well. So Satoshi recalls him and summons Trancel. Kairos grips Trancel, but Trancel's hardened form damages Kairos' pincher, so Samurai Boy summons his own Trancel. There's not much two Trancel can do to each other since they really can't move (at least, not much). Despite this, neither Samurai Boy or Satoshi give up. However, the "fight" as such is brought to a halt when a swarm of Spear Pokémon arrive (being two-generations evolved from Beedle).

Pikachu jumps in and attacks, but the shock also hits Satoshi. Satoshi cannot recover Trancel since a Spear has grabbed it. Kasumi grabs Satoshi because they need to flee and they follow Samurai Boy. They eventually manage to lose the Spear, only to discover they are near a tree were a large number of Cocoon Pokémon are, which are the evolved state of Beedle just before they turn into Spear. Trancel is under the tree but before Satoshi can do anything, all of the Cocoon evolve and they have to flee again, this time to Samurai Boy's house. There, Satoshi learns that Samurai Boy had been recently defeated by three different Pokémon Trainers from Masara Town and thus his interest in defeating Satoshi.

The following morning, Satoshi sneaks out to where the Cocoon and Spear reside to try to retrieve Trancel. Nyarth, the Rocket-dan cat-like Pokémon that can speak, lands noisily on Satoshi's head. When Satoshi gets annoyed and calls Nyarth "Nyarth," Nyarth swipes him with his claw and demands to be addressed as "Nyarth-sama." Musashi and Kojiro also arrive and start to make their noisy into speech. Satoshi tries to get them to be quiet, but Musashi says they have to say the speech to set the proper mood. Their noise awaken the Spear, who attack. Satoshi manages to dodge the attack, leaving Rocket-dan in their path. They chase Rocket-dan while Satoshi apologizes to Trancel for being careless.

When another Spear comes to attack, Satoshi grabs the Pokémon and flees, but trips and falls. Trancel manages to move and with his hardened form, break the Double Needle attack of Spear, and thus evolve to Butterfree, the final stage for the Caterpie Pokémon. Butterfree uses its Sleep Attack to take out the entire swarm of Spear, Beedle, as well as Rocket-dan. They part company with Samurai Boy and leave Tokiwa Forest to head for Nibi City.

Thoughts: Well, another silly, kiddie, but fun episode. It has only been four episodes and we've been introduced to 16 different Pokémon. Granted a few are evolved forms, but still. Sheeze.

What I want to know is why didn't Satoshi grab a Spear Pokémon when he had a chance (unless he did off camera)?

Genshiken 2 12

げんしけん 2 Episode 12

SPOILER Summary: Kuchiki is going on and on about the "training camp" and an irritated Sasahara decides to leave the Genshiken club room. He continues to fail to land a job working in the publishing industry and thinks back on how his joining Genshiken led him to where he is now. He falls asleep and dreams of looking at the work of someone trying to break into the business as a mangaka. He is critical of the work, only to discover that the person submitting the work is Ogiue along with Kugayama. At that, he wakes up.

In desperation, Sasahara starts looking for jobs outside of the publishing industry and finds he has no success there either. With all his failures, he stops shaving and decides to be a jobless rounin and try again next year, which he states to Genshiken. Saki gets pissed and tells him off for this attitude. That night he gets a call from Kugayama where he learns that Kugayama is starting to draw again. Deciding Saki is right, Sasahara redoubles his efforts to get into the publishing field. While checking in a newspaper, he finds an ad where they are looking for a manga editor.

Sasahara interviews with the company and learns that they are a contract company who send out editors to work at the various publishing houses. Even the interviewer is contracted out and is working on Sasahara's favorite manga, "Kujibiki Unbalance." Sometime later after the interview, Sasahara gets a package from the company and he has a job. The first thing he does is call Ogiue, who had to run out of the shower to answer the phone. She asks him to check over her latest storyboards which he's happy to do. Then later in the Genshiken club room, he makes the announcement there as well. He has Ohno send a copy of the Genshiken doujinshi they published to her American friends, after which there is discussions with the previous members as well about things, including the fact that while Sasahara is working in the publishing field like he wanted, he only answers phones and doesn't do any editorial work.

Thoughts: Hmmmm, a somewhat disappointing end because the series didn't even get into Ogiue and Sasahara actually becoming a couple and beyond (Sasahara and Saki's graduation). I suppose we could have another 3+ episode OVA series (I hope we do to wrap things up) .

I didn't like how this episode specifically made Sasahara a loser for a short time to fill time. I did like how Sasahara, in desperation, started looking for other work. However, it was weak that after he gets a job with the manga editor contract company, he is sent to be the taker of phone calls only. In the manga, this isn't stated and one is left with the impression that Sasahara gets to start working his dream job, not be a phone jockey. Bah.

Otherwise I didn't have any problems with the episode.

Starship Troopers 01

Uchu no Senshi Episode 01 (OVA)
宇宙の戦士 Ep. 01 (Anime)

SPOILER Summary: On a distant planet, a group of troops in mecha-suits go into a combat zone with an unknown force and are being wiped out.

On Earth, Johnnie Rico from Daniel High is playing the championship against Barons High. His team is down by 5 points in the 4th quarter with 15-seconds on the clock. Johnnie looks at the cheerleader Carmencita and promises himself that if they win, he'll tell her something. The quarterback throws Johnnie a pass, which he catches, but gets stopped just short of the goal line. At the party after the game, Johnnie begins drinking a lot and his friend Carl comes over. Knowing Johnnie has the hots for Carmencita, he pushes Johnnie over to where she's being flirted with by another guy, where we learn she's going to attempt to be a pilot in the military. Before much of a conversation can begin, a group of people decide to head to the ocean and Carmencita asks him to come as well.

Johnnie is lying in the back of Carl's convertible as they make the trip. They talk of the future with Carl joining the Army to put try his computer skills to use. Johnnie hasn't thought much about the future since it is assumed he'll just inherit his father's business. He falls asleep and as the others enjoy a night at the beach. The sun rises the next morning and he feels something stir within him upon seeing the sunrise. He discovers Carmencita is sitting on the car and they talk briefly of her plans to become a pilot. With that, he does the unthinkable and heads to the military recruiting office to join the military, something he hasn't even consulted with his parents about.

When he comes home later, his mother is horrified that her son has done such a dastardly deed and wants him to withdraw his application. He cannot because it is already in the system. Johnnie's father takes him out for a drive where they discuss things. To Johnnie's surprise, he sees his father smoke for the first time, something that his father has access to as head of the Rico Foods Company, and he asks Johnnie not to tell his mama. Johnnie's father suspects that war is about to break out considering the orders for foodstuffs the military has put in with his company. While he won't stand in his son's way, he asks Johnnie to consider there are other ways to help humanity other than being in the military and to also consider his mama's feelings. After their talk, Johnnie decides to walk home to think about things. He finds his mother still seated at the table with her head on her hands and he proceeds up to his room.

The following day, Carl comes by with some military footage that he managed to acquire online and which apparently had accidentally not been encrypted. It is the footage of the mecha-suited troopers battling the unknown force from the beginning of the episode. Seeing it, Johnnie is determined to proceed with joining the military. As such, Carl is comforted about his own decision to join the military. With rumors now spreading, more so since the luxury liner Queen Alexandria made an unexpected return to Earth, the Federation military admitted that there had been some attacks by an unknown enemy on a few outer planets but that they would have the situation under control soon.

Johnnie sees his father and tells him his mind is made up to join the military. As such, his father gives him the acceptance letter. Johnnie takes off on his motorcycle but finds his mother looking depressed by a tree overlooking a lake. He stops to see her, but she slaps her son and basically tells him goodbye before walking off. Johnnie enters the military and is transfered to the Mobile Infantry branch where those who'd been there longer were now training with the mecha-suits.

Thoughts: First, I'd like to thank Stretch for pointing this title out to me. I had no clue the Japanese had done an adaptation of the Robert A. Heinlein novel back in 1988. It is a 6-episode OVA which has never been released on DVD (apparently) and so I'm going to try to see if I can score and watch the whole thing. I've never read the original novel, but I'm told that this OVA is the most accurate visual adaptation of it. My only point of reference is the live-action movie that came out in 1997.

As to the first episode, it moves faster than it would seem to for basically establishing characters and other table-setting events. I can't say much beyond that other than I look forward to watching the 2nd episode (whenever that happens to be).

Tsubasa Chronicle 29 - 31

In order to try to clear some old backlog, for the remainder of the Tsubasa Chronicle series, I'll be giving brief summaries per episode and thoughts since doing individual summaries takes too long.

ツバサ・クロニクル 29

SPOILER Summary: As the race continues, the sabotage takes out Ryuuoh's racer. In order to ensure he doesn't die, Syaoran uses his own racer to save him. The saboteur continues his work and soon Kurogane is taken out of the race after saving Sakura. Syaoran and Ryuuoh pinpoint the location of the remote signals and have a rescue vehicle take them there. Meanwhile as Sakura continues to race, Kurogane and Fay (Fai...whatever) confront Tomoyo, who confesses to having tampered with the preliminaries in order to aide Sakura-chan at the request of anther person but not the current race. Syaoran and Ryuuoh find the saboteur, the president of the Piffle Princess Company. They stop him which allows Sakura to win the race. However, as she goes to claim her prize (the feather), Kyle-sensei from the Jade World, tries to prevent it. He's stopped and Sakura gets the feather, but Kyle manages to escape to another dimension. Tomoyo tells Kurogane that the person she'd been communing with was Princess Tomoyo from his world. With that, Mokona sends the group to the next world, where Fei Wong apparently will ensure they go to the location he wants.

Thoughts: Its been a while since I read the manga so I don't remember how accurate the episode is. It was OK I suppose though I still have a hard time being enthused about this title.

ツバサ・クロニクル 30

SPOILER Summary: Mokona deposits the group onto the next world, which happens to be the one that Fei Wong intended. As Kurogane and Fay rest, Sakura relates to Syaoran a new memory she has of a sand rabbit when she was a small child, though she cannot remember Syaoran's part in it. Mokona locates Sakura's feather, which is in a cone-shaped rock. However, when Syaoran tries to retrieve it, it becomes the horn of a dragon. Some locals appear to retrieve the feather as well, but fail. It is then that Syaoran and company learn that this is the world they visited in episode 26 and that all the people who were saved then are doomed to again die unless they get that feather. Kurogane brings his skills into play along with Syaoran and they get the horn. However, when Sakura goes to the temple with the feather to make a wish, the "deity" there says it is impossible. As such, Sakura gets her feather back and a memory of the rabbit's death and her father telling her that once it dies, it cannot be brought back to life. All of the saved people from earlier now vanish as the feather is gone. The results of this were apparently expected by Fei Wong, though maybe not what he wanted.

Thoughts: So, that made episode 26 rather pointless. Being that this was not a story in the manga, I can see why. Plus, it makes Mokona rather pointless too since Mokona couldn't sense the other feather on their first trip. Plot holes in my anime, ya'll.

ツバサ・クロニクル 31

SPOILER Summary: Mokona deposits the group in the middle of the ocean where they are picked up by the fishing ship Lagosta and put to work. Syaoran works in the engine room where he finds a kid named Fujitaka, the same name as his father and indeed, this kid is this world's version of his father. A storm ends up sending Syaoran and Fujitaka on an island, supposedly inhabited by ghost. They find a totem pole with writing on it giving some warnings. They find a cave where huge gusts of wind blow, creating a noise that sounds like ghost. They make their way through the cave to the other side of the island, where the boat is and where Kurogane, Fay, Sakura, and Mokona are in dingy searching for Syaoran and Fujitaka. The move the dingy to pick up the two, but a large sea creature emerges and is dispatched by Kurogane. The captain of the boat realizes that the warnings they'd heard about this island must have been to warn them about the monster. After Syaoran and Fujitaka are back on board, Fujitaka tells Syaoran he's going to be an archaeologist, something Syaoran's father was. Mokona then sends them to the next world.

Thoughts: Another kinda tedious episode. Filler tends to be that way though.

Ah! My Goddess: Fighting Wings 01

Aa Megami-sama: Tatakau Tsubasa Ep. 01
ああっ女神さまっ 闘う翼 Episode 01

SPOILER Summary: In the Heavens, a security breach has happened and the Valkyrie, led by the megami Shinzoku, Rind, investigates. Several of them are taken out as Lind attacks. Meanwhile on Earth, the megami and their angels are having a tea party, which is observed by a depressed Skuld, who's own angel had previously been returned to its egg. As they talk about what it will take for Skuld to be able to summon Noble Scarlet once more, a portal begins to open in the sky. Skuld is afraid that it will be another Mazoku (demon if you will) coming to Earth but Belldandy says the power is that of the Shinzoku (heavenly beings) and that the being is from the fighting squadron.

Lind arrives and announces that everything that has entered the Morisato residence in the last 24-hours has to be turned over to her. So, they begin to bring out literally everything they've acquired in the past 24-hours. After that, Lind erects a barrier over the entire temple grounds and explains about the Angel Eater, which is a creature which eats angels (naturally) and which has been stolen and apparently come to this place. Having established the barrier, Lind takes a position on the porch area to "stand watch" with the goal of capturing the Angel Eater. The other megami will have to take care to protect their angels.

Urd enters her room/lab to do some work when a strange noise causes her angel, World of Elegance, to emerge even though she had not been summoned. Urd collapses unconscious. When the others arrive, Belldandy explains that the forced separation of an angel from the megami host is a traumatic experience which is why Urd is unconscious. Lind suspects that the Angel Eater was already at the residence prior to her arrival or had been snuck in. However, the puzzle is why after being warned, Urd had her angel taken from her. Peorth begins investigating that very thing and learns that there isn't a great deal of information on the Angel Eater. As she researches, the strange noise is heard again and despite the fact that she had told her angel, Gorgeous Rose, to stay put, Gorgeous Rose comes out just the same and is captured. Before losing consciousness, Peorth realizes that when Urd was attacked, the noise was the reason their angels came out without being summoned.

Lind is reflecting on her angel, which has but one wing, and her attempts at becoming more powerful. Belldandy comes out to talk with her as Lind is unhappy with herself over not being able to protect them despite being the most skilled of the Valkyrie. Belldandy attempts to cheer her up, talking of life and stuff and Lind, despite her very serious nature, reveals that she too has a soft side. It is then that Skuld discovers Peorth and Lind and Belldandy come running. It is decided that because of this latest attack, they can't be alone. As such, if one is attacked, the other can capture the angel. Keiichi wonders about the Angel Eater attacking both Lind and Belldandy at once, but Lind doesn't think that's possible since if it could do that, it would have already done so. However, she tries to assure them as best she can.

Skuld is feeling pretty worthless even though Belldandy tells her she is their trump card. Keiichi tries to be creative and create an angel decoy cutout. Skuld shows off her own, more sophisticated decoy, which Lind has already rejected as they wouldn't work. Belldandy decides to go and have a bath with Lind escorting her. Skuld asks Keiichi if they are worthless. She feels so because she can't even summon her angel. Keiichi asks her why she still carries around the angel egg if she's already decided she cannot summon her angel.

In the bath, Lind wonders why her attempts to reassure Keiichi and Skuld did not appear to work well. Belldandy tells her it is because she did not smile. As they talk, Lind gets a bad feeling and thinks of her two angels and her desire to meet them both and her drive to get strong enough to summon both of them. When she comes to, she finds feathers in the air and Belldandy unconscious. She immediately realizes the horrible truth and seals the bathroom shut as she is carrying the Angel Eater. When Skuld asks her why she even came to Earth, Lind has no idea and wonders if the Angel Eater had parasitized in the heavens.

A Mazoku portal opens within the bath and the child-form of Hild emerges. Lind summons her pole axe and attacks. Hild stops the blade with her fingers and tells Lind not to get violent with her, but Lind responds by slamming Hild to the wall and pinning her with the axe head buried in the wall. Hild explains her plan to implant a Tsukaima (a familiar spirit and in this case, the opposite of an angel, which Dark Horse called a "devil" in the original manga translation and "familiar" in the updated translation) within all of the megami to see if they will turn from Shinzoku to Mazoku. Hild summons the Angel Eater from Lind, where we see it is holding her one-winged angel captive. Lind informs Hild that a new barrier went active once Hild came through, designed to prevent Hild from doing what she wanted. However, Hild was already prepared for that and outside the bathroom where Keiichi and Skuld are in the hall, another Mazoku portal opens and Mara descends. However, Lind has one more card she can play.

Thoughts: The Angel Eater arc is one of my favorite story arcs. I don't like the anime design for the angel eater. In the manga, it looked like a pretty nasty critter but in the anime, it looks like a giant balloon with tentacles. Otherwise, the episode was a pretty good adaptation of the manga story thus far. Too bad the previous TV series strayed so far from the manga at times so as to become tedious.

Negima! Vol 21 (Ch 189) *SPOILERS*

魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 21 Chapter 189

Summary: As Fate destroys the gate port facility with the giant pillars, Makie, Ako, Yuuna, and Akira find a large amount of debris falling to them. Negi moves over and erects a shield to protect the, telling Makie he's sorry they got involved. Yuuna warns of another giant piece coming for them, which Asuna moves in and using her artifact sword, not only removing the pillar, but making it vanish (which as it does, begins to look a lot like shadow stuff used earlier against Kaede earlier), which Yuuna finds awesome. With the facility and link destroyed and the separation gate secured, Fate's group prepares to leave. However he orders that Negi's group undergo a forced transmission to all parts of the planet, which he tells Negi is his gift to him. The spell is cast and everyone that came with Negi (sans Donet) are gone.

Negi is in a dream state and discovers all of his companions have been petrified. Fate tells him it is because he is still not strong enough. Fate is astounded that Negi would involve all these people just to learn more about his father. Fate tells Negi he should have stayed at school and just enjoyed his life and with that, he shatters Asuna's statue.

Negi awakens to find himself in a jungle laying on a futon and a towel on his head. He sees a naked Chachamaru (with her new, realistic skin covering) bathing in the river nearby and she comes rushing back when she realizes he's alive. Chachamaru briefs him on the current situation and how the other members of Ala Alba and the stowaways have been scattered by the forced transmission spell. Chachamaru gets dressed while Negi uses the pactio cards to attempt to summon or contact any of the battle harem he's pactio'd with, but has no success. Further, the card only has a limited range with a max of 10 kilometers.

Negi heads to some high ground to get a better look at the land and Chachamaru informs him they'd been sent 1000 kilometers from the gate port. Chachamaru pulls out a Ala Alba badge, which was created with a fusion of magic and science with the ability to detect other badges within a 900 kilometer range. She detects a person at 50 kilometers, one at 90, one at 270, and a few further than that, but she can't account for all members. Plus, there are the four girls that wouldn't have a badge. In order to return to Earth and the school, the two of them will need to recover their comrades.

Thoughts: Very interesting. So now the quest is to find all of the other members of Ala Alba, a task that will be very difficult and made more difficult as they have Makie, Akira, Yuuna, and Ako to find. This forced transmission spell provides a unique method for exploring the Magic World while at the same time dumping other characters, at least for a little while. Interesting that Chachamaru should be his companion to start, but it makes sense seeing as how she'll have information Negi can use.

Macross Frontier 01 (Deculture Edition)

マクロスF Episode 01 (Deculture Edition)
Macross F Ep. 01 (Deculture Edition)

SPOILER Summary: The year is 2059 and pop singer Sheryl Nome is on her way to the Sagittarius Spiral Arm, specifically to the Macross Frontier. This is a large fleet of warships (the 25th Emigration Fleet) which protect a giant colony ship (which I believe is specifically named "Macross Frontier") and Sheryl is to perform on the large colony ship. Meanwhile at Miboshi Academy High School (within the main colony ship), a group of boys are in winged, mecha body-suits, who tease Alto Saotome because of his feminine looks. But the other guys are looking forward to working at Sheryl's concert. Elsewhere, a girl named Ranka Lee, finds out her "oniichan" has scored her tickets to Sheryl's concert.

Ranka gets out of work and makes her way to where the concert is being held. However, the massive throng of people are blocking her way, so she heads to the woods to take a shortcut and gets lost. She ends up getting soaked by the sprinkler system and so when she stumbles upon Alto, who's group had moved to the woods, he aids her even though she had thought he was a woman because of his looks. He uses his jet pack to dry her clothing, then escorts her to a location near the concert location. As a means of thanks, she tells him to come by the restaurant where she works where she will hook him up.

As the concert starts, outside at the fleet's first line of defense, a squadron of unmanned fighters are destroyed. A group of manned fighters are dispatched but they too are trounced by this mysterious, new enemy. The President of the Frontier issues an evacuation order to the fleet. This brings the concert to an immediate halt and the emergency is announced all over. People within the colony ship are not sure if this is just another military drill or not and Ranka is disappointed by the shortened concert while in the rafters, Alto, who was part of the show, wonders what is going on.

The SMS Skull Squadron is dispatched, lead by Ozama Lee, who orders the regular fighter units to retreat so that he and his people can fight. While they are better prepared to fight this enemy force, they too find they are not enough as the enemy breaks through to the fleet. The warships in the fleet open up with everything they have, but amazingly, the enemy glides through the mass amount of incoming fire to destroy several of the escorts. The main colony ship raises its shields but the enemy units break through the shields and penetrate the dome that surrounds the city underneath.

The enemy unit begins destroying buildings, but is engaged by army tank units. It quickly destroys them to then continue its rampage. It spots Alto in his winged mecha suit and attacks him, shooting him out of the sky but not injuring him. Ozama Hiiro (Ozama's wingman) follows it and orders Alto out of the area. The enemy unit (or creature) gets on top of his fighter and forces him to eject where he's in a mecha suit of his own. Ozama Hiiro starts firing on the enemy and is grabbed and crushed, all of which is seen by Alto and the frightened Ranka. Leaving the damanged fighter, the enemy moves on Ranka while Alto gets into the fighter and activates it. He's able to get it into the "winged-leg" mode where he can use the fighter's main weapons but be standing on its mecha legs (half-transformation if you will). As such, he begins blasting away at the enemy, forcing it to turn its attention from Ranka to him.

Thoughts: After only watching a little bit of the first episode for Macross 7, I realized that actually getting myself to watch that series was going to be difficult at best (I still plan to someday but we'll see). But I have seen the original Macross and though Macross F is a sequel to Macross 7, I figured I'd give it a try.

Visually, the episode looked pretty good. It was slow to start but once the action got going, it moved pretty quickly (even if predictably) and ending on a cliff-hanger ensured that I'd be back for a 2nd episode. But I have a note to people like Alto -- if you don't want to be thought of as a woman, maybe ditching the long hair and female hairstyle would be best, eh? However, if you are so attached to a hairstyle that makes you look like a woman, then you really can't complain when your comrades tease you about it and call you "princess" can you?

Hayate no Gotoku! 36

Hayate the Combat Butler Episode 36
ハヤテのごとく！Ep. 36

SPOILER Summary: Klaus has a dream of being retired on a plantation in Brazil. He debates with Tama about if Hayate can handle things or not but then awakens to find Tama asleep on top of him...or so he believes since Tama isn't asleep. Klaus does his morning routine which involves ironing the newspaper for Nagi and attending her. When he mentions his dream of retiring to her, she tells him he can retire. When he tries to say it is just a dream, she tells him that Freud stated that dreams are our hidden desires. He's depressed by this and when Maria and Hayate come to see him, Hayate cannot reach him because of an AT Field he's erected around himself.

They tell Nagi that Klaus is depressed and taking her retirement statements for real. Of course that's not what Nagi meant but as usual, this flusters her a bit. Maria goes to see Klaus about this and he decides that he will challenge Hayate to see who can be the best butler over a 24-hour period. If Hayate wins, Klaus will leave. This isn't what Tama expected. So as the challenge starts, Klaus tries to show he's on top of things with a tray of tea and crumpets but Hayate is already one up on him with tea made with tea bags that are used in the English Royal Palace. When Hayate offers her a choice of lemon or milk for her tea, Klaus thinks he has an advantage since they use milk in Great Britain and not lemon, but Nagi goes for the lemon.

Nagi and Hayate walk to school and pass a KFC where Klaus is outside disguised as Colonel Sanders (and from whence Nishizawa emerges with a bucket of chicken). Klaus follows them to school unbeknownst to Nagi and Hayate. When Katsura-sensei throws some chalk at them to get them to shut up, Hayate moves to protect Nagi, but Klaus (with some sort of fanged mask on) tosses a highly polished silver fork that intercepts the chalk. Katsura-sensei recognizes him as a Sanzenin butler, and since the word butler is derived from the French word for one who is in charge of the wines and other spirits, she attacks and chases him, wanting some adult beverages.

The Student Council Trio (SCT) are cutting class at a gazebo in the middle of a pond on the campus grounds and wishing they had a butler. They see Katsura-sensei launch some kind of attack (Sunlight **** Overdrive -- an anti-vampire attack I'd guess based on the fanged mask he wore) which ends up only hitting a log with the mask on it as now Klaus is in ninja gear and clinging to a tree. However, his back gives out and he falls to the ground. He ends up serving SCT tea and cake inside some large office, which they thank him for as it is very good. Katsura-sensei arrives very annoyed, demanding to be given some as well as well as some vintage wine. However, when Hina arrives to get on to her sister for abusing the elderly, Klaus is off again.

Hayate and Nagi are searching for Klaus and spot him. Before they can reach him, he comes upon Himuro, being showered with flower petals by his supposed young master Taiga. Himuro has some remarks about Klaus's age, but Klaus has a counter about Himuro's being in the spotlight rather than in his master's shadow. In the end, Himuro takes Klaus's necktie, but that doesn't concern Klaus as he says that being in the shadows means that when his master no longer needs him, he will simply disappear. Hayate wonders if Klaus will now really retire because of what just happened.

Back at the mansion as Klaus broods on a bench overlooking the mansion, Maria has a plan to bring Klaus around, and it involves Hayate cross dressing. This time, Maria has him dressed as Belldandy and he tells Klaus his name is Hermione, a goddess living in the Sanzenin Lake. He tries to convince Klaus that he's still needed and then proceeds to give the infatuated butler a massage. Tama happens on the scene and seeing Hayate as Belldandy, he decides to get him some of that. As a result, Klaus thinks he was hallucinating. Hayate knocks Tama out and discovers a paper with a female tiger on a Brazilian plantation. Realizing Tama is behind everything, Hayate gives Tama another beating and tells him there are no tigers that live in Brazil.

That night, Klaus has his things packed and he goes to depart. He remembers his time with Nagi-ojousama as she grew up. Hayate arrives and as Klaus tells him there's nothing Klaus can't do that Hayate can, Nagi arrives to complain to Hayate about her paper being damp and un-ironed. As such, she rules Klaus the winner. The following day, Klaus is back to work as normal and an embarrassed Nagi tries to blow off what she did to keep Klaus on the staff.

Thoughts: Well, there were a lot of references I got this episode. There were the Neon Genesis Evangelion references with Klaus creating the AT Field as well as the two times the Longinus Spear were in his back. Oh, and I guess Klaus constantly saying, "I mustn't run away" was what Shinji used to say, right? Optimus Prime from Transformers was one of the statues, though partially blocked from view. Then Hayate gets dressed up as Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess, but names himself as Hermione from Harry Potter fame. And lest I forget, the good old KFC reference with Nishizawa's weekly cameo and Klaus dressed up as Colonel Sanders (most KFC's in Japan have a plastic statue to the colonel outside their doors). There were other references of course, none of which I could easily identify.

As to the episode itself, it was another fun one. That whole thing of trying to have some sort of story arc with the combat butler stuff never really worked for me. For me, Hayate no Gotoku is about characters and the situations that they get themselves into, with a liberal dosage of parody references. The last couple of episodes have been more along this line.

I did like how the writers took aim at Himuro's relationship with his supposed master Taiga. Himuro has always seemed like the one in charge, not the butler and that little jab-joke went over well with me.