IMHO. 'Masamune's Revenge' ~ long live quality ecchi harems

I have watched many harem anime series, not without some ecchi, or maybe even all of them... I'm not even sure if I haven't watched more harems than reverse harems. If in harem there is at least 50 % chance that the male lead is tolerable and the story is legit, the same chance for reverse tends to zero, at least in my experience.

My views on 'Masamune' really went through many different stages...

Stage 1.

Arrogant bitches!

Arrogant bitches are much better for me than clumsy cuties who are loved by everyone around not so much despite their clumsiness but rather thanks to it.

He is the perfect boy trying to get the perfect girl and they gradually grow closer, though she wouldn't let him near willingly - this is what I expected...

Then suddenly

So, he's doing this simply as a technique? And her maid says she's willing to help because the heroine is too arrogant?

Isn't it just one more 'Taming of the shrew' then? I've seen it already and it's not something I enjoy very much. Moreover, the series turn out to be full of other round-faced girls with big eyes all running round the male lead creating pantsu-shot moments, and the heroine exhibits the traits of a perfect tsundere. If anyone needs a textbook on tsundere, here is one.

So, it's an ecchi harem? Then burn in hell, I thought.

Stage 2.

While she's not the perfect girl, he's not the perfect boy either. And it turns out, his true feelings about his own plan is a sight hilarious to behold.

Unexpectedly, I felt the right amount of madness in the humour of this series.

Starting from stupid little details, such as the shoujo manga used as a reference - 'The steroid with rose eyes'

up to the good old trick

The male lead's attempts to make the necessary impression which inevitably fail at first were a pretty good thing to follow

At least this is how I would react! This is how I would react and how I think every girl with a piece of common sense and knowledge should react!

Yes she knows and every girl should!

And it's probably the first time I see at least a glimpse of a conscious reaction on part of a girl...

So, just when it's starting to get too awkward because of all the rose colours and flowers and butterflies, the director makes a pause and puts something funny in between. If everyone were really serious and the characters were really meant to be just a fluttered tsundere, perfect boy, emotionless ruthless maid and frail maiden friend-and-rival, it would be intolerable.

If the male lead was serious about his plan every single moment, it would be intolerable.

Stage 3.

But when it gets too playful, the viewers may get irritated, too. And then...
What is this? You must be kidding me? A real dramatic moment in an ecchi harem comedy?

How come, a real dramatic melody during a tense moment in the story? In an ecchi harem comedy? The male lead realising the difference between a person who thinks of him and a person who doesn't? What?!

An attempt to convey how the character feels?

 An attempt to show the inner world of a character?

Much to my shock, 'Masamune' turned out to be not only a laughable comedy, but a lovable drama - of course, as much as it can be considered a drama at all, since it's just several high school students hanging out and living their youth.

By the last episode I was completely sure that I would

1. want to follow the story to the end, because it was already obvious the conflict was based around one huge misunderstanding, and the characters who might be considered 'enemies' or 'rivals' are not villains even in the slightest;

2.  recommend it to anyone who wants to spend 4 pleasant hours without worrying too much, but without boredom, either.

The voice actors were all absolutely perfect for their characters, though I still believe the real abundance of unique voices is lost, and the voice bank of Japan can only offer a limited amount of typical voices for common cases as this. In other words, the times when a seiyuu made the character are gone, and there are more and more seiyuus who just follow the character. For almost every character in 'Masamune' I can offer a couple of replacements and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't know the difference.

The music was surprisingly good, as I mentioned, and I will say it again, the composer did a real job, creating tender melodies for tender moments, jazzy tunes for some fun, and tense pieces for tense moments.

If there is something I would like to throw into the trash can, it's the opening and ending theme. Just a couple of tunes I feel I have heard millions of times before.

So, what's in the end? In the end, the typical tsundere makes her typical punch to hide her embarrassment.

But I wished them good luck, as I felt they were a bit more real than so many other characters I've seen. I saw many people blaming it for none-creativity, but no, this ain't the case. I gave 3 to 'Princess Lover' and 1 to 'Diabolik lovers', but I did put 7 to 'Masamune'. And remember, I wished for it to burn in hell when I started.

IMHO. 'Suki tte ii na yo' ~ 18 volumes are not the same every time

I think I know several shoujo manga approximately 18 volumes long, sometimes a bit shorter, like 15, or a bit more than 20. I think I understand to some extent what the story would be like with such a length. And I know what one can make out of such manga creating a 13-episode or a 26-episode tv anime series.

In fact, the amount of situations to describe in every ark is not very big.

First, they get to know each other under awkward circumstances. After that, or parallel to that, the heroine starts making new friends.

Then a rival appears on her side. Then the heroine does something that changes the rival to a friend, and the former rival becomes such a supporter that she would even oppose our hero.

Then, a rival appears on his side. He also should be a good guy essentially and even though he proclaims his love to be sincere, he officially recognises the pair and this threat also vanishes.

Since the first female rival switched sides so quickly, there should be another female rival, but even she eventually starts crying and admits her faults and becomes if not a new friends than at least something bordering on a nice person.

The heroine starts doubting the relationship every now and then, but her new friends support her and persuade her to make some new step, which she does, consciously.

She also experiences moments when the problem lies not in the rivals but in herself.

The list of possible settings also includes an amusement park, a summer festival, a hot spring resort, school trip, going to his place, going to her place and some others.

Especially touching moments are conveyed through showing objects unrelated to the conversation. Every romantic dialogue happens as a flow of sounds put upon a

or

or

I've heard that Natsume Soseki translated a character in a book in English saying 'I love you' into Japanese as 'tonight the moon is beautiful'. Well, 'Suki tte' went even further and made it an empty street, a plane trail in the sky and a toy spade in a sandbox.

It is the more disappointing considering that the beginning of the series was fast-paced and promising. Instead, even though I saw a wonderful passionate confession as early as episode 2, every new dialogue was duller than the previous, and every new character set on the path of righteousness in a pretty predictable fashion.

I must admit there was some attempt to show the inner feelings of the characters who feel insecure

and hurt each other unintentionally, even though they meant the opposite

but all of these were done in the same fast way, leaving no time for me to sympathise and feel it myself.

There was also an attempt to introduce some comedy via blunt comments

 misunderstandings

 and hyperboles

but they weren't enough. Towards the end, there were more calm, nothing-special-is-happening-and-thats-why-its-so-special moments, than the original passion or humour.

There were some recognisable melodies in the background, but I did not enjoy them particularly. The mild opening theme by Ritsuko Okazaki reminded me of Yui Makino's songs for 'Aria', except that 'Aria' could be proud of the unique style it had, and this one cannot. The ending by Suneohairwas probably at least interesting. It possessed some quality and might be usable as a background for everyday chores or make-up time.

The art was sometimes fine

and sometimes obviously lazy (have you ever seen a person speak with such a mouth as Aiko, in pink blouse?)

Here is the most important point: I thought there would be 23 episodes, but after I watched the 13th one I realised I'd been mistaken and the remaining 10 are only a one-minute shorts. This is when my score for 'Suki tte' immediately dropped.

I realised I was waiting for something... For something to happen. I was waiting all this time, all these 13 episodes, but I got nothing rewarding in the end, and moreover, even if there were more episodes, there would be nothing new to wait for, and even if I started reading the manga, there would be nothing really worth reading so much for.

I think I know shoujo manga 18 volumes long, out of which good directors and anime studios make decent anime series. I think I know how they can be filled with characters to love and stories to follow. Unfortunately, even really good seiyuus couldn't save 'Suki tte' from being only average.

At least I don't have to fear that I need to read 18 volumes.

IMHO. 'Iria: Zeiram the Animation' ~ I know what screenshot will attract most viewers!

It's the main character Iria's breast and a cute unknown animal trying to get out from it, if you're wondering...

In fact you see, I could find many faults that I usually find in Japanese anime and TV dramas. After all, it's just one more story about greedy politicians whose research object went out of control, about immoral administration officials who take a monster invasion as a way to get rid of the slums, about self-sacrifice and friendship born out of rivalry, about how families are not necessarily people related by blood. Nothing new, one may say.

After thinking what makes it different, this is what I have to say.

It's the wonderfully beautiful world where an oriental pagoda is standing in front of some kind of an industrial tower with fictional technologies, where every scenery looks like you can go there the next moment

where citizens wear kimono-like clothes and policemen wear turbans

Where every costume of every main character is detailed and elaborate with many functional elements balanced by futuristic decorations

It's awfully good graphics for close-ups and pastel backrounds, even if some frames are less accurate. It's awfully great character design, with attractive girls and masculine guys, with stylish hair, defined pitch-black lashes and pink lips of the heroine.

It's the scary monster resembling a daunting samurai.

And before that, it's the good old style of story development. It's about strong heroines with personalities rather than flat patterns. Strong, and not ugly. And not big breasted women. And strong heroes. Not those 'I have to be strong', but really, literally strong. Big strong caring men. Versus disgusting monsters bringing many deaths.

Now that I know better about the phenomenon of 'yutori', the young generation in the Japanese society who are supposed to be different from the older generations, I am going to put it in my reviews left, right, and centre.

A joke that might be, but I no longer hear such impressive voices among seiyuus in the newer anime series. Aya Hisakawa was so natural as the impulsive, energetic, fearless and optimistic Iria that you'd never say she is that Ami Mizuno or Chloe from 'Noir'. Juurota Kosugi is well... Wrap me some Kosugi for a take-out. Both Mika Kanai and Chika Sakamoto in their roles of orphan children were just classic. The partners of Iria by Masaru Ikeda and Shigeru Chiba were also good.

The opening and ending songs did not impress me much, but I did not dislike them.

It now seems as if 'Iria' is an ideal anime, but unfortunately that's not like it, and the problem is... time.

6 episodes per half an hour is something equal to 9 TV anime episodes, and I really miss the remaining 3. If there were more time and more episodes, the touching moments, the tragic moments would be properly done and leave the necessary lingering sadness. As a matter of fact, 'Iria' narration gets messy from time to time and even after catastrophic destruction or an important character's death or a hard battle the character switched back to normal rather quickly. At least it's not usually done with such a speed in anime.

I'd say, 'Iria' is not ideal, but it definitely set me back on track and gave me back the feeling of what's real, like a camertone. I want moar!

It's a cliche, I have said it too many times, but certainly the old anime series are generally better. I would like to say otherwise very much, but when I open MyAnimeList, I see titles like 'The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar' or even 'I Want You To Make a Disgusted Face and Show Me Your Underwear'.

IMHO. 'Yutori desu ga nani ka' ~ yes, I have NANIKA to say

Fathers and sons, just like Turgenev said... What other topic can be more fertile for a producer to make a good modern TV drama?
Having too high hopes for a dorama has never proved a successful strategy for me, but again I run into the same trap. I was hoping so much to see a story about young people making their way into adult life, moreover the characters are only a couple of years me senior.
Instead of a tale about how yutori, the relaxed youth, differ from the previous generations, singing 'I want to break free', I got a story which, as most Japanese dorama do, reflects the older generation's ideal. Feels like the scenario was written by real old farts. Even if it wasn't.
It's a story about several yutori guys who aren't yutori. They technically are, by age, but aren't by nature. Instead of them, yutori are their juniors. And the main characters are name-only yutori dreaming of the good old days.
First, here is Sakama, a young man who entered a university that would let him enter, and is working in a company that would let him work. Sent to lead a local restaurant, even though he is now the head of the establishment, he puts on an apron and starts grilling meat, because that's the way it has been done for ages in Japan: no real experience - no managing. Who cares about his education, take the beer and bring it to the guests. However, he doesn't mind, since he stands for the old ways from the very beginning. He shouts at his junior colleague, when the latter makes a mistake, achieving the dream of every middle-aged manager in Japan - seeing his disciple look up at him and thank him for scolding.

He unexpectedly gets unfairly sued by the younger man for power harassment, but does not bring it to the court to defend himself, because such matters should be settled within the big family, which the company is.

Even if members of this family gossip and your boss occasionally sleeps with your girlfriend while you temporarily break up. Even though your girlfriend says you don't need to go that far.

Eventually Sakama and his junior reconcile and stay on good terms. Sakama then retires to help his family with the traditional craft of sake making. And even his girlfriend retires together with him and starts working in the family brewery too. Meanwhile, his older brother thinks of going to Hokkaido and starting agriculture business because he is not successful in impregnating his wife, but finally he manages to do it and remains the company head (erm... what?). And the younger sister finally finds a work to do. Several times it was shown she was trying a job to be proud of, unsuccessfully, but her brother tells her not to give up, because it's not decent not to work. But in the end she is shown as a novice employee who cannot understand the request of her customers. But that's okay, since she is doing her best right?

Much time is allotted to the main couple trying to settle their relationship, because our first-generation yutori wants to be as proper as he can, no matter he is supposed to be from the 'relaxed' generation.

And then, when his sweetheart is in doubt about her future, he just...

So, following the long-established Japanese way of living one's life, they fulfilled that 'work' and lived happily ever after, 'medetashi medetashi'.
Second, here is Yamaji, a teacher who occasionally inserts a word or two to protect the new 'yutori' system and show the good sides of it, such as children with learning disabilities being able to study together with other pupils. However, Yamaji follows Sakama's example. He, too, scolds his junior colleague out of love and even starts a relationship with her, after she several times let him down seriously and went out with other men. Yamaji was meant to be the comical element as well, but I am not sure whether to laugh or not.

The third, the one I was praying to stay sane in this whirlpool of upbringing madness, is Malibu, the happy-go-lucky owner of a 'kira-kira-name', a non-traditional name for a Japanese with a queer sound, obviously dedicated to a hot honeymoon of Malibu's parents somewhere in... Malibu. He was the only one not afraid to say how things exactly were without trying to cover any motive.

He made the characters realize how they were living their lives, even though his own way of living his life was not decent, at least in the eyes of society. Unfortunately, he was not a real yutori either. He, too, dreamt of being scolded properly by his father, who abandoned him and therefore did not raise him like he should, shouting and showing what's right and wrong. Mostly, what's wrong.

By the end, the only driving force for me to keep watching was the monstrous amount of mistakes in the English subtitles and the high level of difficulty of the original script. I'm really willing to translate, because it's such a challenge. The original text was not easy to understand not only by ear, but even when you have the script, despite what you could think when you watch an average dorama about young people in the modern world.
As for acting, there were some attempts to act on part of Masaki Okada, though I doubt Stanislavsky would ever approve. Sakura Ando was much better in her ingenuousness. Tori Matsuzaka was a blank space to me. He must be considered a real ikemen in Japan, I guess.
Yuuya Yagira was perfect, as if his character was created out of himself. I suddenly realised he was the actor who made an overwhelming impression on me as a young criminal in 'Lady - saigo no hanzai profile'.
Haruka Shimazaki was your average cutie girl, but if she thinks her squeaking voice is cute I'd love to disappoint her. I wasn't surprised to see she's an idol, in fact, I was half suspecting it.
Kotaro Yoshida played an extremely strange character, a dude you can hire to complain about your life, at the same moment being that bad dad who didn't raise Malibu. I couldn't care less about him, as well as all other characters like Sakama's family, colleagues, Akane's dad, mother of Yamaji's pupil and all the others.
Probably one of the best was Takumi Kitamura portraying an extreme variant of yutori - young, fashionable, brazen and stupid.
I did not notice any music there, and the opening theme by Kankaku Pierrot was disgusting in its mediocrity pretending to be philosophical.