I wanted some romance, didn't I? I wanted 19th century, didn't I? so - why am I so upset? perhaps, the reason is that I am writing this post after I only watched half of the first episode?
last time when I was writing a 'review' on 'Dance' I also started writing after watching the beginning of the first episode, but I wasn't upset, no - quite opposite. then, what is the difference? well... perhaps, this?
plot and characters
ADD SUGAR, CAP!
or something like this the fangirls were shouting at the face of the director, screenplay writers, designers, and others - the imaginary fangirls that invaded the minds of those who created this brilliant (in the literary sense) work
oh, I AM a lover of shoujo. I should be happy and all drooling while seeing something like this, eh? the plot only starts, but we already have a mysterious guy who is hinted to be a notorious criminal (and criminals are always sexy dangerous - because they have committed a crime, you know? oh no it does not matter whether he really committed it by his hands or not), who is, BTW, unshaven and shaggy-haired (oh, dear person responsible for the character design, how did you guess that unshaven and shaggy-haired guys are exactly my preference?), hugging from behind (pay your attention, the scene when Lidia's mouth was covered by his hand was really THAT necessary in precisely THOSE circumstances and for precisely THAT long time), hair kissing (every gentleman in England of 19th century does this, don't you read historical books?), and at last - shining and twinkling that follows his every movement
well, of course he got better after changing in the rich clothes, returning to his natural blonde, etc. did this metamorphosis change much? nope
in the end, I cannot help comparing his behaviour with that of Usui from 'maid-sama'. guess who wins in the comparison? while being far more 'perverted alien' by words and actions, which is only natural to be counted an a disadvantage, Usui still seems to be a far stronger character, and a deeper one as well. at least, we can see his feelings and his intentions, unlike Edgar, who never grows to be less shallow than he was in the beginning. walking handsome bishie doll
MORE SUGAR, MOOOORE!!!
still the voice of the target audience is audible enough. and so, another handsome guy is introduced. he has bronze skin and emerald eyes... he speaks in a low voice... what a difference with the first guy! - or something like this the creators thought, and decided that this is what they need to capture the hearts of those young spectators who were not completely bewitched by Edgar. to make sure of their victory over this part of the target audience, they made him criminal as well. you saw this expression in his eyes, didn't you? you heard that line - 'there's no need to kill anyone over such a trifling matter', didn't you? and the last straw - you saw how he scanned her figure from the bottom to the top to prepare a dress for her, didn't you?
ONE MORE sexy DANGEROUS CRIMINAL!!!
or something like this the fangirls were shouting. the imaginary ones
nonetheless, he's not the aggressive type, you know? the victim one, yep!
oh, poor main heroine, I've been ignoring her... shame on me! as my friend told me - 'she is a shoujo heroine, but pays less attention to the main hero than 'tis common for shoujo'. well, I see. he just said almost directly that he is intending to marry her (regardless of what his true intentions could or seemed to be, his words had this meaning), but she is thinking about fairies. oh, this is not called 'she is paying less attention to the main hero', this is called - 'a kind, but a veeeery stupid main heroine'. the phrase is not mine, the credit goes to one of the commentators on world-art, unfortunately I do not remember what comment exactly
another comparison that comes to my mind is that with Ayano of 'Kaze no Stigma'. well, there is a significant difference. while Ayano simply cries 'bakaaaa' when Kazuma does something which is getting on her nerves, Lidia is more sophisticated. she prefers 'that horrible villain'
why again I have been remembering Ayano from the very beginning...
don't you recognize the passionate monologue of Ayano in the last episode? 'what am I to you? a hindrance? a burden? I want you to rely on me, too!' - I wonder if 'tis enough to prove that Lidia is no better than a usual shoujo heroine
oh and BTW, did you know that stumbling upon a safety handrail which is as high as her waist makes a girl fall backwards?
well at least there could be something interesting in the story itself... but there isn't. the story is so boring and plain despite being overburdened with 'un-understandable' and unnecessary details that I almost fall asleep, as I haven't slept much last night. I have to admit there were feeble attempts to introduce some philosophy, but this level of reasoning is too much even for me. like that line of Raven - 'are you able to teach me what's right and wrong and never order me to kill?', and Lidia does not know what to answer... hmmm... so, not ordering to kill is such a hard task, I see? wow. I never knew other people have such problems. this might be such a burden, not ordering to kill
a sudden cry from the darkness - MORE SUGAR, MORE!!!
the fangirls obviously got tired with all that philosophy. 'tis very crucial to introduce a new handsome guy once in a while, you know? otherwise the spectators get booored. BTW this character must be wise enough to 'understand and forgive'... and save them, as well. 'tis MAAAGIIIIC, you know
erm... was, then, 'Dantalian' different?
we see pretty similar setting - England, mystery and magic, and who
would doubt that Huey was created for the delectation of girls' eyes? still... there was something different, something tasting less like sugar
this
very fact - the lack of sugar in 'Dantalian' - made me want something with a more
obvious romance. but you know, I wanted romance, not a candy wrapping
the first episode is finished. I already want to drop so badly... I don't even care for the romance, and even less for the epoch portrayed - the 19th century which I was searching for so thoroughly. why am I watching further? well... because of the cat and the cute little fairies, perhaps?
seiyuus
when I asked my friends about the seiyuus participating in this brilliant work she named me a whole bunch of prominent seiyuus whom I knew and whom I considered to be really outstanding ones among the 'old school' and the 'middle' one - that is, not the most recent ones, but those who emerged in 90s and early 00s. like, Midorikawa Hikaru-san, Koyasu Takehito-san, Oohara Sayaka-san, Chafurin-san and Miyano Mamoru-san. I was expecting to hear something outstanding! and my dreams were shattered - not by the seiyuus themselves, but probably by the genre. well, probably hearing Oohara's low voice was a good experience as I usuallyl heard the higher one
MORE SUGAR, MORE! - this time 'tis the line of the directors who required the male seiyuus all to become as shoujo-ish as they could
female part is different. the main heroine's seiyuu is actually a good training in uttering sighs and inhalations of surprise/shock/admiring/all of them mixed. I hope Mizuki Nana did have a good practice. BWT her new album was widely advertised in Osaka last summer, if I am not mistaken. her very looks did tell me a lot about her, and I was not mistaken when I heard her voice in the anime. perfect! intonations as if not uttered by her, but played from an old gramophone - unchanged since the ancient time, ideal - not close to ideal, but really ideal, because they were simply a copy of a 'shoujo heroine intonations' template, 100% cliche with no imagination at all
may I have your permission to compare this with 'Dantalian' again? listen to Sawashiro-san. her way of pronoucing 'desu' with 'su' not reduced as usual but vice versa - stressed with a raised voice - was getting on my nerves during the first episode, but then I understood that 'twas her way of making herself memorable and original, 'twas her shtick, as well as her 'yyyyes', which I loved by the end of the series, to say nothing of her intonations that remained partially the same as in DGC. or Fujimura-san in 'maid-sama' - I still cannot forget her changing intonations, and especially that of her in a 'drunk' condition
Mizuki-san? nothing like this
graphics
hey, hey, did you see the ball? did you? wasn't it wonderful??? a couple of static pictures simply increased/decreased in size? this is what is called DANCING, yep!
also, notice the disappearing and reappearing on the floor small sack of Lidia in ep. 11 and Ulysses's gloves on his hands in ep. 12
and you know - I can now understand very well that BABY's and ALICE's designers DID a good job in creating clothes for 'Dantalian'. oh yes, I have changed my mind about that fact
music
the main reason my friend liked this anime was its OST. well, perhaps there was some. I don't know, I only noticed a couple of short melodies which were pretty good - but couldn't suit less to the scenes they accompanied
conclusion
MORE SUGAR, MORE!!!
the fangirls were still screaming...
I haven't said anything about the greatest masterpiece in this anime. the ending animation! yep, we believe those naked guys are sleeping. yep, with no other implied meaning!
in the end... there was nothing. so many 'special' situations, and no result. during the last episode I already wanted this to be a plain hentai with Lidia getting what she deserved from every guy in the story. and maybe not only Lidia, you know. and maybe not only the girls, you know
I better stop laughing so hard, or I'll wake up my parents who are already sleeping
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