I have to say that Star Driver is beginning to have me question why I watch it. At some moments the show delivers kick but action scene after scene, but it increasingly seems to be borrowing frame rate lessons from Evangelion at other moments, though I guess if you’re a fan of two bishies panting for what seems like an eternity this is probably right up your alley. More on point though, this series is moving at quite the breakneck pace, what with fish girl (and her awesome battle song) leaving after only a third of the series is complete. Suffice it to say no one really knows where this thing is headed, but then again, did anyone ever really?

=(

Starting with episode 7, it seems like Mami was in reality nothing more than a one timer meant to induce Sugata into unleashing his King’s Pillar in the previous episode, though I guess you never know for sure. I mean the way Takuto completely ignored her during their fight, only to defeat her in an instant was surprising as it was awesome. That said though, it does seem like the series is breaking away from its established routine given that neither Mami or Benio were shown giving up their badges after their defeats. Speaking of breaking from the routine, what was more unexpected than the sudden departure of fish girl? Sure, I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about half the time, and I’ll definitely miss Monochrome every time Takuto summons Tauburn, but I guess the adventure of life must go on.

As most people have surmised, I also think that the bus scene featuring Wako, fish girl, Keito, and the newly introduced Mizuno has some sort of special significance, with the most likely scenario being that the four are the four shrine maidens on the island. While it certainly surprising to see a member of both the Midnight Flight and the Glittering Star as maidens (if that is indeed the case), it is certainly going to make for some interesting storylines, especially for Keito. I mean, as a member of the Glittering Stars, it seems that she may be one of the keys to unlocking either any phase or a phase after Wako’s. It will be interesting to see if other members of the Brigade already know this, or what will happen to Keito should they find out. Perhaps, she will be forced to change sides in the future.

I just like this shot.

But the most pressing matter on my mind is who will Head have replace fish girl, so that he won’t be bored before bed time. If he does need some sort of replacement, as it seems he does if the Glittering Stars are to move on to the next phase, who will he choose. Regardless of whether he chooses someone to be in his birdcage, I would like a little back-story as to how fish girl ended up in that birdcage in the first place (plus a whole lot of other things). If he does manage to “capture” another girl, I’d imagine the process wouldn’t be that different that fish girls, so that would also suffice as a pseudo back story, I suppose.

The series continues to expand on the use of the first phase, both in and out of zero time. I thought it was quite brilliant of Benio to come up with the idea of using her First Phase ability in zero time after kissing Sugata in the previous episode, even if she failed on the execution. However, I fail to see where the already introduced first phases (by my count there are four of them thus far: Kanako, Benio, Mami, and Midori, though if there are more let me know) will have any pivotal impact on the plot, unless perhaps they have enormous side effects as episode 7 hinted at. The last thing this series needs to do introduce new first phases right before using them at a critical junction, as that would be pretty cheap.

Though I’ve mentioned how I thought some characters were far less important than they initially appeared, Mami for instance and perhaps Kanako, it almost goes without saying that there are likely many characters that may be more important than I would have initially guessed. For example, it seemed like Sarina had a thing for Takuto during their conversation about Wako in episode 7. Perhaps, she may play a more important role as the series progresses, and who knows, if she does like Takuto and he doesn’t reciprocate the feelings, or even notice her, Sarina may join the Glittering Star. It wouldn’t be unlike a teenager to completely switch her group of friends over a boy because as we know by now, the adventure of life must go on.

I guess this post wouldn’t be complete without some mention of Sugata’s short lived fit from being slapped by Takuto. I guess if anything, this means that Sugata truly values bros before h*es, as he was able to overcome the power of Benio’s kiss, and do who knows what with Takuto in zero time. I’m a guy, and that seemed way too dramatic for any resolution to any disagreement I’ve ever had. That said, I suppose the overall concept of the idea was good especially considering Wako was at the center of it, but the execution again was poor. And what happens now? I mean, Sugata can apparently summon his Cybuddy in zero time now, so is that going to mean we are going to see Takuto and Sugata versus all comers, though tag team battles would be pretty cool. That sort of development would sort of mesh with the whole adventure of life goes on thing, but I don’t really know if it would work.

What is this guy's role?

Regardless, the next episode or two will tell us what the departure of fish girl means. Will the series enter some sort of second phase ala Utena and the Black rose arc, or will it squander its good foundation with too many unanswered questions?

This close to a zero time wardrobe malfunction

Well, I’ve been thinking about what show I wanted to blog for the past week, and I finally settled on Bakuman.  I’m actually liking a lot of shows this season, however, I don’t really feel suited to blogging them.  Panty & Stocking is crazy, but it’s a bit too adult for me to write about.  Squid Girl is fun, but the comedy is a bit too light for me to make a substantial post every week.  I don’t think I could manage to stick with The World Only God Knows for the entire season.  So my hopes rest on this series, from the creators of Death Note, which will run through Winter 2011.  I think it’s already off to a good start.

You might say... it hit the ground running. (YEAAAAAH!)

Over the course of this episode, we’re seeing a change in Mashiro.  He’s had his world turned upside down by his new partner in crime, Takagi.  He keeps resisting the change, but slowly comes around to the idea.  His dream of becoming a manga artist might just become reality.  Where we had a boy who had little direction just an episode ago, we have a boy who’s creativity and imagination has been sparked by the possibilities.  He has his skills, he has a writer, he has the girl of his dreams, and amazingly, he lands his parents permission too.

Only one thing could possibly send him over the top, and his grandfather knows just what do.  He hands over the key’s to his deceased son’s manga studio.  Seriously, what else could he possibly want?  He has everything he’s ever dreamed of thrown right in his lap.  Okay, so the pacing might be a bit unrealistic, but it sure gave this anime the kick-start it needed.  I don’t know if I could survive several episodes of Mashiro agonizing over his decision.  Though I imagine Takagi’s poking and prodding would become more amusing over time.

Big gestures. BIIIIIIIG gestures!

Of course, all the ambition in the world can’t guarantee your dreams will become a reality.  In a competitive industry, you can never assure yourself of success, nor will past performance guarantee future results.  I really like it when Takagi points this out.  You should try to follow your dreams, but always have a back up plan.  Who knows when failure will come knocking at your door.  He intends to continue studying while pursuing his dream of working on manga.

I’d like to think it’s what inspired Mashiro to come to the same conclusion when talking to his mother.  We know from the beginning he kept attending school out of normalcy.  He simply went through the motions and coasted through the experience.  When it comes to school, what you get out of it really depends on how much you put into the experience.  I hope that he’ll apply himself to his studies.  We know he’s the protagonist so it’s likely he’ll succeed in the end, but it would be more realistic to see this change in him made manifest.

This is your big chance, son. Don't disappoint.

For several episodes now, we were led along thinking that the elimination of the nobles was going to be some big event. This episode made it perfectly clear that this show’s heroes have far bigger fish to fry by basically glossing over the execution of some two hundred people in seconds. Instead, events made it perfectly clear that the plot has already moved on to the upcoming conflict between Roland and Gastark. Unfortunately, this upcoming conflict doesn’t seem any more interesting than the last.

Setting aside their differences for now.

As disappointing as the whole slaughter scene was, we at least confirmed one thing. Miran Froaude is one hell of a calculating bad ass. For him to plan the assassination of his family members, from the age of 5, shows that he has ice running through his veins. However, as soon we were led to believe that Miran was all but invincible, the show completely pulls a 180. With the introduction of yet another pink haired character (who we later learn is from Gastark, along with the pink haired siblings), we see that Miran isn’t really all that powerful, and that there is another legendary relic with basically the same type of power as Miran’s ring.

Reaching for second base.

Having Clough save Miran seemed like it came a little out the blue, but it did underscore how the situation in Roland has changed. Up until this point Miran and Clough have had nothing but disdain for each other. But now, it seems as though their proverbial “shit is on hold”, until they deal with a greater foe. While I am still hoping that we will eventually get to see Miran and Clough duke it out mano y mano, seeing Miran having to thank Clough for rescuing him was fairly gratifying. On another note, I got the feeling that there was some strange vibes between the two, but I decided to bite my tongue in this case and not make any yaoi jokes.

Yet another pink haired character.

With the revelation that Gastark is the nation causing all the trouble up north, and that all these pink haired characters hail from said nation, it feels as though we are watching the wrong show. Kuu and Sui seem like they are infinitely more competent than Ryner and Ferris, and with nothing of note ever happening in Roland it feels as though we are focusing on the wrong characters.

Lucile is still around.

Of particular note, this episode also featured the return of two characters who have been MIA for some time now. While Lucile’s presence is a constant, it was nice to see that he still keeps tabs on Sion. However, the more important character introduction, in my opinion, was that of Kiefer Knolles. From episode 4, we know she has been traveling the continent for some time now. Her knowledge could prove useful, given that much of the main cast seems to have little to no knowledge of the events in the northern part of the continent. Her reemergence may be what this show needs to wake up from a rather dull couple of episodes, as her character was one of the most interesting thus far, despite her limited screen time.

This episode made it abundantly clear that Ryner and Ferris don’t know what they are doing. You would have thought that after two years of researching the legendary relics Ryner would know how to use them or, at the very least, he would have one in his possession by now. Though much from this episode still needs to be resolved, I would imagine that knowing the pink haired siblings pose a threat to the completion of their mission, Ryner and Ferris may start taking things a bit more seriously.

The pink haired siblings being cute before becoming evil.

While I could deride Iris forgetting where she put the letter, and thus sending Ryner and Ferris to the forest, as a weak plot device, I won’t. Instead, it was completely within her character and even provided a couple laughs when contrasted against Sion’s letter. Nor will I point out that the amount of talking between Ryner and Ferris during their fight with the pink haired siblings reminded me of a bad shounen action show. Fortunately, the amount of action in this episode really made up for those small problems.

The main focus in this episode was the fight between Ryner/Ferris and the pink haired siblings. If there was one thing the first part of the fight made clear, it was that Ryner and Ferris were outmatched. With the pink haired siblings possessing three of the legendary relics (Elemio’s Comb, the Ailecrono Scythe, and Dolueli’s Swordscale), it had become quite clear that Ryner and Ferris haven’t been using their time wisely. Surprisingly, Ferris was the least useful person in battle, with Kuu almost fatally wounding her. This fight, and the fight with Miran Froaude a few episodes ago, show that Ferris, despite her skill, is only bringing a knife to a gunfight. As much as I love Ferris, she is becoming less and less useful.

These two seem to be getting closer.

The second part of the fight introduced yet another plot element, because what would this show be without having new plot point being introduced, in the form of the Rule Fragment. Apparently, after learning of Ryner’s Alpha Stigma, Sui wanted to steal it from him. How this is even possible is beyond me, but it really doesn’t matter, since once he awakened Ryner’s Alpha Stigma he lost any chance of winning the battle. I will give Sui some mad props though for cutting off his own infected arm and cauterizing the wound with the Dolueli Swordscale.

Two minutes earlier she wanted to play house with Ryner.

Along with the main story, there were a series of flashbacks to Ryner’s childhood mixed into this episode. Though these flashbacks didn’t really introduce anything we didn’t already know about Ryner’s power, the purpose of this series of flashbacks served another purpose. Though Ryner urged Ferris to leave the area when his Alpha Stigma took over, it is also likely to assume that he didn’t want Ferris to see him as a monster. The reason I say this is because the last scene in the flashback featured his young friend, Quill, and the rest of the town shunning him as a monster immediately after he saved the town. I would imagine, especially with some of the hints we have gotten in the past few episodes concerning the changing nature of Ferris and Ryner’s relationship, that Ryner fears the same thing might happen.  On a side note, what is with the ungrateful townspeople? I mean, Ryner saved them from death, and they don’t even thank him.

Though it is impossible for me to predict what the psychopathic Ryner will do next episode (but it looks like Ferris will be important given the previews), there are few other things that caught my eye in this episode. Regardless of what happens to the pink haired siblings in the next episode, it does seem like Ferris knows the country they are from. If other nations are also searching for the relics, it could prove troublesome for Sion and Roland in the future. If the siblings do manage to survive past the next episode,  the list of enemies for Ryner and Ferris will continue to grow, though I still see Miran Froaude as the most dangerous threat. Another question is what happened to Elemio’s comb after Ryner more or less vaporized it. Given that the legendary relics seem to be fairly important due to the title of the show, will its disappearance pose a problem down the line?

I'm certainly looking forward to the next episode.

This episode offered a lot in the way of political intrigue that in the grand scheme of things really doesn’t seem that important. Suffice it to say, Miran Froaude staged a rebellion in Estabul to and trick Sion into sending forces into other territories and eliminate the anti-king factions. In the end, Sion saw through Miran’s plan but did little in the way of stopping it. Despite my overly simplistic recap, I really did enjoy this episode for a couple of reasons.

I wish I had a nickname as cool as Crimson Fingered Claugh

Though the fighting in this episode wasn’t on par with some of the scenes from episode 3(though it looks like that may be resolved in the next episode) it was interesting enough. For the first time we finally got to see one of Sion’s original generals, in this case Claugh Klom, do something worth talking about. Though the battlefield scenes featuring Klom single-handedly destroying Estabul’s army were well done, I was disappointed we were unable to see Klom fight Froaude. I realize that it’s probably still too early in the series for their inevitable fight, but the way that scene ended, with the princess stopping the fight, was a bit of a letdown.

Without Ryner or Ferris, this was the highlight of the episode

Another thing that made this episode worthwhile was the speed and clarity in which it was done. Though there probably wasn’t enough material to make the rebellion last two episodes, I was impressed with how much was presented in such a short period of time. In my opinion, too many shows spend too much time explaining things to their viewers over and over again, but this show doesn’t stop to explain what is going on, and I admire that. Sure, you could see some of the twists, like Salawell’s betrayal and Miran’s eventual interference, coming from a mile away, but those are minor complaints. With that said, this episode did take a few too many liberties with the plot. Among other things, there was no explanation as to how Froaude or Klom got into the fortress by themselves though I suppose we are to infer they are just that good. This may be a result of the amount of material presented in this episode or just a deficiency from the original source, but it is something that is becoming more noticeable as this series continues.

The Brain Trust

Perhaps the most interesting part of this episode was the last scene featuring Sion in his office. He continues to walk the path toward the dark side, but he seems to understand that. Even though he half heartedly tried to distance himself from the events in Estabul by claiming he saved a few lives by sending Klom, instead of Froaude, he understood that he was just splitting hairs. This was all in stark contrast to the thought process used by Noa Ehn, the leader of the revolt, who was willing to sacrifice her own life for the safety of her people.

Hopefully, she will remain around for a while as she provides a nice contrast to Sion

In addition, Iris’ drawings depicting Ryner and Ferris were cute, but more importantly, they revealed that Sion didn’t actually believe the legendary relics were actually real. This certainly gives more credence to the thought that Lucile is the one pulling the strings, but that was pretty clear to begin with. Despite being mentioned in passing a few times, Lucile, himself, hasn’t made an appearance in three or four episodes, yet his character remains one of this show’s focal points. Even though his only real interaction with the main cast has been with Sion (that we know of), I still can’t go an episode without thinking how Lucile is viewing Sion’s actions. Seeing as how Sion is still alive, it would seem that Lucile still approves of his rule, but I can’t help but wonder when that will change.

The end of this episode revealed a lot about Sion

After reviewing my episode one post from a month and half ago, it seems my doubts regarding DenYuDen’s ability to walk the line between being a comedy and drama have been put to rest. Aside from a few overly cliché moments, I have enjoyed watching Ferris’ comedic charm and seeing Sion sell his soul to the devil. As luck would have it though, it seems that once I put one fear to rest another has come to take its place.

She reminds me of Yui.

Before getting into what that fear is, I must say that I love girls with fangs, and this episode really delivered on that front. Both Milk and Sui have fangs, and thus, have instantly become my two favorite characters in this show. Regrettably, my love for their dental issues doesn’t mean I think they have any place in the show. The pink haired Sui, and her older brother Kuu, only show up for two minutes, with their only discernable purpose being to alert Milk to Ryner and Ferris’ location. Though the siblings did offer a few laughs, they seemed somewhat out of place and seem to be, for the time being, exhibit A as to what this story’s problem is (which I cover later).

As for Milk, this episode clearly focused around her. With seven episodes under our belt, understanding what taboo breaker means and what her job is became a lot clearer than when introduced. A bit of shame though for Ryner and Ferris, as both Miran Froaude and Milk’s group are out to kill/capture them thanks to the secret nature of their mission. One interesting twist is that is doesn’t seem that the rest of Milk’s crew  knows of her past with Ryner and the affection she holds for him, as even in episode 1 she is always alone when she talks to him. However, the most interesting part of her story was found in the flashback where we saw a far more aggressive Ryner save Milk. Given that Ryner himself said he hadn’t used his Alpha Stigma for several years in a past episode I hope we will get to see why he gave up using his power and if it had anything to do with his personality change.

This one is just too easy.

Though introduced, in passing, during the first episode, I was a bit surprised with how important the defense of a nation’s magic is to its survival. Given that this is something Sion oversaw himself, it does seem to be a rather important plot point. Unfortunately, I don’t really care about the sanctity of Roland’s magic, or any other nation’s for that matter, as the series hasn’t done anything to acquaint us with it. I wasn’t looking for anything on par with FMA’s review on the finer points of Alchemy from episode 1 of that series, but at least try to make me care. Additionally, this potential plot point just adds to an ever increasing catalogue of things in this series that I need to keep an eye on. With an upcoming conflict in Estabul likely on the horizon, that list will likely continue to grow.

On that point, the episode concluded with Miran giving Sion a report about an uprising in Estabul. From the look on Sion’s face once he got that news, I wouldn’t want to be in Estabul anytime soon. Most of his screen time this (and last) episode was again devoted to him moaning about his inability to protect Fiole. Given that he also likely regrets his inability to protect his classmates from being slaughtered by the Estabul Knights in episode 3, he seems hell bent on revenge. After watching the Star Wars trilogy yesterday, I can’t help but think this is Sion’s first big step to the dark side.

I get it. Sion is evil.

Like its expanding plot, the show’s cast of characters continues to grow. Though I am fairly confident that most of the recent additions to the cast will be nothing more than bit players, and thus will not be critical to the overarching story, it seems like the show has not yet hit its stride. While this is a bit of an exaggeration (especially considering episode 3), more than one fourth of the series has aired and it feels as if I’ve only seen an endless convoy of character introductions. I would hate to see this series suffer the same fate as the third season of LOST, in that it continues adding new characters without really ever advancing the plot of the main characters, which in this case would be Ryner, Ferris, and Sion.

On a different issue, it was nice to finally get confirmation as to where episode one fit into the continuity of the series as a whole. While I’d imagine most people who watched this were able to surmise that it took place before episode 5, the open ended ending of the first episode had given me troubles. Fortunately, the show solved this problem by highlighting another. This episode’s ending was the second instance in which Ryner and Ferris apparently walked away from a fight with a monster that had something to do with the legendary relics (the dragon in this episode and the stone monster in the first).

For Ferris, I would be her S any day of the week

It seems as though there is some understanding between Ferris and Ryner as to what they are doing, but it would be nice if we were privy to their conversations. For example, is there a reason as to why they are letting these monsters roam free, are to assume they defeat the monster in between episodes, or is there someone else who comes along to deal with these beasts? Given that the show looked ahead in the first episode, it does seem reasonable to assume that we may not have the whole story and that there is some sort of missing episode that will clear everything up in the future, but then again, I really don’t have a clue. Let’s just hope we don’t get some sort of ending monologue that “solves” all the plot holes ala Angel Beats.

After spending the last week in L.A. for my vacation, I finally got around to watching episode 6 earlier today. Though this episode was a definite improvement over last week’s, thanks mainly to the fight scene, some parts seemed a bit too forced. While I understand and appreciate that the show is trying to flesh out its characters and plot, the actions they are taking to seem like they are coming a bit out of the blue.

DO NOT WANT! Ferris is mine!

Sion’s actions, in particular, seemed the most puzzling. His sudden acceptance of Miran’s suggestion to travel to Nelpha over the advice of his longer tenured generals was certainly strange, but his agreement to travel with Miran alone was even more so. Perhaps I misjudged Sion, but he didn’t seem like the type of ruler to condone, or maybe even order, the execution of the Nelphan nobles, or for that matter Toale. It would seem that Sion’s destiny is to walk down a darker path, as he alluded to in an earlier episode. It isn’t that I have a problem with Sion’s decisions, but this seems like a sudden change in his character. Obviously, Sion’s one scene of brooding over Fiole’s death was supposed to show why he is changing, but changes in character this dramatic are supposed to take more time if they are to be believable.

Idiot Test: If you didn't figure out the episode would feature his ring, you're an idiot.

Unfortunately, the character development wasn’t limited to Sion, but it also opened the door for Ryner/Ferris shipping. As I mentioned in my review of Episode 5, it did seem like Ryner and Ferris were getting closer to each other, but I thought the two of them would remain platonic for the series’ duration. However, after viewing the last few scenes in this episode it seems possible that these two may become more of an item as the series progresses. My feelings on this possibility are mixed. As I have mentioned many times, Ryner and Ferris’ banter is my favorite part of this series, and messing with that chemistry may hurt what has made this show good so far. On the other hand, taking the series in this direction could open up the door for a more intriguing story.

I couldn't help thinking about The Lord of the Rings when I saw this.

While the fight scene was fairly enjoyable, I do question the amount of down time during the fight. Ryner and Ferris should find some other time to flirt, as there usually isn’t that much time to talk during a fight. Likewise, Miran’s inaction while this was going on is equally upsetting and disappointingly cliché. But that wasn’t nearly as disappointing as when he ran away from the fight when he clearly could have taken Ryner and Ferris. One interesting bit of info from this fight was that Miran’s ring, which I never had even noticed, is actually one of the legendary relics. I was a bit surprised that Miran was able to give Ryner and Ferris a good fight, as I thought the series true focus would never be on the relics themselves, but more on what use they will serve in some master plan. This suggests that the acquiring the actual relics will not be an easy task.

It seems like every episode Ferris is wearing less and less clothing. Very nice.

Since episode 7 comes out in a few days, I’ll keep the theories to a minimum and end the post here.

In general, I wasn’t that impressed with this episode. It wasn’t that Ferris, Ryner, or any of the other main cast weren’t interesting (they were), but I just couldn’t force myself to care about any of the side plots. I mean, was I supposed to care that Fiole was murdered? The last time he had any real screen time was in the first episode and he was never going to be a main character anyways. I found myself even more apathetic when it came to the citizens of Imperial Nelpha.

Aside from Dango, it seems that sex is all she thinks about.

Though I didn’t really care that Fiole was murdered, the show has made it clear that it is willing to kill off people without hesitation. Whether or not that translates to important characters kicking the bucket, Book of Bantorra style, remains to be seen, but this anime does have its fair share of blood thirsty characters. If nothing else, Fiole’s death saved us from hearing more about Sion’s mundane tax planning problems. Unfortunately, this episode’s Sion centric story didn’t reveal anything we didn’t already know since the first episode. The other part of the episode featuring Ryner and Ferris wasn’t that much better. Save the comedic portions, the duo met Toale, a disowned heir to the Nelphan throne, and the rest of the episode’s focus was showing how good of a guy he is. It wasn’t the dullest thing I’ve ever watched, but it certainly wasn’t exciting.

If I wanted to hear about taxes, I would be working.

As indifferent as I am to Fiole’s death, I must say that I find Miran Froaude to be one of the show’s most intriguing characters after just one episode (though I think he made short appearance in episode 1). The thing I love about this guy is that he just oozes evilness, despite his ridiculous get up. His whole dark side speech along with the music playing in the background would seem to seal the deal. But all these not so subtle clues lead me to believe that he may not be so evil after all. In fact, I’m getting a sort of Paul von Oberstein from the Legend of the Galactic Heroes feeling from this guy in that /SPOILERS/ we may go throughout the entire series waiting for him to betray Sion, but in the end all he really cares about is his job, and maybe even a puppy, too /SPOILERS/. Likewise, there will likely be a lot of tension between him and Sion’s other generals, who seem to be do-gooders.

Seriously?

If I had to pick one highlight in this episode, and this series, it continues to be the interactions between Ryner and Ferris. Remarkably, I finally noticed something that is, with 20/20 hindsight, fairly obvious from the first four episodes. Ferris’ personality in episodes 1 and 5 is markedly different than the others that focused on the past. Though the pervert joke is only two episodes old you can see that the general tone in Ferris’ delivery from when they first met in episode 4 is vastly different from what it was in this and the first episode. I got the sense that being in foreign country far away from the influence of Lucile she may be a little less stiff than she would be otherwise. Additionally, I’m sure that hanging around Ryner for a while may have also contributed to her personality change. That leads me to my next point, which is to question the time frames introduced in this episode and the first, and to ask how long Ryner and Ferris have been traveling.

Ferris' beauty obligates me to include this picture

Looking back to the first episode, I am somewhat confused by the two different timelines. In one part of the first episode Sion saves Fiole, and in the other, Ryner and Ferris are fighting the rock monster. However, the Ryner/Ferris part of this episode didn’t tie up the loose ends from the first episode. Could this episode’s Ryner/Ferris story have taken place before the first episode’s Ryner/Ferris story? If so, I don’t understand why the story is so poorly organized. If it isn’t, I really don’t understand why we can’t get more continuity between episodes.

Anyway, it looks like this was the first in a multi episode arc, so I’m not really that upset at the lack of action in this episode. In fact, I don’t really mind when an entire episode is devoted to political intrigue, but it needs to be intriguing. If Sion’s only opposition for the entire series turns out to be the weak anti-king movement, this show will suffer. As unlikely as that scenario is, I would like for something exciting to happen in Roland.

I know many of you probably don’t follow sports, but I’m going to throw a sport’s analogy at you all anyway. When a legendary coach leaves a team, like when Steve Spurrier left the Florida Gators or when Phil Jackson eventually leaves the Lakers, the guy after him, no matter how good, is never going to get the respect he deserves. Likewise, as good as this week’s episode was, it was never really going to match last week’s episode. But then again, this episode never really tried to match the level of last week’s. Instead, we got more of a stage setting episode that finally bridged the different time periods introduced, but it was still pretty interesting.

The subs for this show really make it too easy for yaoi jokes, but that might just be the case with all shows

The first half of the episode focused on the two or three years Ryner spent locked up in a poorly secured dungeon. Truth be told, I thought that if the show spent any time covering Ryner’s stay in jail, that it would be no more exciting than watching grass grow. But given the way this scene was handled convinced me that this show will likely remain one of my favorites this season. The great back and forth between the prison guard and Ryner concerning the books Ryner was researching and the guard’s daughter over the course of his sentence was unexpected to say the least.  When the guard came to release Ryner, thinking he was to be executed, you could see that the two did seem like “Buddy’s”.

In the end though, my guess is that the only reason there was so much attention placed on this relationship was so that Ryner didn’t just run away upon his release was out of respect for the guard’s position (Considering what Lucile would have had done to that guard had he escaped). This is pretty emblematic of Ryner’s general outlook on life and it nice to see it rather than him just saying it.

Why they just can't use normal numbers is beyond me.

We later learn that Ryner spent his time in jail preparing a manifesto that detailed how to use the legendary relics as a deterrent to war (a little too Code Geass: Season 2 for me, but whatever). While the particulars about his research were not revealed, I would imagine that he used his Alpha Stigma to memorize the knowledge from all of those books he read. From what I’ve read and saw when Ryner activated his powers in the last episode, it seems the Alpha Stigma is some sort of power that little kids give themselves so they can do anything and everything under the sun.

While we were led to believe that Ryner was being leg to execution, he was instead led out of the prison compound to a waiting Ferris. After the two had a short fight, Ferris eventually strong-arms Ryner into accompanying her to meet the king.  Unlike the last episode, I really thought that this fight scene finally delivered some of the clean crisp action I had been waiting for. Though the previous episode obviously had a bunch of action, I didn’t enjoy it due to the overuse of shades that blocked a lot of the blood and the other gimmicks the animators used to cut costs. This fight used a few of those same gimmicks, but it looked much more polished. Now I know the fight in this episode was a lot shorter and only featured two characters, but if future fight scenes are able to meet this standard, it would be a big boost for this series’ long term prospects.

I would be willing to watch that show as well.

The last part of the episode introduced Sion as the new King of the Roland Empire, which might have been a surprise to some viewers if the first episode wouldn’t have given it away. After reading Ryner’s manifesto, Sion orders Ferris and Ryner on a quest to find the legendary relics. It is pretty easy to see that Lucile is controlling Sion behind the scenes and has other plans for the relics’ use, should they be found. Another interesting tidbit we got from this scene was that Kiefer is still alive and is traveling the world. Considering that our heroes are about to do the same thing you would imagine we have not seen the last of her. It was also pretty intriguing to see Ryner’s reaction to the news that Kiefer was still alive, as he seemed rather indifferent to her over the past few episodes.

Though it is clear that this series will have a fairly interesting plot, whatever happens, it is still unclear as to what that plot will be and what themes it will cover. A lot of people have seemed to wonder, myself included, as to why this show is taking its sweet time introducing plot points and explaining character back stories. While it is unfortunate a lot of people may have dropped this show after first episode or two, I am beginning to appreciate the slow build up. As much as I enjoy series that jump straight into explaining back stories and character’s abilities in the first few episodes, this show has taken a different route, and I commend it for taking that risk.

Cue dramatic cape flip.

Looking forward to next week, I am afraid that we may return to the dull comedy routine of the first episode, especially when considering that the past three episodes contained a lot of great story telling. One good thing about a return to the present day is that we now have a far better understanding of what is going on with the plot, so the transition may not be as bad as I think it might (plus we will get more Ferris). Now that the stage is set, it would seem that the series may take on more of an episodic format, but I wouldn’t really mind if the story jumped around a bit as it seems that is when it is at its best.

There is one final thing I want to note before ending this post. It seemed Ryner was pretty liberal with his Alpha Stigma powers in his fight against Ferris. This represents a fairly dramatic shift in his character from the previous episode, so I suppose that his outlook on life may have changed while he was in prison. But if this isn’t the case, then it certainly gives the impression of some sloppy writing considering how Ryner let his classmates die so easily last episode. Anyway, that is just something I am going to keep my eye on.

If it was not for the fanfare and epicness surrounding the third episode of Amagami SS, this episode would have been the highlight of my anime watching week. That show aside, Legend finally delivered an engaging episode that left me looking forward to next week’s episode for the first time. However, this show is still far from perfect as the story relies too much on questionable decision making by its characters.

Before and ...

Following a short scene that featured Kiefer confessing her love to Ryner, the show surprisingly moves to the attack of the Estabul Knights within the first ten minutes of the episode. Unfortunately, we don’t really get to see most of the Academy’s students get chopped to pieces, but the scene was still enjoyable. However, I continue to question the preview scene in episode 1 that seemed to suggest that no one but the main three students would survive, as that took much of the suspense away from this scene.

As amazing as that onslaught was, the highlight of this episode was without question the clinic Ryner put on for the Estabul Knights. Apparently, the Alpha Stigma’s power isn’t limited to copying the abilities of other magicians, but it also gives Ryner the ability to laugh like a maniac. That, and the ability to practically disintegrate people at will would make it a serviceable ability, if only Ryner would stop being such a pussy about using it (which I discuss later).

After

While I give the show credit for making the scene as exciting as it was gruesome, I found the Knights’ behavior unbearably stupid. I mean they fell into the common bad guy monologue/deathtrap set up that has befallen many greats, including Dr. Evil. Why these Knights didn’t just kill Ryner when they captured him is beyond me, but it certainly made for an interesting watch.

The ending monologue suggests that future episodes will focus on a shift in Ryner’s mentality, which definitely needs changing. Sion was right when he read Ryner the riot act for not saving their comrades earlier via his Alpha Stigma. The reliance on “I’d rather take afternoon naps” and “can’t we all get along and not fight” by Ryner really showed his immaturity. He should take a page out of Peter Parker’s play book and realize that with great power comes great responsibility.

I'm having a tough time deciding which of these two characters I like less.

Unfortunately, Ryner seems so dead set against using his Alpha Stigma, even after most of his classmates died, that it looks like it will take a while for him to come to his senses. I mean even Miyafugi, from Strike Witches, was able to realize violence was necessary by the end of that series (yes, that show does have some themes). Thus, Ryner has no more than ten episodes to get his act together, or this may get old, and fast.

I will give credit where credit is due, and applaud Ryner for using his one request to free Kiefer, who did turn out to be a spy. Though once again, I really don’t understand why they would give Ryner one request as he is the Alpha Stigma bearer, but I’ll let this overly convenient plot go on for now so the story can be established, but not for much longer. That said, I’m really wondering what type of role Kiefer will have later in the series, as I can’t imagine her as a one and done type of character. While she seems to genuinely love Ryner, what will she be able to do now that her cover is blown?

Only one scene with Ferris in the entire episode. For shame.

Three episodes in, we have had three fairly different types of episodes. After taking into account the underwhelming first, overly talkative second, and carnage filled third, this series hasn’t really entered any sort of definable groove as of yet. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed a lot of what this show has offered, but it seems like it’s a more a collection of parts rather than one definable story. I still don’t really get why Lucile is protecting Sion, though his ninja skills at the beginning of his episode showed how much of BAMF he is, and why Ferris is so afraid of him (also, a disappointing lack of Ferris in this episode).  Additionally, the farther we get away from episode one, the more I will question the point of that episode and the characters introduced in that episode.

The ending conversation between Ryner and Sion, who had offered to help Ryner escape prison but was rebuffed, didn’t really offer any hints as to the nature of the next episode. But here’s to hoping Ryner doesn’t go on some emo trip and confine himself to prison for too long.

Though the scene was definitely overkill, that dead dog (mafia style) near the beginning of this episode certainly set a much darker tone for this series, which is certainly an improvement considering the lackluster opener. As this episode would later go on to explain, it appears that many of young Sion’s problems are due to him being the son of a noble father who married a commoner. This, in turn, gives Sion the motivation to want to overturn the current order of the world due its corruption, etc, etc. While I certainly understand Sion’s motivation to become king, he better not continue blabbing on about his past and the corrupt way of the world, otherwise he may start entering Suzaku Kururugi territory. That type of behavior would be enough for me to drop this show just out of principle.

A sunrise is a perfect time to flirt.

We flash forward some unknown number of years (though still before the start of episode 1) and Sion is attending a magic academy that trains social rejects to become sacrificial red shirts for the Roland Empire. He eventually befriends, through his irritable charm, a young recruit by the name of Kiefer Knolles and, through blackmail, Ryner so they will join his team for the upcoming exams. After they pass the exams with flying colors, Sion asks Ryner to help him overthrow the kingdom. Ryner, in his typical fashion, burns Sion, citing his laziness. Following a brief moment of male bonding, the two are attacked by NINJAs!

After Ryner unceremoniously leaves him to deal with the ninjas by himself, Ferris eventually comes out of nowhere to save Sion. Indebted to Ferris, Sion is obligated to bring her a special order of Dango and the two then discuss why people are trying to kill him. After he explains his past to Ferris, she tells him she will find out who was trying to kill him, as long as she gets more Dango for herself and her young sister, Iris. The episode ends on a pretty ominous note, as we learn that Sion’s team, Ryner and Kiefer included, are walking right into a trap. Additionally, it seems as though Kiefer is likely a spy, given how she tried to keep Ryner from going to fight. That and the pieces of knowledge Ferris and Iris obtained after interrogating whoever was trying to kill Sion.

Ryner is a pretty popular guy.

As previously mentioned, this episode was a definite improvement over the first, which makes you wonder why they didn’t decide to start with this episode. That aside, there are still a few things that I am wondering about going forward. It would seem that Ferris’ brother is a pretty important individual, but I am still wondering what his motives are for keeping Sion alive. On that same issue, it seems as though Ferris is fairly afraid of her brother as she does whatever he demands.

Peace and love.

One moment that caught really caught my attention was how Ferris referred to Sion as a dog right after she saved him. While the comedy that resulted from this was interesting enough, it seemed more than just a coincidence that she referred to him as a dog after the opening sequence prominently featured a dead one, but then again it’s probably nothing. Sion aside, it seems that Ryner and Ferris have both had troubled childhoods. While with Ferris this is nothing more than conjecture (though her appearance in the ED would seem to give this opinion some credibility), it is evident that Ryner clearly had a less than perfect childhood in a militaristic quasi-orphanage. As the series progresses, the main character’s similar pasts may be something that binds them together, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.

She could torture me any day.

While this episode put its predecessor to shame, there are still a few things I don’t like about the series. First, Ryner’s character seems to be pretty one-dimensional at the current moment. I get that he is supposed to be lazy and that was his excuse for rejecting Sion’s offer, but there has to be more to this guy. Another possible mark against this series is the potential for overusing Ryner’s Alpha Stigma as the reason the world shuns him. While this is isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me in regards to this series, I’ve just sort of become numb to that kind of plot device. Thank you, Naruto.

Keeping the end of Episode 1 in mind, along with how this episode ended, it looks like the next episode will finally have the epic carnage I’ve been waiting for. Also looking forward to the first meeting between Ryner and Ferris, as it doesn’t seem the two of them have met yet.

or Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu

I hope you’re not lactose intolerant, because this is apparently going to be one legendary show. Obligatory How I Met Your Mother reference aside, I decided to give reviewing this show a shot after watching its surprisingly decent trailer that raised my expectations. Despite its pretty stupid name that still may grow on me, I have read good things about the original novels. Even after one episode, I’m still not sure what to expect from this series. The trailers gave the impression that they were attempting to mix comedy with drama, which is a fine line to walk and if not done properly could doom this series. While I haven’t made any definitive judgments on that issue as of yet, this episode certainly didn’t make the best first impression.

But where is the other hand?

Plot wise, there doesn’t seem to be too much going on in this episode. After a short prologue that showed how the power of the Alpha Stigma (stupid name) saved humanity years ago, we flash forward to the two main protagonists of the show, Ryner and Ferris. They’re basically on some sort of quest from the Roland Empire (stupider name) for the artifacts of the Legendary Heroes ala Katanagatari, but only with magic.

Anyway, after they take five minutes of my time so Ferris can express her love for Dango they eventually make their way into a temple of some significance. Once inside Ryner eventually meets his childhood friend who is a captain to a bunch of unnamed subordinates. After she confesses her love to Ryner, she accidently awakens a giant stone monster that is apparently an artifact Ryner is searching for, which then starts attacking our heroes. As much fun as I found this set of characters, there was another, far more exciting story that alternated back forth throughout the episode. But not really.

...

... I already hate this guy.

Now unless you are some yaoi obsessed fangirl who isn’t the master of their own domain, I highly doubt you will find the third of this episode devoted to Sion Astal and his generals the least bit interesting. These guys apparently have designs on taking over the world, but apparently going to a ball to satisfy their libido is more important to these guys. Not that there is anything wrong with that. There is some effort placed into making this thing feel as though it is going somewhere via a misdirected assassination plot, a shady character who stands in the shadows, and some political intrigue, but it all seems to fall flat. There were some other things that happened in this episode, but most of it seemed unimportant in the long run. Plus, with another 25 episodes, there is more than enough time to catch up on anything that I may have omitted from this post.

I don't want to know what the blonde guy is thinking.

The only redeeming part of this episode was the ending flash back scene featuring a bunch of bloody corpses set to the sobs of a character to be determined later. As this scene suggested, there is likely some history between Sion and Ryner, but we are still in the dark as to what their current relationship may be. The preview for the next episode suggests that they will address this sooner rather than later. That, and the possibility of seeing Ferris in school (or anywhere really) will likely be enough to keep me tuning in for a few more episodes.

Next episode: Ferris' day off

Going forward, the banter between Ryner and Ferris featured in the opening minutes of this episode seems like the only thing this series has going for it.  Besides that, I found many of the gags dull and the other characters were uninteresting, and I haven’t even got to the animation yet. Don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy a series if it has subpar animation, which this does, but LOLH really didn’t offer anything else for me to latch onto. That said, I hope this series will find its legs in the next couple of episodes as I do see some potential.